No man aspires to do the things we did. We were ordinary men made to cope with extraordinary situations. In order for genocide to happen, it can only come about when political and social agendas are aligned. I have killed with ruthless disregard for humanity. I ordered young German soldiers to kill with the same ruthless disregard for humanity. I am a criminal. I have chosen to tell my story for many reasons but above all, in the hope that my words will explain how such heinous madness can be taken from an idea to a reality and how we all have the ability to slip from our comfortable lives and spiral into an abyss to which we are irrevocably committed. The ability to kill is encoded in the genetics of every human being and the wisdom and ability to control it are fragile guardians.