Last week, a group of people gathered outside Alligator Alcatraz in Florida for a final vigil as the detainees were transferred to other facilities (DHS has not specified where they were taken).

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As part of that vigil, 100 (now 101)-year-old Robert Hilliard, a World War II veteran, stepped up to speak. PhD student Thomas Kennedy filmed and shared his speech over on Instagram, and it's gone incredibly viral.

Hilliard, a Purple Heart recipient, began by saying, "Well, as you just heard, next week I'll be 101 years old. In February 1944, when I was 18 years old, I was inducted into the Army, and they sent me for basic training to Camp Blanding, which is near Jacksonville, Florida."

"And what they taught me to do there was to kill people who had set up detention camps in Germany," he continued. "Can you imagine how I felt earlier this year when they announced that one of the future detention camps would be at that same Camp Blanding in Florida? What remarkable irony."

"We in this country have seen a remarkable change. And in Washington right now — and forgive me, I’m gonna use the 'f' word — we have a fascist, a fascist government that allows innocent people to be put in detention camps and incarcerated."

"We have been lied to over and over and over again about these camps. Our president said these detention camps were being put up to put in immigrants who had criminal records. We now have about 65–70,000 people incarcerated in these camps."

"29% have criminal records. 71% of the people in these camps, even with our country's and our government's statements about why they set up the camps, don’t belong there! 71% of the people in camps don’t belong there, according to the government, and yet they are put there."

He closed by saying, "We’ve got to fight. We’ve got to keep fighting. We’ve got to reach people all over this country and tell them, 'Don't look away. See what’s happening.'"

People in the comments were incredibly supportive of Hilliard's words. "If a 101-yr-old Veteran who was trained to spot and kill fascists in the Second World War says that we have fascists running our country, who has the knowledge to step up and call him wrong? Nobody," said one person.

"20 years older than trump and 20x more coherent," said another.

"Thank you, Mr. Hilliard... I can’t imagine how incredibly difficult this whole situation must be for you, in particular, since you spent your youth saving the world from fascism."

"Words spoken by an actual patriot, one with actual values and integrity and decency. Thank you for your service, Sir."

"This chap is 100yo, doesn't need a teleprompter, and conveys his message with conviction."

The video was shared over on X, as well, garnering even more support. "Can we plan a different America 250 festival and have guys like this talk?!" asked one person.

"Yup. The vets get it because they have been there before!!!!!!"

"How bad has it gotten that we have to have a World War II veteran that is still alive warn us on the dangers of fascism in America today?"

And finally, "There is no justification for acts of inhumanity and injustice. None."