Anthony Acevedo

Anthony Claude Acevedo (July 31, 1924 – February 11, 2018) was an American soldier during World War II. Acevedo's experiences as a prisoner of war in the Berga concentration camp, a subcamp of Buchenwald, became instrumental in documenting Nazi atrocities against American POWs. Notably, Acevedo kept a detailed diary during his captivity, recording the deaths and suffering of his fellow soldiers, which later served as crucial evidence of the camp's brutality.

Acevedo was born in San Bernardino, California, to a Mexican-American family, He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942. Captured during the Battle of the Bulge, he was wrongly classified as Jewish and sent to Berga, where he endured severe torture, including rape, and witnessed unspeakable horrors. Despite these experiences, Acevedo dedicated his postwar life to advocating for veterans, particularly those suffering from PTSD, and contributed significantly to raising awareness about the Berga survivors' plight. His diary, now housed at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, is a significant historical record of Nazi war crimes. Acevedo's life story also highlighted the US government's delayed recognition of the suffering of Berga survivors.