Col. Walter Fellenz, the American army officer who liberated the Dachau concentration camp at the end of World War II, has died in San Antonio, Texas, where he lived, it was learned here today. Fellenz, who was 61 years old and retired from the army, was one of the speakers at the memorial service at Temple Emanu-El here May 31 commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising and the six million Jews who were murdered by the Nazis.
During his talk his voice broke down frequently with emotion as he described the horrors he found at Dachau. He told the audience “You and I must educate the youth of today of the tragedy of yesterday so we can prevent the atrocities of tomorrow.”
The Jewish Journal of San Antonio which has an interview with him in its June issue reported that Fellenz spoke to II groups while in New York and planned a speaking tour of the West Coast. The Journal said the only payment he accepted for his talks was for expenses since he considered his description of what happened a duty and on obligation.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
