Community Holocaust Commemoration

Last night was very special as hundreds from our community remembered the Holocaust, the millions who died, those who survived, and the families of all.  It was very moving.  The commemoration started at the Holocaust Memorial with reflections and a presentation of an Anne Frank plaque; then all walked to Emmanuel Baptist Church while the bells on St. Francis Xavier Cathedral rang.

It was a special gathering as we remembered during this "Yom HaShoah" service (see bulletin).  There was a focus on "The Central Louisiana Connection" and the significant role that Alexandria and so much of Louisiana played as General George S. Patton and other generals trained almost 500,000 troops here before going to war in Europe, resulting in the liberation of the survivors of the Holocaust.

General Patton's grandson, George Patton Waters, was the guest speaker; his talk was moving and so interesting.  He invited us after the ceremony to touch the boots that Gen. Patton wore during the war.  There was a St. Christopher medal embedded in the heal.  After holding the boots, I introduced myself to Mr. Waters and shared that my friend, Milford Crumplar who now lives in Lake Charles, served under Gen. Patton, and that Milford was celebrating his 92nd birthday today, 4/29.  Mr. Waters wrote a nice note on his bio and gave it and a beautiful bronze medallion with a picture of Gen. Patton for me to give to Milford.  What a special gift.

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Holocaust Memorial Dedication

Alexandria rallied behind our beloved Jewish community this year as funds were raised to build a Holocaust Memorial; the recent dedication was a moving ceremony attended by hundreds from many faiths and backgrounds.  Rabbi Arnold Task was a leader in the teamwork leading to this dedication.  We thank him.  View KALB news coverage.

Alexandria and Louisiana played a significant role during World War II as hundreds of thousands of troops trained and participated in the Louisiana Maneuvers as those who would lead the war effort practiced strategies which would lead to the defeat of the Nazis and freeing those held in concentration camps.  The majestic Hotel Bentley, built in 1908, hosted these and other leaders; this grand hotel will be reopened in the coming year.

A plaque will be installed at the site describing "Our Louisiana Connection".  It will read:
"Plans for the D-Day Invasion in World War II were developed by Generals Dwight Eisenhower, Omar Bradley and George Patton.  Preparations for the invasion involved six camps located in central Louisiana.  This work resulted in the eventual defeat of the Nazi regime of Germany and the liberating of the concentration camps."

View historic videos of the ceremony: Video 1 (9:01), Video 2 (8:23), Video 3 (4:15)