FORT BENNING, Ga., (Dec. 10, 2014) -- Fort Benning held its annual Christmas tree and menorah lighting ceremony Dec. 2 at the Field of Four Chaplains.
Festivities included holiday music by Faith Middle School band and chorus and the Maneuver Center of Excellence Band, followed by a reading of the history of the menorah and Christmas tree.
Chaplain (Maj.) Darren Chester, garrison chaplain for Fort Benning, said the event has been held on post for more than a decade and commemorates the traditions of Christian and Jewish faiths.
"It's a great time to come into the holiday season as a community with joy and it serves as a reminder of how important it is we celebrate these traditions in our community," he said.
After the tree and menorah were lit, Santa Claus made an appearance, where he listened to children's Christmas wish lists in The Infantry Chapel Annex.
Chester said the holiday season is a special time to remember those who spend Christmas far from home to serve the country.
"As we gather together to celebrate this community event, it's important that we remember to pray for those who are separated from their loved ones because of their deployments or military exercises," he said. "As a community, we pull together and support each other during separations."
Hannah Capra, an eighth-grader who performs with the chorus and band at Faith, said the event is a great opportunity to bring residents together. Capra said her Family appreciates having her dad, Lt. Col. Ken Capra, home for the holidays this year.
"It feels good to have him here, because there have been Christmases when he couldn't be here," she said. "We always wait until Christmas morning and wake up together to open presents."
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