KLESSIN, Germany (AP) — In eastern Germany, today's verdant pastures were killing fields 75 years ago as the Soviet Red Army pushed toward the Nazi capital in the final weeks of World War II.
Today, volunteers from across Europe comb across the area looking for the remains of thousands of missing soldiers, working from old maps and aerial photos to identify the trenches, foxholes and strongpoints where they could be buried.
They strive to give the dead a proper burial, and wherever possible identify the remains to provide closure for families.
Says volunteer Thomas Siepert: "it seems so idyllic, but it's a huge cemetery. That shouldn't be forgotten."
