“We’ve identified many of the people in this film,” stated our tour guide.

The people were about to be executed by a Nazi firing squad before falling into a shallow mass grave.

Approaching Yad Vashem, I wondered how my visit would be affected by the imminent disclosure of the records submitted by the French national railroad company regarding its transportation of Jews and other to the German border and their death.

I sponsored the bill requiring the company to digitize those records if it wanted to bid for the MARC commuter rail line.

Of these thousands of Jews, I learned today, most had sought refuge in France from German-occupied territories.

Hitler had the French surrender to Germany in the same railroad car where Kaiser Wilhelm’s generals had signed the armistice ending World War I, the war to end all wars.

“Our goal is to give all 6 million a name,” declared our guide at the conclusion of our tour.

“Thus far, we have done that for 4.1 million.”

My next time at Yad Vashem, more will be known about the names and lives of those who left for their death on trains from Paris and the Drancy internment camp.