Holocaust survivor to share memories at Hurlburt Field Observance Published April 23, 2010 By Noel Getlin 505th Command and Control Wing Public Affairs HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. - -- Hurlburt Field will commemorate the Holocaust with its annual Holocaust Remembrance ceremony on May 4. Holocaust survivor Herman Snyder will be the guest speaker for the event that takes place at 1:30 p.m. at the Commando Auditorium, Bldg. 90230. The ceremony is open to military ID cardholders and school-age children are encouraged to attend. Dr. Victor Sapio, who survived concentration camps as a child, will also be present at the event and will be available to answer questions immediately after the ceremony. Dr. Sapio is a resident of Pensacola and a retired college professor who has written many books and professional journal articles. This year marks 65 years since the end of World War II and the liberation of Jews from Nazi concentration camps. The theme of this year's observance is "Stories of Freedom: What You Do Matters." Mr. Snyder grew up in Poland and was a cabinet maker in 1939 when World War II broke out in his country. In 1941, he and his family were forced into a Jewish ghetto. When Mr. Snyder escaped by jumping over the wall of the ghetto, it would be the last time he saw his family. They, along with his whole town, were killed by the Nazis. For the next two years, Mr. Snyder hid in the forests of Poland and Lithuania where he mostly avoided detection. In 1943, he made his way to Russia where he worked making wooden crates for bombs. After the war he returned to his native Poland for a short time before immigrating to the United States in 1949. He settled in Pittsburgh, Penn., where he raised a family and built houses. Mr. Snyder is a frequent speaker on the Holocaust, sharing his story at schools, synagogues and other Holocaust Remembrance events. He was also featured in the Emmy-award winning documentary, "From Pittsburg to Poland," where he described his experiences as a fugitive during the Holocaust. A question and answer session with Mr. Snyder and Dr. Sapio will follow the ceremony. For more information, contact Ms. Getlin at DSN 579-6512 or (850) 884-6512.
Holocaust survivor to share memories at Hurlburt Field Observance Published April 23, 2010 By Noel Getlin 505th Command and Control Wing Public Affairs HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. - -- Hurlburt Field will commemorate the Holocaust with its annual Holocaust Remembrance ceremony on May 4. Holocaust survivor Herman Snyder will be the guest speaker for the event that takes place at 1:30 p.m. at the Commando Auditorium, Bldg. 90230. The ceremony is open to military ID cardholders and school-age children are encouraged to attend. Dr. Victor Sapio, who survived concentration camps as a child, will also be present at the event and will be available to answer questions immediately after the ceremony. Dr. Sapio is a resident of Pensacola and a retired college professor who has written many books and professional journal articles. This year marks 65 years since the end of World War II and the liberation of Jews from Nazi concentration camps. The theme of this year's observance is "Stories of Freedom: What You Do Matters." Mr. Snyder grew up in Poland and was a cabinet maker in 1939 when World War II broke out in his country. In 1941, he and his family were forced into a Jewish ghetto. When Mr. Snyder escaped by jumping over the wall of the ghetto, it would be the last time he saw his family. They, along with his whole town, were killed by the Nazis. For the next two years, Mr. Snyder hid in the forests of Poland and Lithuania where he mostly avoided detection. In 1943, he made his way to Russia where he worked making wooden crates for bombs. After the war he returned to his native Poland for a short time before immigrating to the United States in 1949. He settled in Pittsburgh, Penn., where he raised a family and built houses. Mr. Snyder is a frequent speaker on the Holocaust, sharing his story at schools, synagogues and other Holocaust Remembrance events. He was also featured in the Emmy-award winning documentary, "From Pittsburg to Poland," where he described his experiences as a fugitive during the Holocaust. A question and answer session with Mr. Snyder and Dr. Sapio will follow the ceremony. For more information, contact Ms. Getlin at DSN 579-6512 or (850) 884-6512.