The Mascot (48 page)
Authors: Mark Kurzem
survivors
and Alex as survivor
Professor M.'s comments about
Sweden
and investigation of Lobe
Lobe in
Mark's visit with Lobe in
synagogue
and Alex's affidavit for Lobe
Alex's nightmares about
massacre at
See also
burning building
Tillers (Latvian soldier)
“treasure,” Dzenis
two-up story
Uncle.
See
Dzenis, Jekabs “Uncle”
uniforms, Alex's
Alex's feelings/memories about
Auntie's views about
burning of
and escape from Riga
as gifts from Lobe
and Kurzems' Carnikava visit
and lessons at chocolate factory
Lobe's views about
photographs of Alex in
SS
and transformations of Kurzeme Battalion
United States
Alex's views about
Kulis in
as refuge
Upe (Latvian soldier)
Valdemara Street (Riga, Latvia)
Alex's memories of
Dzenis home on
and escape from Riga
and Kurzems' Latvia trip
research on
See also
Dzenis family
Velikiye Luki (Russian village)
Ventspils, Latvia
letter to Alex from
Lobe at
Vezis, Corporal (Latvian soldier)
videotape made at Holocaust center
interview on
Mark's analysis of
and Mark's relationship with Alex
Patricia's viewing of
and verification of Alex's story
as way of telling Alex's story to family members
Volhov area (Russia)
Alex's encountering partisans in
Alex's wanderings in
Anya with partisans in
bodies found in
Latvian soldiers in
photographs of Kulis and Alex in
Volhov area (Russia)
and researching Alex's story
Volodya with partisans in
Wannsee Conference (1942)
war crimes investigators, visit to Alex's home by
war criminals.
See also specific people's names
Wiesenthal Center
Wilkomirski, Benjamin
Williamstown Beach (Melbourne, Australia)
Alex and Mark's visit to
Mark's conversation with his mother at
World War II
Alex's feelings about
ending of
as Great Patriotic War
Latvia's role in
yellow star, Jewish
Zakkini Brothers
*
I also learned much later that the Lithuanian troop had been led by Antonas Gecevicius. Now known as Anthony Gecas, he had been found in 2001 alive and well in Edinburgh, under the auspices of the British government. Our subsequent involvement in the intricacies of the Gecevicius affair would bring us into contact with the Lithuanian government. Although this incident and others related to the whitewashing of Latvia's past were merely peripheral to the story of my father's quest for his identity, they were central to our efforts to validate my father's search, because accusations against my father were made public and never retracted; the resulting damage to his reputation distracted us from our pursuit of the truth. However, these incidents speak of the impact of a small boy's story on contemporary political and national self-interest and the ends to which my father and I had to fight for the truth of his memory.