Updated Mar. 15, 2013 Updated Mar. 15, 2013
Elbe Day 2010 Report – 65 Years
(and other 69th Video)
by Joseph Lipsius 272nd Inf Regtl Hq & Cn Co
prepared by Michael McKibben, website engineer, Chairman and Founder of
Leader Technologies® and son-in-law of Jerry Hoovler 272nd Inf Reg K Co
Torgau, German (April 23-25, 2010)—Elbe Day 2010 was celebrated on April 23-25, 2010—the 65th Anniversary of the Link-Up between the American 69th Infantry Division and the 58th Soviet Guards Division at the Elbe River on April 25, 1945. This Link-Up split Germany in two and hastended the end of World War II. V-E Day ("Victory in Europe" Day) occured when German surrendered unconditionally to the Allies on May 8, 1945.
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| Figure 1: (L-R) Joe Lipsius, 272nd Inf Regtl Hq & Cn Co, and Rene Vetter, Press Secretary, City of Torgau, Germany |
Joseph Lipsius 272nd Inf Regtl Hq & Cn Co and his wife Anne along with Don Connelly Hq Co 2nd Bn 271st Inf Reg formally represented the veterans of the 69th Infantry Division.
Click here to view the Elbe Day 2010 video site developed by Dr. Tilo Lehnert. Many thanks to Dr. Lehnert and his family for this wonderful work! It was many months in preparation and the results are phenomenal. The 69th owes you a debt of gratitude.Click here for "1945 East Meets West in Torgau." (In general, follow other "Elbe" and "East meets West" links to other YouTube video.) Click here for a video tribute to Lou Souder, Co F 273rd Inf Rgt, by his children shot at the 2009 Reunion, 6 months before Elbe Day. Louis died sometime in 2010. (Will a family or friend please let us know the date of Lou's passing so we can update his listing in Taps with the date?)A translation of this Forum Russian language newspaper article about the Elbe Link-Up on April 25, 1945 follows on pages 2-5. The Forum is printed in Brooklyn, NY for Russians in New York and across the USA. The 65th Anniversary in Torgau named “Elbefest” was celebrated on April 23-25, 2010.
Forum Newspaper Photos:
Figure 2: American 69th Inf Div Reenactors of the April 25, 1945 Link-up
(click this photo for German language coverage)
Figure 3: American 69th Inf Div & Soviet 58th Guards Div Commander Reenactors
of the April 25, 1945 Link-up
(click this photo for German language coverage)
Figure 4: (L-R) Don Connelly (271st Inf Rgtl Hq Co 1st Bn), American Commander Reenactor,
Joe Lipsius (272nd Inf Regtl Hq & Cn Co), and Soviet Commander Reenactor
Figure 5: (L-R) American Commander Reenactor, Don Connelly (271st Inf Rgtl Hq Co 1st Bn),
Joe Lipsius (272nd Inf Regtl Hq & Cn Co), and Soviet Commander Reenactor
Figure 6: Torgau Newspaper Press Coverage of Elbe Day 2010
Figure 7: Torgau Newspaper Press Coverage of Elbe Day 2010
Figure 8: Elbe Day 2010 Official Ceremonies
Figure 9: Elbe Day 2010 Official Ceremonies
Figure 10: Elbe Day 2010 Official Ceremonies
Figure 11: Elbe Day 2010 Official Ceremonies
Figure 12: Elbe Day 2010 Official Ceremonies
Thanks to Joe, Anne and Don for making the trip... 65 years later!
A number of videos are appearing about the Link-Up of the American 69th Infantry Division and the Soviet 58th Guards. These first two Russian stories featuring the late 58th Soviet Lieutenant Alexander Silvashko who was the first to meet American 69th 2nd Lieutenant William Robertson.
Figure 13: The Story of a Handshake (Russian Video) - Part 1 of 2
Figure 17: Leipzig-Thekla Concentration Camp (Sub-Camp of Buchenwald) Nazi Flag
signed on April 19, 1945 by its liberators from The Fighting 69th Infantry Division
This Fig. 17 video shows a Nazi flag captured after the Leipzig-Thekla Concentration Camp (Sub-Camp of Buchenwald) was liberated by The Fighting 69th Infantry Division on April 19, 1945. The producer is trying to identify the signatures of members of the Fighting 69th who liberated the camp. The liberation of Leipzig-Thekla by the 69th Infantry Division is described in detail in 69th Bulletin Vol. 59, No. 3, pages 22-23, May-Aug 2006 and is also mentioned in 69th Bulletin Vol. 59, No. 1, Sep-Dec 2005.
The diary of Lawrence E. Bartling of the 272nd reveals a second concentration camp in the vicinity of Leipzig that could be another possible camp to which Jerry Hoovler, Co K 272nd Inf Rgt has referred in stories to his family—the Buchenwald Leipzig-Thekla Concentration Camp. Since writing this paragraph, webmaster Joe Lipsius checked the 69th archives and found this April 21, 1945 document certifying their discovery of the Leipzig-Thekla camp. Photos of American soldiers making notes of the Thekla camp conditions are shown on a Wikimedia site and may be some of the 69th soldiers mentioned in the Apr. 21, 1945 document. If any 69ers, family members or friends recognize these soliders, please contact us so we can update this information.
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