Emotional reunion between Holocaust survivor and WWII veteran who saved him caught on video
A World War II veteran reunited with a Holocaust survivor whom he freed from a Nazi death camp 71 years ago, and the incredible moment was captured on camera.
Sid Shafner, 94, was recently honored at a Holocaust remembrance ceremony for his hand in liberating over 30,000 prisoners from the Dachau concentration camp in southern Germany in 1945, according to ABC News.
CBS News reports that one of those prisoners, a now 90-year-old Marcel Levy, was just 17 years old when Shafner and his troop helped him escape from Dachau death camp in Germany.
A video of a face-to-face reunion between the two men on May 10 at an Israeli military base shows the emotional moment when they came together for the first time.
In the video, Shafner and Levy tearfully embrace each other as their family and friends look on.
%shareLinks-quote="Everything I have today, all of my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, is due to you." type="quote" author="Marcel Levy" authordesc="Holocaust survivor" isquoteoftheday="false"%
During their moving reunion, Levy even presented Shafner with a plaque that read, "You came like a warrior angel ... and carried me into the light."
Since the footage was posted to Facebook on May 17, the tearjerking video has been viewed a staggering 14 million times, and has racked up nearly 400,000 shares.
"Everyday we are bombarded with the worst humanity has to offer. FINALLY an example of the best. Many blessings & positive energy to both of these men," one Facebook user commented.
"My heart exploded w love and my eyes w tears. Now this is what our planet should be all about!" said another.
But no words resonate harder than those who are alive today because of Shafner -- Levy's next of kin.
"We know because of you, we have Marcel," one of Levy's family member said. "Thank you very much. We really appreciate it, and we are very proud of you."
Learn more about the men and women who survived the Holocaust:
