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Ep 542: History Repeats
Host: Liam Carballal
Guest: Richard Acritelli

What happens when history stops being words on a page—and becomes something you can smell, see, and never forget?

In this powerful Part 1 conversation, Liam Carballal sits down with historian Richard Acritelli to explore the brutal realities faced by American soldiers at the end of World War II—and the moment they came face-to-face with the Holocaust.

From battlefield stories to the liberation of Mauthausen, Richard shares deeply human accounts of soldiers like John D’Aquila, who went from surviving combat to confronting unimaginable horror. The discussion moves beyond textbooks, revealing what soldiers knew, what they didn’t, and how the experience changed them forever.

Through gripping stories of survival, trauma, and resilience—including the journey of Holocaust survivor Werner Reich—this episode exposes the emotional and psychological toll carried by both liberators and survivors long after the war ended.

This is not just a history lesson—it’s a reminder of what happens when humanity is lost, and why remembering is a responsibility.

Part 1 sets the stage for a deeper dive into stories that prove one thing: history doesn’t just repeat—it demands to be remembered.

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