Dr. Harold Herbst saw the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp while he was with the Army in Germany during World War II. His memories were recorded for the archives of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
He was both a physician and musician, having played the piano with the Dorsey Brothers and Danny Thomas while working his way through college. He was put in charge of entertainment to boost morale at the evacuation hospitals as Allied troops fought their way across Europe.
Often traveling alone with his own jeep and driver, Dr. Herbst became one of the first Americans to arrive at the concentration camp in Buchenwald, Germany, after the Germans pulled out. He saw piles of bodies and cremation ovens still warm.
"When he got there, the prisoners were just wandering around," said his son Ronald. "They looked like living skeletons."
Dr. Herbst never liked to talk about it, even when his young son found photographs his father had taken, and asked questions.
"It took a little prodding from some of his relatives to get him to go to Washington," the son said.
But two years ago, Dr. Herbst recorded a 90-minute video for the holocause museum. Visitors can find a segment of it in the eyewitness accounts from Buchenwald.
Dr. Herbst of West Bloomfield Township died of heart disease Saturday at Providence Hospital in Southfield, He was 82.
Born in New York City, he received a bachelor of science degree in 1938 and and an MD in 1943, both from Wayne State University. He interned at Mt. Carmel Mercy, now Grace Hospital, in Detroit.
After the war, he became medical director for American Motors Corp. Although officially retired from AMC in 1978, he continued to work for the automaker as an independent contractor until 1985. Meanwhile, he had a private practice which he merged with others in the late 1970's to form the Family Practice Center at Providence Hospital. He also was on the staff of Detroit's former Brent General Hospital. He retired in 1988.
Dr. Herbst is predeceased by his wife, Joanne Lynd Herbst; and survived by his daughter, Caryl (Hon. William) Gitlow and son, Dr. Ronald P. (Marcia) Herbst; grandchildren, David Mill and Kim (Mike) Courts; Anne, Kathryn, and Patrick Herbst; Karl and Emily Johnston. Great Granddaughter, Jordan Paige Courts; brother, Fred Herbst; and a sister, Rita (Howard) Levitt.
The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Ira Kaufman Chapel, 18325 W. Nine Mile, Southfield, with burial in White Chapel Memorial Cemetery, Troy.
He was both a physician and musician, having played the piano with the Dorsey Brothers and Danny Thomas while working his way through college. He was put in charge of entertainment to boost morale at the evacuation hospitals as Allied troops fought their way across Europe.
Often traveling alone with his own jeep and driver, Dr. Herbst became one of the first Americans to arrive at the concentration camp in Buchenwald, Germany, after the Germans pulled out. He saw piles of bodies and cremation ovens still warm.
"When he got there, the prisoners were just wandering around," said his son Ronald. "They looked like living skeletons."
Dr. Herbst never liked to talk about it, even when his young son found photographs his father had taken, and asked questions.
"It took a little prodding from some of his relatives to get him to go to Washington," the son said.
But two years ago, Dr. Herbst recorded a 90-minute video for the holocause museum. Visitors can find a segment of it in the eyewitness accounts from Buchenwald.
Dr. Herbst of West Bloomfield Township died of heart disease Saturday at Providence Hospital in Southfield, He was 82.
Born in New York City, he received a bachelor of science degree in 1938 and and an MD in 1943, both from Wayne State University. He interned at Mt. Carmel Mercy, now Grace Hospital, in Detroit.
After the war, he became medical director for American Motors Corp. Although officially retired from AMC in 1978, he continued to work for the automaker as an independent contractor until 1985. Meanwhile, he had a private practice which he merged with others in the late 1970's to form the Family Practice Center at Providence Hospital. He also was on the staff of Detroit's former Brent General Hospital. He retired in 1988.
Dr. Herbst is predeceased by his wife, Joanne Lynd Herbst; and survived by his daughter, Caryl (Hon. William) Gitlow and son, Dr. Ronald P. (Marcia) Herbst; grandchildren, David Mill and Kim (Mike) Courts; Anne, Kathryn, and Patrick Herbst; Karl and Emily Johnston. Great Granddaughter, Jordan Paige Courts; brother, Fred Herbst; and a sister, Rita (Howard) Levitt.
The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Ira Kaufman Chapel, 18325 W. Nine Mile, Southfield, with burial in White Chapel Memorial Cemetery, Troy.
Dr. Harold Herbst saw the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp while he was with the Army in Germany during World War II. His memories were recorded for the archives of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
He was both a physician and musician, having played the piano with the Dorsey Brothers and Danny Thomas while working his way through college. He was put in charge of entertainment to boost morale at the evacuation hospitals as Allied troops fought their way across Europe.
Often traveling alone with his own jeep and driver, Dr. Herbst became one of the first Americans to arrive at the concentration camp in Buchenwald, Germany, after the Germans pulled out. He saw piles of bodies and cremation ovens still warm.
"When he got there, the prisoners were just wandering around," said his son Ronald. "They looked like living skeletons."
Dr. Herbst never liked to talk about it, even when his young son found photographs his father had taken, and asked questions.
"It took a little prodding from some of his relatives to get him to go to Washington," the son said.
But two years ago, Dr. Herbst recorded a 90-minute video for the holocause museum. Visitors can find a segment of it in the eyewitness accounts from Buchenwald.
Dr. Herbst of West Bloomfield Township died of heart disease Saturday at Providence Hospital in Southfield, He was 82.
Born in New York City, he received a bachelor of science degree in 1938 and and an MD in 1943, both from Wayne State University. He interned at Mt. Carmel Mercy, now Grace Hospital, in Detroit.
After the war, he became medical director for American Motors Corp. Although officially retired from AMC in 1978, he continued to work for the automaker as an independent contractor until 1985. Meanwhile, he had a private practice which he merged with others in the late 1970's to form the Family Practice Center at Providence Hospital. He also was on the staff of Detroit's former Brent General Hospital. He retired in 1988.
Dr. Herbst is predeceased by his wife, Joanne Lynd Herbst; and survived by his daughter, Caryl (Hon. William) Gitlow and son, Dr. Ronald P. (Marcia) Herbst; grandchildren, David Mill and Kim (Mike) Courts; Anne, Kathryn, and Patrick Herbst; Karl and Emily Johnston. Great Granddaughter, Jordan Paige Courts; brother, Fred Herbst; and a sister, Rita (Howard) Levitt.
The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Ira Kaufman Chapel, 18325 W. Nine Mile, Southfield, with burial in White Chapel Memorial Cemetery, Troy.
He was both a physician and musician, having played the piano with the Dorsey Brothers and Danny Thomas while working his way through college. He was put in charge of entertainment to boost morale at the evacuation hospitals as Allied troops fought their way across Europe.
Often traveling alone with his own jeep and driver, Dr. Herbst became one of the first Americans to arrive at the concentration camp in Buchenwald, Germany, after the Germans pulled out. He saw piles of bodies and cremation ovens still warm.
"When he got there, the prisoners were just wandering around," said his son Ronald. "They looked like living skeletons."
Dr. Herbst never liked to talk about it, even when his young son found photographs his father had taken, and asked questions.
"It took a little prodding from some of his relatives to get him to go to Washington," the son said.
But two years ago, Dr. Herbst recorded a 90-minute video for the holocause museum. Visitors can find a segment of it in the eyewitness accounts from Buchenwald.
Dr. Herbst of West Bloomfield Township died of heart disease Saturday at Providence Hospital in Southfield, He was 82.
Born in New York City, he received a bachelor of science degree in 1938 and and an MD in 1943, both from Wayne State University. He interned at Mt. Carmel Mercy, now Grace Hospital, in Detroit.
After the war, he became medical director for American Motors Corp. Although officially retired from AMC in 1978, he continued to work for the automaker as an independent contractor until 1985. Meanwhile, he had a private practice which he merged with others in the late 1970's to form the Family Practice Center at Providence Hospital. He also was on the staff of Detroit's former Brent General Hospital. He retired in 1988.
Dr. Herbst is predeceased by his wife, Joanne Lynd Herbst; and survived by his daughter, Caryl (Hon. William) Gitlow and son, Dr. Ronald P. (Marcia) Herbst; grandchildren, David Mill and Kim (Mike) Courts; Anne, Kathryn, and Patrick Herbst; Karl and Emily Johnston. Great Granddaughter, Jordan Paige Courts; brother, Fred Herbst; and a sister, Rita (Howard) Levitt.
The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Ira Kaufman Chapel, 18325 W. Nine Mile, Southfield, with burial in White Chapel Memorial Cemetery, Troy.
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