Clinton Gardner papers

Clinton Gardner was born in 1922 in New York. He attended Exeter Academy in New Hampshire before enrolling in Dartmouth University in 1940. With the prospect of war looming, he volunteered for service with the U.S. Army. He attended Officer Candidate School, and was placed in an anti-aircraft unit, and eventually reached the rank of First Lieutenant. Gardner served as part of the D-Day Operation on June 6, 1944, and was wounded by a nearby mortar explosion. After recovery, he returned to his unit, and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. As the war continued, the Army took over administration of towns they had liberated, creating military government teams to aid in their management. Due to his fluency in French and German, Gardner volunteered to join an administration team. His team was placed in charge of the Cologne and Wetzlar displaced persons camps. Soon after its liberation, Gardner was part of the first camp administration team for the Buchenwald concentration camp. Serving as executive officer for the team, Gardner was placed in charge of managing the camp a week after their arrival to Buchenwald. His fluency in German greatly assisted his administration, and aided prisoners in return to their homes. After turning Buchenwald over to the Soviets, he worked for another army administration team for several towns in Germany, before returning back to Vermont and re-enrolling in Dartmouth University. The Clinton Gardner collection contains several items collected by Clinton Gardner during his time administering the Buchenwald concentration camp. Included in this collection are a report on the history of Buchenwald, worker requests, and a record of cigarette distribution to the prisoners. The correspondence was written by Clinton Gardner to his parents, and describe his responsibilities and the conditions of the camp. The SS soldier identity card belongs to Adam Theis, who was killed by prisoners after the liberation of the camp. Also included are two oversized documents. The newspaper clipping is an article from the White River Valley Herald of Vermont, and quotes Gardner’s descriptions from his letters to his parents on the horrors of Buchenwald. The other document is a large map of Buchenwald, with pencil additions denoting places within the camp.