Auschwitz Survivor Celebrates 71st Valentine's Day
Couple Who Met After a Harrowing Holocaust Rescue Celebrate 71st Valentine's Day
John and Edith Mackay, who have a truly incredible love story, celebrated their first Valentine's Day in 1946. John, a Scottish commando, rescued several Jewish prisoners as they marched from Auschwitz to another concentration camp — and Edith was one of the people he saved, reports The Telegraph.
The couple met at a dance hosted in a village hall, organized by commandos shortly after the rescue. Edith, who is from Hungary, fell in love with John there. The pair married soon after, and on Tuesday, they celebrated their 71st Valentine's Day together.
An Auschwitz survivor and the Scots commando who helped save her today marked their 71st Valentine's Day together https://t.co/0cZ6c7kUcN pic.twitter.com/XWM1GShZMw
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) February 14, 2017
Back in 1946, John was too shy to approach Edith. Instead, he sent a friend to enquire if she wanted to dance. Edith responded that if John wanted to dance with her, he should ask himself, according to The Telegraph. They married in July 1946 and moved to John's home of Scotland, where they owned a hotel together.
The Mackays, who now live in a retirement home together, remain just as in love as when they first met. "Their devotion to one another is clear to anyone who spends even a short time in their company," Pamela Shaw, who is a coordinator at their assisted-living home, told The Telegraph.
After 71 years of marriage, the Mackays's advice for all couples is to be romantic all year long, not merely because a holiday dictates it.
