Oilop

On 15 April 1945, the Liberation of Bergen-Belsen marked the end of one of the most horrific chapters of the Holocaust, as British forces entered the camp and uncovered scenes of unimaginable suffering.

Bergen-Belsen concentration camp was originally established in 1940 as a prisoner-of-war camp. By 1943, it began holding Jewish civilians—many with foreign passports—whom the N***s used as bargaining tools in exchange for German prisoners or financial gain.

As the war progressed, the camp was transformed into a full concentration camp, receiving thousands of prisoners transferred from other camps. Between 1943 and 1945, approximately 120,000 people passed through Bergen-Belsen, including Anne Frank and her family.

Unlike extermination camps such as Auschwitz concentration camp, Bergen-Belsen had no gas chambers. However, in the final months of the war, conditions were deliberately allowed to collapse. Severe overcrowding, starvation, and catastrophic sanitation led to deadly outbreaks of diseases such as typhus, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, and dysentery.
In just the first few months of 1945, over 35,000 people died—both shortly before and even after liberation. Typhus is believed to have claimed the lives of Anne Frank and her sister.
When British troops of the 11th Armoured Division arrived, they found around 60,000 prisoners—most severely malnourished and gravely ill—and approximately 13,000 unburied bodies scattered across the camp.
In total, more than 70,000 people lost their lives at Bergen-Belsen.
A BBC reporter who entered the camp with the British forces described the The living lay with their heads against the corpses and around them moved the awful, ghostly procession of emaciated, aimless people… This day at Belsen was the most horrible of my life.”

The legacy of ASA Ballard Team "Snakebite" remains a profound chapter in history, specifically highlighting their service in Vietnam from March to September 1969. These elite teams, including the 101st Airborne and 3rd Special Forces Group, conducted high-stakes missions that required immense technical skill and resilience. Their collective story is prominently featured alongside the legendary service of Captain Richard Flaherty in the historical account, The Giant Killer. Despite being the smallest soldier to serve in the U.S. military, Captain Flaherty’s distinguished career in the 46th Special Forces Company stands as a testament to the fact that leadership and bravery are measured by one's character and dedication to their teammates. By honoring these veterans in 2026, we ensure that their extraordinary sacrifices and the specialized roles they played in the Airborne community are never forgotten.

An iconic image from the Vietnam War captures a group of U.S. soldiers catching a rare moment of rest while in transit to the front lines. Tucked into the vibrating cargo hold of a transport aircraft, these service members reflect the quiet, heavy anticipation that defined the moments between base camp and the mission ahead. In the demanding environment of Southeast Asia, rest was a luxury often found only in these brief windows of travel over the dense jungle canopy. These candid photographs serve as a poignant reminder of the human element of the conflict young men carrying the weight of their gear and their duty into the unknown. In 2026, we continue to look back at these images to honor the resilience and the quiet strength of the generation that served during one of the most transformative eras in military history.