A Plebe reads one of the exhibits at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. USNA photo by MC3 Christopher Lussier.

This is a glimpse into the memories of Nesse Godin. Godin was born March 28, 1928, in Siauliai, Lithuania, a city known for its culture and vibrant Jewish community of almost 10,000 people. Now, 79 years old, Godin provided personal insight to 1,200 plebes about her memories of the Holocaust at an address in Alumni Hall during Plebe Summer.

Godin has dedicated her life to teaching and sharing her memories with the public about her experience with the Holocaust.

''I am only here for one reason – to share memories and allow you to understand,'' said Godin.

Growing up in a household with two brothers, Godin’s parents owned a small store that sold dairy products. Just 13 years old at the beginning of the occupation, Godin remembers hiding in the basement when the ''special mobs'' overran the town and took all the men to the city jail.

On June 26, 1941, the Germans occupied Siauliai, just four days after invading the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. According to Godin, SS killing units and local collaborators shot nearly a thousand Jews in the nearby Kuziai forest in the weeks following the occupation.

''In August, we were forced to move into a ghetto, where we lived in constant hunger and fear,'' said Godin. ''I witnessed many ‘selections,’ during which men, women and children were taken to their deaths.''

Godin’s father was among them.

In 1944, as the Soviet army approached, the remaining Jews were deported to the Stutthof concentration camp, where Godin was given a number - 54015. As a young girl, Godin recalled feeling the earth trembling under her feet.

''We found out later, the earth shook because many of the men were buried alive,'' she explained

From Stutthof, Godin was transported to several camps, and was sent on a death march in January 1945. In the freezing cold winter weather and with little food, many of the prisoners died. On March 10, 1945, she was liberated by Soviet troops. As she was still a minor then, she was given a random minder, but soon afterwards she got re-united with her mother.

According to Lt. Andrew Roy, scheduling officer for Plebe Summer, Godin’s address was part of a lecture series incorporated into Plebe Summer to teach the freshmen about officer and character development.

''The plebes get a lot of lessons with officer development, and as an officer in the military there is a fine line that you have to walk,'' said Roy. ''You have to be able to lead people and violently execute a mission if necessary, but there is a line you have to stop at. The Holocaust is one of the most obscene examples in history where that line was grossly thrown out the window.''

The firsthand account of the Holocaust experience was brutal, stark, and eye-opening.

''I had heard speakers talk before, but in this new setting with unity and responsibilities of an upcoming member of the brigade, it was more moving and more sensational,'' said Midn. 4⁄C Galen Ober.

After Godin’s speech, the plebes visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. for a private tour.

''[By seeing the exhibits] I learned more about Hitler’s rise to power in the early thirties and how it all came together,'' said Midn. 4⁄C Ben Hoover.

Following the walking tour, plebes participated in a group discussion with the museum’s education staff, focused on responsibility.

''That was really interesting because you never really discuss the responsibility of the Holocaust,'' said Galen. ''I have never really thought about things like, ‘How responsible was the guy who was working in the factory who was creating poisonous gas?’ Just looking at that and seeing the accountability brings in the fact that it wasn’t just Germany’s problem, it was everybody’s responsibility to curtail the Holocaust.''

Midn. 2⁄C Rick Pescatore, the Brigade character sergeant, heads a Saturday Morning Training as part of the character development curriculum for interested Midshipmen that runs parallel to the trip the plebes took this past summer. Midshipmen arrive before the Museum is open to the public and view the exhibits, then move into classrooms where they discuss the Holocaust at a greater depth. Midshipmen who would like to participate can contact Pescatore at m095058@usna.edu or Midn 1⁄C Justin Bardin at m080366@usna.edu.