Two law enforcement officers from New York and New Jersey participated in the March of the Living this week, speaking to Israel National News on Tuesday after visiting Auschwitz.
Colonel Patrick Callahan of the New Jersey State Police described the experience as “inexplicable."
“The baby shoes crushed me and even my own shadow in this uniform gave me an eerie feeling looking down because I’ve even had some kids kids come up to me that are here wondering if I was an SS officer and it was it wasn't a good feeling,” he said. “It was a horrible feeling, the inhumanity of it all and how how we must strive, especially in this role when law enforcement serves as peacekeepers, and we weren’t. We were complicit and assisted Nazi Germany and that breaks my heart too.”
He pledged to take his experience on March of the Living back with him to New Jersey.
“So in my position and with my leadership and trust in my authority, I’ll ensure that the women and men of the New Jersey State Police treat people with dignity and respect and that we will never forget this and trust that it will never happen again.”
Superintendent of Police Edward Cetnar of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department said:
“It's a great honor for us to be here from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department and just to see the rich tradition and history of what is going on today and to be part of it is just humbling.”
The annual March of the Living took place onTuesday from Auschwitz to Auschwitz-Birkenau, marking Israel’s national Holocaust Memorial Day. The March of the Living – taking place for the 35th year – was led by 40 Holocaust Survivors, alongside more than 13,000 participants from 25 countries around the world.