Photo By Spc. Anthony Martinez | Mr. Jack Desperak answers questions from Soldiers after the 2017 Holocaust Remembrance...... read more read more
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RAMEY AIR FORCE BASE, Puerto Rico – Soldiers, civilians, and family members got a first-hand account of what growing up during the Holocaust was like at the 1st MSC 2017 Holocaust Remembrance held at the Community Center on Ramey Air Force Base, April 22.
This year, the 1st MSC was honored to host Mr. Jack Desperak, a Holocaust survivor, as the guest speaker for its Holocaust Remembrance event.
“History is visiting us today,” said Col. Juan Mendez. ”We pause to reflect and renew the covenant to remember and remind the world the strength or our human spirit. We are honored to have Mr. Jack Desperak as our guest speaker.”
Having to recount his story, Desperak stopped several times to regain his bearing. It was a very emotional and solemn moment. “Every evening while at Auschwitz, my parents were taken by the Nazi’s to take showers,” said Desperak. “One night, they did not return from their showers because instead of water, they got gassed to death.”
With evident sadness in his voice, Desperak continued forward with his speech. “It’s been 77 years since this happened and all of the survivors are dying little by little,” he expressed. Pretty soon no one will be left to make sure people remember.
“I get emotional when it comes to remembering what happened in Auschwitz,” he continued. “All the killing, losing my family when I was only 15 years old, so it’s very emotional, but I was asked to come here to speak to Soldiers, and I agreed.”
At 92 years of age, Desperak expressed how difficult it is for him to retell his story and how he would rather be at the beach swimming and relaxing. “This is not easy for me, but I figured that I need to tell my story, so people remember what happened during the Holocaust.”
“I remember when the Americans assaulted through the camp in 1945,” said Desperak. “When they opened the gates, we were all afraid. We didn’t know if they came to kill or help us.”
Weighing only 70 pounds, Desperak was liberated. He had nowhere to go, nothing to eat or wear, but he had survived.
A native of Poland and Puerto Rican by adoption, Desperak has been living in Puerto Rico since 1955. While working at a textile company in New York, he was chosen to open the first women’s underwear factory in Caguas, since he was the only single employee at that time.
In 1959, Jack met his wife Modesta “Tita” Centeno and they married that same year. Between 1960 and 1963 Jack and Tita welcomed three daughters: Tony, Debbie, and Melissa. After living in Puerto Rico for several years, their three daughters moved to the United States, Today Jack and Tita have seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Desperak survived the Holocaust, during which approximately six million (6,000,000) Jews, gypsies, homosexuals and political prisoners lost their lives through the genocidal management of the Nazi regime, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler and his collaborators.
The Holocaust Remembrance is held to remember the victims and to honor survivors of this human tragedy.
The 1st Mission Support Command’s Equal Opportunity program’s purpose organizing the Holocaust Remembrance is to honor the victims and survivors of this historic tragedy and to reaffirm our personal commitment to the freedom we pledge to defend.
| Date Taken: | 04.22.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 04.26.2017 11:06 |
| Story ID: | 231607 |
| Location: | AGUADILLA, PR |
| Web Views: | 290 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 1st Mission Support Command hosts 2017 Holocaust Commemoration, by SPC Anthony Martinez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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