Kearsarge Holds Holocaust Observance

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Jesse Schwab | 210428-N-MZ836-1023 ATLANTIC OCEAN (April 28, 2021) Capt. Neil Koprowski, commanding officer of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), delivers remarks during a Holocaust observance aboard Kearsarge April 28, 2021. Yom HaShoah, known internationally as the time for Holocaust Remembrance, provides people from all backgrounds the opportunity to stand in solidarity with Jewish people around the world to remember and reflect on the tragedy of the Holocaust. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jesse Schwab)  

UNITED STATES

04.29.2021

Story by Seaman Jesse Schwab 

USS Kearsarge (LHD 3)

Sailors aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) gathered for a Holocaust observance event on the ship’s mess decks April 28, 2021.
The observance paid homage to the lives and contributions of Holocaust survivors and those lost through the sharing of a few of their powerful stories.
“Today we honor the lost and the survivors of the Holocaust,” said Operations Specialist 3rd Class Elaineyanna Brewer, one of the event participants. Brewer said one of the goals of the event was to ensure we never forget this tragic chapter in history.
The Holocaust was the genocide of European Jews between 1941 and 1945 during World War II. The Nazi Party and its collaborators systemically murdered an estimated six-million Jews, which represented more than 60 percent of Europe’s Jewish population.
“Throughout history people have faced discrimination, segregation and injustice in many ways,” said Retail Services Specialist 3rd Class Corey Gambirazio. “The day everyone can comprehend this statement is the day the world will be a much more peaceful place.”
After the ceremony, attendees viewed brief memoirs about some of the Holocaust survivors and the sacrifices they made.
“We must all remember the people who risked not only their own lives, but the lives of their families to save other human beings,” said Capt. Neil Koprowski, Kearsarge’s commanding officer. “Every one of us matters.”
Gambirazio delivered the ceremony’s closing remarks, relaying a germane message of respect that everyone could relate to.
“If I can leave you with anything to remember today, it would be to treat others the way you want to be treated.”

• Date Taken: 04.29.2021
• Date Posted: 04.30.2021 08:08
• Story ID: 395226
• Location: US