Stories Of Texans Who Liberated Nazi Camps To Be Told At ‘Texas Aggies Go To War’ Exhibit
Editor’s note: Dr. Tarlow will be available to media at 1 p.m. ahead of his presentation.
A longtime staple of the Texas A&M community is returning to campus, and he’s bringing remarkable stories of Texans who helped free thousands of people from Nazi brutality during World War II.
Dr. Peter Tarlow, the chairman of the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission (THGC), will speak about the new Texas Liberator Project. His special presentation on Tuesday, Dec.5 at 1:15 p.m. will be at Texas A&M’s J. Wayne Stark Galleries as part of the “Texas Aggies Go to War: From Texas to Bastogne” exhibit currently on display. The event is free and open to the public.
Tarlow was the longtime rabbi for the Hillel Foundation at A&M and has served as a special envoy for the A&M System. At the same time, he became a leading expert on tourism, studying terrorism and crime potentials, and providing his expertise to organizations around the world.
The THGC’s Texas Liberator Project aims to educate future generations not only about the horrors of the Holocaust, but also and importantly, the brave Texans who helped end them. The project launched at the state capitol on November 9, the 79th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the wave of anti-Jewish violence by the Nazis.
So far, an honor roll of more than 300 Texas liberators has been created. Some of their stories have rarely, if ever, been told. Dr. Tarlow will discuss the project and share some of the stories at the event.
“In reality, these Texas veterans are the monuments, because few could have done what they did and liberate so many at the end of the war in Europe,” Tarlow said.
The educational program is the first of many to be put on by From Bastogne to Texas, Inc. The 501(c)3 non-profit organization is presenting “Texas Aggies Go to War” and working to raise funds for construction and operation of the Military Heritage Center in College Station’s Veterans Park. It will house exhibits – both permanent and travelling – dedicated to telling stories of service connected to Texas A&M, the Brazos Valley and beyond. There will also be space for educational conferences and meetings.
The THGC serves to keep up public awareness and understanding of genocides around the world. More about the center is at thgc.texas.gov. To learn more about the Texas Liberator Project, visit texasliberators.org. A travelling exhibit will tour the state during 2018.
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Media contact: John Adams, From Bastogne to Texas, Inc. Executive Director, 979-220-5265, john73adams@gmail.com.
