A list of names hung on a black sheet in the hallways of Fort Jackson's NCO Club April 24. The names belonged to a small portion of those who survived and those who were lost during the Holocaust.
Fort Jackson held a luncheon Monday for the Holocaust Days of Remembrance. The theme for the luncheon, hosted by the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy, was "The Strength of the Human Spirit."
"Thinking, seeing, and hearing about the Holocaust makes my blood boil and makes me go crazy thinking about the evils that people are capable for," said Abraham Wandersman, the guest speaker for the event.
Wandersman's mother and father both survived the Holocaust.
"My father was a relatively quiet man until he was asked for or self initiated an occasion to tell his story," Wandersman said. "I'm grateful for those stories because without them we would know very very little of the history of my family who was largely obviated by the Holocaust."
One of the stories Wandersman's father use to share was of him being nipped by a bullet while outrunning Nazis trying to kill him. To stop the blood from falling, his father pushed snow into the wound. This act of bravery left a scar on his wrist.
Wanderman said his mother never discussed what happened to her during the Holocaust although she losted everyone from her immediately family, Wanderman never heard her any of her stories.
During the luncheon, Rabbi Eric Mollo sung some Jewish songs and the 282nd Army Band played some selections.
Congress established the Days of Remembrance as the nation's annual commemoration of the Holocaust. According to Wandersman, one out of 10 Jewish children in Europe survived the Holocaust.
Social Sharing