Honored guests participate in a candle-lighting ceremony during Fort Drum's Holocaust Days of Remembrance observance May 8 at the Commons. From left are George DeMass, special guest; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Aaron H. Kazer, 1st Brigade Combat Team; Sa...
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (May 11, 2017) -- Members of the Fort Drum community gathered May 8 at the Commons to remember victims of the Holocaust and to reaffirm their commitment to take an active role in preventing incidents of violence and discrimination against all individuals -- regardless of their country of origin or religious beliefs.
The theme for this year's event, hosted by 1st Brigade Combat Team, was "Learning from the Holocaust: The Strength of the Human Spirit."
After the invocation, provided by Chaplain (Maj.) Thomas Gidley, a ceremonial candle-lighting was performed, in memory of the millions of individuals who lost their lives during the Holocaust.
"In remembering them, we pay tribute to their lives and the tragic loss of human potential," said 1st Lt. Skyler Kepley, narrator for the observance.
Six candles were lit, each with its own meaning. The candles were lit for the one million children whose dreams, hopes and lives were snuffed out; for the millions for whom there is no one to mourn, as their entire families have perished; for those who stood up for what was right while others did not act; for the brave Soldiers who liberated the camps; for the nearly six million Jews and five million non-Jews who perished during the genocide; and, finally, for those who live in places where the threat of genocide is an ever-present reality.
"The week of remembrance is set aside to honor and to remember the victims of the Holocaust and their liberators, so we never forget the great atrocity of which mankind is capable and to remember the 'strength of the human spirit,'" Kepley said.
Kevin Hill, president of the Safe Haven Holocaust Refuge Shelter Museum in Oswego and guest speaker for the occasion, talked about the important role that the United States military played in preserving the history of the Holocaust.
"At the end of World War II, Gen. (Dwight D.) Eisenhower had the foresight to anticipate that there would be those who would deny the existence of the Holocaust," Hill said. "To mitigate this risk, he ordered the filming and photography of concentration camps as they were liberated."
After the war ended, excerpts from the more than 80,000 total feet of film footage that had been gathered were used to create a one-hour documentary titled "Nazi Concentration Camp."
"This film provided evidence of Nazi atrocities during the war, and prosecutors used the film during the Nuremburg Trials to prove that heinous acts were committed by Nazi leaders," he said.
In addition to ensuring that justice was served, Hill said that the U.S. was to be credited for helping to care for the innocent victims of the Holocaust. He spoke of Fort Ontario -- a decommissioned military base located in Oswego that became home to nearly 1,000 refugees who fled Europe during WWII.
Although these individuals initially entered the country as the guests of the president, with no legal immigration status, they were later permitted to apply for U.S. citizenship. During their time spent at Fort Ontario, refugees were taught to speak English and were encouraged to participate in activities designed to teach them work skills they could use in the future.
"After leaving the shelter and gaining citizenship, many of the refugees were educated in the United States, and refugees made significant contributions in the fields of law, medicine, business, media and art, to name just a few," he said.
Hill said he had been privileged to have met and spoken with several former refugees as they recalled their memories of Fort Ontario. He quoted Walter Greenberg, who was 11 years old when he arrived at Fort Ontario and who fondly recalled the citizens of Oswego who welcomed him and his fellow refugees with open arms.
"There were so many who helped us to be who we are," Greenberg said. "It's an experience that Oswego taught me that -- as human beings -- we have a responsibility to give back to society."
Kepley said that the "Days of Remembrance" are a time to reflect upon the dire consequences of being silent or indifferent to the suffering of others and a time to raise awareness that "democratic institutions and values are not simply sustained, but need to be appreciated, nurtured and protected."
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