SWESC GL Holds Days of Remembrance Ceremony

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Matt Hall | GREAT LAKES, Ill. (April 26, 2024) Kitty Loewy, a second generation Holocaust survivor, poses with Surface Warfare Engineering Schools Command Great Lakes (SWESC GL) staff and leadership after a National Days of Remembrance ceremony held by SWESC GL at Naval Station Great Lakes, April 26, 2024. Loewy's father, Karl Loewy, was born in Vienna, Austria in 1919 and escaped Nazi-controlled Europe to the Dominican Republic. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Matt Hall)  

GREAT LAKES, IL, UNITED STATES

05.01.2024

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Matt Hall 

Naval Station Great Lakes

SWESC GL Holds National Remembrance Day Ceremony


Surface Warfare Engineering Schools Command Great Lakes (SWESC GL) held a National Remembrance Day celebration April 26, 2024, aboard Naval Station Great Lakes (NSGL), Ill.
The U.S. Congress established Days of Remembrance in 1980 as the nation’s annual commemoration of the Holocaust and created the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as a permanent living memorial to the victims.
The ceremony included a presentation by civilian guest speaker Kitty Loewy, a Vernon Hills, Ill. native and second-generation Holocaust survivor. The event concluded with an open panel for all hands Kitty questions, followed by a ceremonial cake cutting.
"Mrs. Loewy’s story deeply resonated with me and left a profound impact on the entire SWESC team," said Cmdr. Ervin Henley, SWESC GL commanding officer. "Listening to the harrowing experiences of her father and grandparents was a humbling reminder of the sacrifices made for our freedom. It reaffirmed my gratitude for the uniform I proudly wear and the freedoms it represents. Having individuals like Mrs. Loewy among us, sharing their stories and experiences, is a privilege that reminds us of the importance of preserving the memory of those who suffered under the Nazis. It's crucial that we honor their losses and sacrifices by actively working to ensure that such atrocities never happen again."
Kitty’s father, Karl Loewy, was born in Vienna, Austria in 1919. Desperate to escape the yoke of Nazi-controlled Europe, Karl fled Austria to neutral Switzerland in 1938.
In the summer of 1938, delegates from 32 countries met at the Evian Conference at Evian-les-Bains, France, to discuss a plan of action in response to the Jewish refugee crisis in Europe. Only the Dominican Republic agreed to allow a limited number of Jewish immigrants. Approximately 800 German and Austrian Jewish refugees received visas issued by the Dominican Republic between 1940 and 1945.
In 1940, Karl travelled from Switzerland, to France then Portugal, before finally immigrating to Sousa, Dominican Republic. Karl would become pen-pals with a young Chicago woman named Sarah, who would travel to Sousa in 1948. The two would be married two weeks later, Feb. 14, 1948.
Karl Loewy died in 1999.

• Date Taken: 05.01.2024
• Date Posted: 05.01.2024 08:18
• Story ID: 469951
• Location: GREAT LAKES, IL, US