"Never Again": 65th Air Base Wing remembers the Holocaust

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Mark Graff
  • 65th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
LAJES FIELD, Azores --  The 65th Air Base Wing at Lajes Field held a formal ceremony here in honor of the National Holocaust Days of Remembrance April 8. The formal ceremony was preceded by a four-hour name-reading and candle-light vigil honoring Holocaust victims.

Keynote speaker, Master Sgt. William Church, 65th Logistics Readiness Squadron, focused his comments on this year's national theme; "Never Again - Heeding the Warning Signs." Church aimed to honor the victims but also focus today's Airmen on how the military stands ready to oppose genocide and atrocities like the Holocaust.

"As Airmen... we are called upon by the United States to recognize the warning signs of atrocity and genocide and when ordered to do so, act on the nation's behalf to send the message that never again will this happen on our watch," said Church.

Church recalled two personal experiences that motivated him to learn more about the Holocaust and genocide. The master sergeant described a 2006 trip to his wife's home country of Armenia that effected him emotionally.

"We toured the Armenian Genocide Museum and the eternal flame monument dedicated to memorialize the 1.5 million victims of this 1915 (Armenian Genocide)," said Church. "Seeing the pictures and learning about the... mentality of a leader that would carry out these acts on human beings had a profound effect on me."

Also, as a senior airman, Church deployed to Zagreb, Croatia, where as a deployed logistics readiness Airman, he facilitated media travel to a refugee center in Bosnia.

"It really disturbed me to see pain, rejection, and the (lack of feeling) that a country dictator would put his people through for his own satisfaction," said Church. "So it's clear... that Airmen have been and may one day be called to take up arms in situations similar to the Holocaust."

Though not equal in magnitude to the Holocaust, said Church, atrocities like those seen in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Somalia, Rwanda, and Sudan, are "equally inhumane and should be guarded against by Airmen."

Before the formal ceremony, Team Lajes members volunteered to read Holocaust victim names over the course of four consecutive hours. Victims' names were read from a list of 5,000 victims provided by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

The solemn occasion proved powerful for event organizer, Tech. Sgt. Candice Compton, 65th Air Base Wing Equal Opportunity.

"It's just really striking to hear all of the names being read and realizing that so many people were killed and persecuted. The names we read today weren't even the tip of the iceberg considering that millions more were killed," said Compton.

Compton noted the terrible events of the Holocaust should be remembered both for their historical significance, but also a cautionary tale about respecting fellow human beings.

"The disrespect and disregard for humanity from the Holocaust is really disturbing, but it's important that we remember the Holocaust to honor victims and prevent future genocide," said Compton.

65th ABW commander, Col. Chris Bargery, closed the formal ceremony by encouraging Airmen to not only heed the warning signs of genocide, but also to take pride in the fact that Airmen stand ready to respond to atrocities around the globe daily.

"How does it feel to be part of that team that stands ready at a moment's notice? When events like this kick off around the world, it's your Air Force that provides the global reach to put a stop to (atrocities)," said Bargery.

Event organizers made the Days of Remembrance a community-wide event through an education program as well.

65th ABW Equal Opportunity coordinated with the Lajes Field Department of Defense Dependent Schools to present Holocaust lessons to students last week. The age-appropriate classes focused on the "Never Again" theme while students learned about the plight of children affected by the Holocaust.

The National Days of Remembrance are an annual observance, running this year from April 7-14. According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website, Congress established the Days of Remembrance as the nation's annual commemoration of the Holocaust.

Interested viewers may watch the 2013 National Days of Remembrance ceremony via webcast held in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Thursday, April 11, at 11 a.m. (EST), according to the museum's website.

For more information on the National Days of Remembrance, or to view the official U.S. ceremony, visit www.ushmm.org.