arch.12, 1943 United States Dear Journal, Today, my mother went out and got you for a birthday present. I am so very pleased with this gift. My sister told me that because this was my very first journal, that I should save a lot of special things for other journals. But, I am afraid that because of the war, I may not have another chance to get one. So I will tell you everything. I will start off with the war. At this very moment, my father is out fighting for us over in a foreign country. But we are not the only country in danger. In Germany, there is a mad man called Hitler. He takes all of the Jews and all of the non-full Germans to concentration camps, and even death camps!!! In the concentration camps, they take the non-Germans, and split them into two groups. Death groups and Life groups. In the death groups were the children under 14, elderly, and people that looked as if they were going to die any moment. They would take them, and put them into these showers. But instead of water coming out, deadly gases came out. That is why it was called the ?eath Group?. The life group went to work as ?laves? such as moving huge boulders across the road. Once they got to other side, the owners would tell them to move it back! Also, when they would be separated, if you were in life group, they would burn these numbers into your skin. Instead of being called Grace, I would be called 10395. That is why my father went to war. He does not think that this right. We got a letter from him, and he explained that he rescued a concentration camp, and when he did , this 14 year old kid came up to him and told him that he had no family left. They had all died. The boy asked what to do. My father looked at the boy and told him if he ever needed a family, his arms were open. The boy let out a big, bright smile that day. My father said that he would never forget him. In the Death Camps, they would load up the non- Germans on trains, and slowly move them to death camps. During this moving time, they would only give them 10 ounces of bread. They take the longest ways to death camps so they could clear them out faster. When, my father returns, he will bring home a photo of the boy, so we can see what he was like. I miss my father terribly so and really would like him to come home soon?. But, that is only a dream to me, for the war will last for quite awhile longer, and because father has not responded to any of our letters, he may not make it home. Oh my!!!! We just got a telegraph from the Red Cross. It says that father has gone missing!!!!!! I hurried over to mother , and showed here the telegraph. It said: The Crosses , We are sorry to inform you , but , it seems that John Cross has gone missing. We will call if we find any other information , RED CROSS SYSEITY Al of a sudden, John popped up from behind the couch. He had come home!!! He was safe, that was all that Grace had wanted!

The End

Story by: Kathryn, age 11, USA

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