Howard Chandler was born a Jew in Wierzbnik, Poland [Annotator's Note: now known as Starachowice, Poland] in December 1928. It was a small town with most homes made of wood and attached to each other. Jews and Christians lived together in close quarters, but it was a trying time. Chandler attended school and most of his friends were Christians. Consequently, he learned to speak Polish without a Jewish accent. Education was important in his family so school grades were watched closely. His family followed the Jewish precepts. Young Jews were subject to attack on their way to school. He did not think that was unusual because he was brought up that way. Chandler had three siblings. His father had some extent of legal training and was consulted by neighbors for advice. Chandler enjoyed listening to the conversations. The family had retail and grocery businesses that dealt largely with credit from customers. His mother was very literate and helped neighbors with their business concerns. She had attended public school although it was not compulsory. Chandler and his siblings attended public school for half a day and Jewish school for the other half day. Most non-Jews were employed in the local ammunition factory. Jews were not allowed to work in the factory. Jews were employed by the lumber mill where less workers were needed. That anti-Semitism resulted in Jews having a rough time finding employment. Although Jews could be elected to public office in Poland, they were not hired for civil service jobs. Jews were mistreated in comparison to the Christians. Relations between Jews and the general population depended largely on the attitude of the local priest toward the non-Christians. That was the way of life. The populace knew no different way.

Howard Chandler went to visit his relatives about 40 kilometers away after the 1939 school year ended. [Annotator's Note: Chandler grew up in Wierzbnik, Poland; now known as Starachowice, Poland.] When he returned, he anticipated attending the new school year. In September 1939, the Germans invaded Poland and began to make significant changes. The Jewish children could not attend school any longer. Additionally, Jews, local officials and intelligentsia were arrested. New laws and mandates were initiated against the Jewish population by the German occupiers. In 1940, proclamations were issued that Jews could not live in small villages and towns. Train loads of Jews from Lodz [Annotator's Note: Łódź, Poland] and Płock [Annotator's Note: Płock, Poland] were brought into the area. The new arrivals had no luggage. The local Jews had to share everything with them. In 1940 and 1941, a ghetto was instituted to segregate Jews from Christians. More and more people were jammed into the ghetto and disease and starvation broke out. Chandler listened to his mother and her friends talk about war conditions during the First World War so he thought their dismal situation were just due to the wartime conditions. He never thought beyond that. Radios and newspapers were forbidden so news was sparse. In retrospect, Chandler sees that the more Germany was successful in occupying additional territory, the worse the Jews were treated. Property was confiscated to the point that the Jews did not have money or jewels to buy any food beyond meager rations given to them. They prayed the war would end. The small town ghettos did not have as bad a situation as those found in the larger towns. Shortages were even greater there. In Chandler's ghetto, there was some limited interaction with the local population outside their restricted area. Going into 1942, the Jews in Chandler's ghetto began hearing from Jewish refugees about the unbelievable situation in the segregated areas in the larger towns. Even though trainloads of people were being sent away from those ghettos to undisclosed destinations, the Jews with Chandler never allowed themselves to believe that the deportees were being killed. His parents lived day by day awaiting improvement. It was similar to the rough times in Jewish history. Things had to change for the better, but they did not. Things were getting worse. Chandler's father hypothesized that if he became useful to the Germans, he would not be deported. He knew enough people in the town to acquire a work permit for employment in the local ammunition factory which supported the German war effort. Likewise, Chandler's mother, older sister and older brother all obtained work permits. The family felt that would prevent their expulsion. Although Chandler was only 13 years old, his father lied about him being 16 years old and secured a work permit for the boy. Christian friends agreed to take Chandler's 11 year old brother and keep him secure should the family be separated. It gave Chandler's family a sense of security that they would be safe from deportation. Russia had been invaded by that time. The family theorized that the rail assets and soldiers would be needed for priorities to the east and not for deporting Jews.

On 27 October 1942, Howard Chandler was on his way to work when he observed more soldiers in town than usual. [Annotator's Note: Chandler lived in Wierzbnik, Poland; now known as Starachowice, Poland.] An order went out for all Jews to report to the market square. Chandler returned home and notified his parents. His older brother was at work so the family reported to the square without him. The collection of Jews included the old and the infirm. The new soldiers were a bunch of killers who executed about 200 people. Those who did not comply with their orders fast enough were summarily shot. The rest of the Jews numbered about 7,000. They witnessed the murders. The experience still gives Chandler nightmares. Men were separated from women and children by the Germans. Those individuals with work permits were separated and ordered to assemble in a still different location. Because of his youth, Chandler was challenged for following his father to the area for those with work permits. He was allowed by a leader on the Jewish committee that dealt with the Germans to join the work permit group because his father was a good worker. Chandler saw other boys his age attempt to join the group but they were not allowed to do so. The Jewish committeeman attempted several times later to withdraw Chandler from the work group but Chandler's father had his son hide from the sight of the leader. It was the first instance of real luck for Chandler in his survival efforts. He marched away with those with work permits. The remaining Jews were loaded aboard trains and taken away never to be seen again. That included Chandler's mother, sister and younger brother. Chandler tried to find out from the Christian family that had agreed to hide his younger brother why they did not keep him. He has not been able to get an answer from them. His younger brother was a genius but his talent was lost. He could have made a significant contribution to the world had he not been killed. After the town was emptied of Jews, the local population went into the Jewish homes and took what they wanted. The Germans took the rest. This was done systematically across Poland as the Jews were taken to extermination camps established in Poland. The deportees were gassed then cremated or buried after arrival in the different camps every day.

Howard Chandler was a forced laborer for the Germans in an ammunition factory and lumber mill. [Annotator's Note: Chandler was incarcerated in the ghetto in Wierzbnik, Poland; now known as Starachowice, Poland.] The 1,500 or so other Jews and Chandler worked alongside non-Jews at the work sites until about 1944. Conditions were terrible in the camps alongside the factories and mill. By the end of 1942, any Jews still living in Poland were living in slave labor camps like Chandler. Attrition on manpower was getting worse and worse. Food and medicine were scarce. The Germans controlled the prisoners with food. Rations were constantly being reduced. A bit of soup and turnips usually constituted the meal. Selections were made of those who could not work. They were shot without hesitation. Over 50 people were shot in one night. Chandler and the other laborers began to believe what they heard about deportees being killed upon arrival at the remote camps. The labor camps were surrounded by barbed wire and watchtowers. The factories were surrounded by fences. Ukrainian guards supported the Germans in keeping the inmates under control. When Chandler was assigned to repair a rail line one day, he made an escape to the forest. He had to be careful because local Poles could turn in a Jew for a bottle of vodka and some sugar. That was the value of a Jewish life. When he reached the forest, he had to decide whether to join a partisan group or keep going. He was free but remembered that the Germans executed relatives of escapees. He returned to his work area but the work crew had returned to the factory. He coaxed a Ukrainian gate guard at the factory to allow him entry but was given a beating. The prisoners were beginning to believe the rumors of the Nazi death camps. By July 1944, their factory was being dismantled for relocation. The workers feared they would be sent to their deaths. Consequently, wires were cut and small groups made their escape. People were shot as the number of guards and the searchlights were increased. The worst memory of that time is Chandler's recollection of the wounded escapees being left with no treatment. They would moan for help or execution. The guards let them lay in agony. Those who did escape were often killed by anti-Semitic partisans. Trains arrived at the labor camp soon afterward. The inmates were jammed into cars without food or water. It was summer time and the conditions were hot and bad. People had to stand for the journey to the unknown destination.

Howard Chandler arrived at Auschwitz [Annotator's Note: Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp complex in German occupied Oświe̜cim (Oswiecim), Poland] not knowing where he was. It had been a miserable two day journey without food or water in a cattle car in summer heat. He was dejected and felt he would not survive the war. He began to feel that the sooner the Germans did away with him, the less he would have to suffer. Upon arrival, prisoners were told to depart the railcar. The dead were left behind in a heap. He knew nothing of Auschwitz, but there he was in July 1944. Upon arrival, he saw the chimneys spewing smoke. He smelled human flesh burning. Unlike the normal procedure at Auschwitz, there was no selection process for valued workers versus those to be immediately exterminated. Instead, Chandler's group arrived as experienced factory workers for assignment to German industrial sites. [Annotator's Note: Chandler had worked in an ammunition factory as a slave laborer for the Germans from October 1942 to July 1944]. As a small boy, Chandler would not have survived the typical selection process. In Chandler's group, those who survived the journey were accepted into Auschwitz without question. They were showered in the bath house and then marched to one of the camps. German speaking gypsies were near them. The new arrivals were tattooed and assigned to a barracks. There was no thought in Chandler's mind as he was tattooed. He does not remember if it hurt. He did not speak for fear of being beaten. That was his entry into Auschwitz.

Shortly after arriving at Auschwitz [Annotator's Note: Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp complex in German occupied Oświe̜cim (Oswiecim), Poland] in July 1944, Howard Chandler could hear as the extermination of the last of the camp's gypsies was completed. His younger brother was soon separated from him and his father. A few months later, his father was taken away. As a young boy, Chandler had to band with other young boys to prevent the adults from taking advantage of them. Chandler eventually was chosen to be a valet to a kapo [Annotator's Note: kapos were prisoner trustees who worked for the Germans in the concentration camp system as guards or disciplinarians for the promise of better treatment]. Kapos were usually German criminals who were overseers working for the Nazis in the camp. They were a brutal bunch who did more damage to the prisoners than the SS [Annotator's Note: Schutzstaffel; German paramilitary organization; abbreviated SS]. Chandler had to learn the ins and outs of the camp to stay away from trouble and find any advantage. Any advantage was at the expense of someone else. Working for the kapo, Chandler was protected. The kapos had certain privileges. His kapo was good to Chandler and murderous to others. When Chandler was working at the railroad, the kapo told him to search baggage on a rail car that had just arrived with Jews. Chandler found a ring with wedding bands on it and gave it to the kapo. The kapo traded the jewelry with a German for two bottles of vodka. After drinking one bottle with some of his henchmen, the kapo strapped the second bottle on Chandler. Upon arrival back into the camp, the bottle was discovered on Chandler. Despite a severe beating and interrogation, Chandler never revealed that the kapo had given him the vodka. For several days afterward, Chandler had to recover from the beating. The kapo made sure that Chandler was protected and taken care of during the recovery time until he could return to work. Chandler was astute enough not to have turned in the kapo; however, he still has the scars on his back from those beatings.

Howard Chandler began to see that he would never survive Auschwitz-Birkenau [Annotator's Note: Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp complex in German occupied Oswiecim, Poland]. Dr. Mengele [Annotator's Note: SS-Hauptsturmführer, or Captain, Dr. Josef Mengele] often checked out the boys to see who would be exterminated. Mengele took Chandler's number twice but the boy was never called. He bribed his way out of the camp on a transport going to a Silesian coal mine. When he soon discovered that working in the mine only resulted in delaying the death of the workers, Chandler used his remaining cigarettes to bribe his way off the list of those being transported to the mine. In October [Annotator's Note: October 1944], there was an inmate revolt that resulted in the destruction of a crematorium. It was the only revolt in Auschwitz-Birkenau and most of those involved were executed. The boys were subsequently lined up and walked from Birkenau to Auschwitz where Chandler first saw the "Arbeit macht frei" sign which meant "work sets you free." The boys were separated into three groups and Chandler was marched with his group to a farm near Auschwitz. He and his companions tended livestock and crops on the farm. He stayed there until he was marched out of Auschwitz in January 1945.

Howard Chandler was marched out of Auschwitz [Annotator's Note: Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp complex in German occupied Oswiecim, Poland] in the snow [Annotator's Note: it was January 1945]. Along with his group was cattle from the farm he had worked on as a slave laborer. He had good boots but his clothing was poor. Food was non-existent. The prisoners were placed on an open railcar and sent to Buchenwald concentration camp [Annotator's Note: near Weimar, Germany] in Germany. Prisoner treatment was improved somewhat compared to Auschwitz. Prior to the liquidation of the Polish concentration and death camps, the German camps had been filled with prisoners of war and political prisoners. Now there was an influx of Jews. There was little work assigned to the mass of inmates. Chandler found his brother in the camp, and he joined him in the same barracks. They were in the camp until April [Annotator's Note: April 1945] when the war was going very badly for the Germans. The camp was evacuated. The Jews were first. Chandler and his brother stayed back. Next were Russian prisoners of war, including many officers. Chandler and his brother decided to go with them. When they were marched to Weimar along with 4,000 prisoners, they were given two days rations. After four weeks of travel, there were only 500 left alive for liberation. Cannibalism was a daily occurrence. The inmates ate grass, tree buds, and anything that was possible. They were liberated in Czechoslovakia on 8 May 1945. Chandler and his brother managed to survive the Holocaust. It was unusual for more than one person from a family to survive the ordeal. Chandler returns to his hometown [Annotator's Note: Chandler lived in Wierzbnik, Poland; now known as Starachowice, Poland] once a year to the market square where the Jews were rounded up for deportation. He sees where various families lived. There is no reminder of those people. Six million Jews died in the war. When Chandler reached Czechoslovakia under Nazi control, they were unloaded at Theresienstadt [Annotator's Note: Theresienstadt transit and concentration camp in Terezín, Czechoslovakia; now Terezín, Czech Republic]. It was a ghetto turned into a concentration camp. At liberation, his brother was in bad shape. There was no food and they were exposed to the snow. The arriving boys were sent into a small room. Soon, the Russians arrived. The prisoners could not comprehend what was happening. Food was provided to them, but it could not be digested. Excrement was everywhere in their house. People died from eating until the food was withdrawn. The young, rather than the mass of adults, were cared for by the Russian medical personnel. The young survivors were lucky in that respect.

Howard Chandler discovered from others who had tried to return to Poland that it was dangerous and possibly deadly to do so. Poles had massacred some returning Jews in his hometown [Annotator's Note: Wierzbnik, Poland; now Starachowice, Poland]. That was the welcome they had received. He decided not to return to his hometown until decades later, in 1998. Instead of returning to Poland in 1945, Chandler and his brother wanted to go to Palestine where they felt discrimination would be limited. The British authorities would not allow the boys to immigrate there so they were registered in Theresienstadt. The Red Cross wanted them to go to Switzerland or France. A Jewish organization from Great Britain came to the camp and the boys agreed to go to England in August 1945. There were 300 boys who were given physical examinations by British doctors. After two years and their recuperation, they immigrated from England to Canada. While in England, the boys stayed with their father's two sisters. They knew nothing of their aunts before that time. Times were austere. Rationing was strict in England. Chandler attends survivor reunions in England. The individuals were a wild group of young boys when they first arrived in England. The camps had made them uncivilized. They stayed in Windemere, England. They were treated by psychologists and therapists. They learned sports and English. They had outings and still occupied themselves with mischief. Eventually, the group of boys and girls were separated according to their individual interests. Chandler went to Liverpool [Annotator's Note: Liverpool, England]. People took care of and educated them. From Liverpool, he went to live with his aunt. His brother stayed with the other aunt. Chandler maintains contact with those he was with in England. He established a new life and moved on from the loss of his family members. It would have been better to return to school. Instead, he learned a trade so that he could sustain himself.

After two years in England and periodically being required to report to the police as a refugee, Howard Chandler heard that some of the boys were going to Canada. That sounded very good to him. In Auschwitz [Annotator's Note: Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp complex in German occupied Oswiecim, Poland], Canada had been a prime location to be assigned to as an inmate. It was the barracks where the belongings of the newly arrived Jews were sorted and searched. Valuables were discovered hidden away in the clothing or luggage. Mexico was another location at Auschwitz, but it was a far less desirable assignment. Chandler pitied the Hungarian women who were tasked with being in that muddy place. Chandler had to fight to gain permission to travel to Canada because he exceeded the 18 year old age limit. He was successful and moved there. He was housed and taken care of in the new country by the Canadian Jewish Congress. While in England, Chandler apprenticed as a diamond cutter after his brother helped him obtain the position. He learned enough to get a job as a diamond cutter in Canada. He discovered that his mother had two sister in Toronto [Annotator's Note: Toronto, Canada]. He was fortunate to be able to live with them. They treated him very well which helped return to normality. His transition back to civilization occurred mainly through the good help he received from the professionals at Windemere [Annotator's Note: psychologists and therapists in Windemere, England]. They knew how to handle the displaced and traumatized youth under their charge. Until then, he and the other young boys from the concentration camps were like a bunch of wild animals. Each person lived for themselves. They learned kindness and that food was going to be available later instead of having to hoard leftovers. Chandler has even carried some of those habits over to his current life. He never wastes food because of the camp environment being a major part of his background.

Howard Chandler continues to feel the personal effects of the Holocaust. He learned to be kind and helpful to less advantaged people. Keeping his responsibilities to his family was always important. He married a survivor who was a strong woman. She built a successful life and family. Education became very important. Chandler cried for the last time while initially isolated from his father in the camp. For years he could not show much emotion at funerals or sad occasions. He has gradually changed over time. He has spoken of his experiences to youth and others. Many survivors were hurt by the denial of some individuals that the Holocaust actually happened or was exaggerated. Survivors came to the realization that it was necessary to bring their stories to the public. Prior to the deniers, they did not think it was necessary to detail their horrible experiences. In the beginning, Chandler did not know how to speak in public. It is difficult for some survivors to recollect their experiences correctly or in a way that others will comprehend. Chandler tries to explain what he went through chronologically, but he is not a teacher. It is a mystery to him how the Germans he came in contact with turned out the way they did. How a civilized and advanced country such as Germany turned out such evil people is unknown. How did Hitler [Annotator's Note: German dictator Adolf Hitler] influence the people such that they did not protest? Could it happen again? People have to learn not to allow lies on televisions. The schools have to educate children to question those things. The rise of anti-Semitisms today is inexplainable. In the past, it rose from the Christian church in dealing with their illiterate populace. Jews had been made scapegoats through the millennium. Chandler has kept his tattoo from Auschwitz [Annotator's Note: Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp complex in German occupied Oswiecim, Poland] because he is not ashamed of it. He never talked to his young children about the number and the Holocaust. As they aged, they better understood.

Howard Chandler feels it is important to teach the Holocaust so it is not repeated. It is necessary to know the history and what happened. How could people be so cruel to kill adults and even children? It is almost unbelievable without the facts and documentaries. Soldiers killing babies on a daily basis is incomprehensible. Chandler used to get nightmares when he would prepare to speak in public. Now, he reduces his preparation time to limit the nightmares. Even so, they still occur. He remembers what happened to him in those dreams. At Auschwitz [Annotator's Note: Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp complex in German occupied Oswiecim, Poland], he remembers Russian soldiers making fun of his father who was fluent in their language. They laughed at Chandler's parent for bringing his son into a place like the camp. Chandler now knows they were ignorant and young at the time. It was a cruel world in the concentration camps. The purpose was to eliminate the prisoners in what ever way possible. Auschwitz was not the worst place. There was a chance to survive there. At Sobibor [Annotator's Note: Sobibór extermination camp in Sobibór, Poland], Treblinka [Annotator's Note: Treblinka extermination camp in Treblinka, Poland], Majdanek [Annotator's Note: Majdanek concentration and extermination camp near Lublin, Poland] and Belzec [Annotator's Note: Belzec was a Nazi German extermination camp near Belzec, Poland] there was no opportunity to survive. People entered those camps to be killed. At Auschwitz, they needed workers and allowed people to live as long as they served their purpose. The inmates felt that when the Allies liberated them, they would shoot all the guards. Chandler came to realize that there were decent Germans. Not all of the Germans could be accused of the killings. They could, however, all be accused of collaborating or complicity.

Howard Chandler went to Germany twice. He was a witness at war crimes trials. Most of the concentration camp guards overseeing Chandler were Ukrainian but they reported to German officers. Two individuals were apprehended and accused of killing people. One man was in the Gestapo [Annotator's Note: German Geheime Staatspolizei or Secret State Police; abbreviated Gestapo] and the other led the Ukrainian guards in the factory. Chandler was a witness to the killings. The trial was a sham. Chandler became involved through Christopher Browning, a professor, who wrote about the Holocaust and the Einsatzgruppen [Annotator's Note: mobile Nazi death squads]. Chandler was called as a witness to the shooting of two women accused by the Nazis of sabotage in the factory. They were shot at the bottom of a stone quarry. Based on Chandler not being astute enough to remember which hand the perpetrator used to fire his weapon, his testimony was disregarded. Chandler wanted the bastards who had been apprehended to suffer the consequences for their actions. That was why he testified. Some Germans killed thousands of people. The leader of the guards received a sentence of three years in prison but the guilty Gestapo murderer was set free. It was only a show trial. The sentences were terrible. Eichmann [Annotator's Note: SS-Obersturmbannführer, or lieutenant colonel, Adolf Eichmann] was a leader who deserved to be tried. The Argentinian government should not have let him run free prior to the Israeli capture. There were protests about what the Jews did to capture him. People who faced Eichmann dealt with him face to face. They made the facts known. Hitler [Annotator's Note: German dictator Adolf Hitler] had so many people he held under his sway. Chandler personally contributed to the truth when he testified at the war crimes trials.