Dr. David Frey, Dr. Michael Geheran, CPT Rick Lovering, and COL Jason Musteen of the History Department and the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies accompanied 70 plebes to Washington, D.C. on the 23rd annual Beitler Family Foundation Holocaust Memorial Museum Visit. Cadets spent a half-day exploring the nation's capital, followed by a full day of intensive study at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. At the Museum, they were welcomed by Amanda Rooney-Stierli, who coordinates programs for military and government officials. Ms. Rooney-Stierli encouraged the cadets to reflect on how studying the Holocaust brings to light the dynamics that make mass atrocity possible, and think creatively about means of prevention.
With this prompt, cadets explored the Museum's permanent exhibit, which walked them through the rise of National Socialism and the spread of antisemitism, the gradual, step-by-step implementation of repression, and finally, the genocide of Europe's Jewish population and other “undesirables.” In the afternoon, cadets explored the Museum's special exhibits, including the “Syria: Please Don't Forget Us” exhibit, which featured cloths smuggled out of a government prison that record the names – scrawled in blood and rust - of Syrian prisoners. In addition, more than 55,000 photographs of victims and documents of the Assad regime smuggled out of the country are also on display. The day culminated with a presentation and discussion with a Holocaust survivor Alfred Münzer, who shared his moving stories of persecution, loss, and liberation. The Museum and the survivors inspired powerful self-reflection. As one cadet put it, “If there are problems within my control, I must take action. As an officer, I cannot be a bystander.”