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Desert Lightning News June 3, 2016 3
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Holocaust Day of Remembrance 2016Facebook.com/DesertLightningNews

Nathan H. Barbour

355th Fighter Wing Public A airs

DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Eight holo- (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Nathan H. Barbour) NEWS
caust survivors told their harrowing tales of survival during the
Holocaust Day of Remembrance at the Dove Chapel May 9. A Holocaust survivor lights a candle during the Holocaust Day of Remembrance at Davis-
Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., May 9, 2016. Dessert lightning team members were invited
Dessert lightning team members were invited to listen to holo- to listen to holocaust survivors’ personal stories and participate in a candle lighting cer-
caust survivors’ personal stories and participate in a candle lighting emony to remember those who were lost.
ceremony to remember those who were lost.
ourselves about the consequences of action and inaction,” Said
Sidney Finkel, Holocaust survivor, recounted the deaths he wit- Charles. “ at is how we strive to fulfill the promise of ‘never again’.
nessed on his first day arriving at the Buchenwald concentration
camp when he was 11-years-old.

“ en the cold water started and the people were so sick and they
just fell down and died because we were not allowed to leave [the
showers],” Said Finkel.

“We light a candle for the six million Jews and for the nearly six
million non-Jews who perished in a planned system of human de-
struction the scale of which had never before been even imagined,”
said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Charles, 12th Air Force (Air Forces
Southern) A2 operations superintendent.

e ceremony concluded outside with the release of butterflies as
a symbol of hope.

“As long as genocide remains a threat, we must continue to ask

D-M’s rst cultural festival

Airman Nathan H. Barbour

355th Fighter Wing Public A airs

e Equal Opportunity office hosted (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Nathan H. Barbour)
D-M AFB’s first ever Cultural Awareness
Festival Breaking rough Barriers: Past, U.S. Airmen and civilians applaud as the Folklorico Dance Performance concludes during the Cultural Awareness Fes-
Present and Future, May 20. tival Breaking Through Barriers: Past, Present and Future at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., May 20, 2016. Cultural
and special observances are conducted to enhance cross-cultural awareness and to promote diversity among all
e festival was held as an alternate to service members, civilian employees, contractors, family members and retirees.
the Department of Defense supported ob-
servances by combining all observances History and Equality groups also attended. brooks, Samoan Group dancer. “It doesn’t
into one event. Cultural and special obser- “I was so proud to see the Samoan com- matter what nationality or what culture you
vances are conducted to enhance cross- come from, we’re all one big family at the
cultural awareness and to promote diver- munity out here in Tucson come together,” end of the day.”
sity among all service members, civilian said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Gloria West-
employees, contractors, family members
and retirees.

A color run started the event at the
Blanchard Golf Course running track, with
more than 90 participants and about 30
volunteers.

“We decided we were going to combine
them all into one event with the intent of
getting more participation,” said U.S. Air
Force 1st Lt. Miranda Hechler, Cultural
Awareness Festival project lead.

e festival included informational
booths, food tastings, guest speakers, and
live events from: African American, Na-
tive American, Asian Pacific Islander and
Hispanic heritage cultures. Representatives
from Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender
Pride, National Disability and Women’s