War and the Human Experience Series

Holocaust Survivor Celina Karp Biniaz

Biniaz, originally from Krakow, Poland, was on Schindler’s List, but was accidentally sent to Auschwitz. There, she confronted the infamous Josef Mengele, who sentenced her to death. Biniaz pleaded for her life saying, “Let Me Go.” Miraculously, the Angel of Death changed his mind. After liberation, Biniaz moved to Iowa and became an educator. Her talks are part of a partnership between the WHE program and the Iowa Jewish Historical Society.

Harold Kasimow: Memories of a Child Holocaust Survivor

Harold Kasimow's earliest memories are of living in total darkness and silence, with no room to move and very little to eat. Kasimow, his parents, and his two sisters spent 19 months and 5 days hiding from the Nazis in a hole dug in the floor of a cattle barn, covered over with boards and straw. He was 4 years old when they went into hiding in the hole, in a small village near Vilnius, then part of Poland. In this powerful presentation, he'll reflect on that experience, and its lasting influence on his life as a scholar and interfaith pioneer.

Gerald Berry: A Pilot Recalls Combat in Vietnam

US Marine Gerald Berry, formerly of Des Moines, will speak about flying helicopters in the Vietnam War. During the conflict, Berry earned three Distinguished Flying Crosses. When Saigon fell to the communists, pictured right, Berry flew out hundreds of refugees for over eighteen straight hours. Berry made one the most iconic flights in military history when he evacuated the US Ambassador to Vietnam. Colonel Berry, pictured left, has appeared on CBS, PBS, CNN, History Channel, and Discovery Channel.

Feb. 5, 2020
Urban Campus

Feb. 5, 2020
Ankeny Campus

Feb. 6, 2020
Boone Campus

Medal of Honor Winner Melvin Morris

Melvin Morris, one of the few living recipients of the Medal of Honor, will share his combat experience for Black History Month. Morris, originally from Oklahoma, joined the US Army and became one of the nation's first Green Berets. Morris served two tours in the Vietnam War. During one mission, he was shot three times. Mr. Morris is part of a rich tradition of African American military service.

Andrew Lichtenstein: Witness and Documenter of 9/11

For the 20th anniversary of 9/11, photographer and journalist Andrew Lichtenstein will offer a virtual presentation on his experiences. Lichtenstein will share his powerful photographs that helped document one of the darkest moments in US history. The presenter teaches at the International Center of Photography in New York City.

Oct. 3, 2022
Boone Campus

Oct. 4, 2022
Ankeny Campus

Oct. 4, 2022
Urban Campus

UN War Crimes Investigator Vlad Dzuro Presentation

The war that broke out in the former Yugoslavia at the end of the twentieth century unleashed unspeakable acts of violence committed against defenseless civilians, including a grisly mass murder at an Ovčara pig farm in 1991. Homicide detective and UN investigator Vlad Dzuro will speak about his experience trying to bring war criminals to justice. Dzuro is the author of The Investigator: Demons of the Balkan War.

Nov. 17, 2022
DMACC Virtual Event

Steen Metz: Reflections of a Holocaust Survivor

On October 2, 1943, eight-year-old Steen Metz and his parents were arrested and deported from Denmark to the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp in the Czech Republic. This Nazi facility was the scene of constant hunger, brutal living conditions, and death.  Some 15,000 children passed through Theresienstadt. Metz was one of fewer than 1,500 who survived. Hear the powerful testimony of one of the last remaining Holocaust survivors.

Questions? Email mrwalsh@dmacc.edu.

Feb. 22, 2023
Boone Campus

Feb. 23, 2023
Urban Campus

Feb. 23, 2023
Ankeny Campus

Herman and Joyce Cole: Black History Month Presentation

Herman Cole witnessed the Ku Klux Klan burning crosses next to his childhood home in South Carolina, marched with Martin Luther King Jr. as a high schooler, and studied under Chief Anderson, the father of Black aviation, at Tuskegee Institute. Cole served in the Vietnam War and attained the rank of colonel in the US Air Force. He will be joined by his wife, Joyce, a Civil Rights worker who registered Black voters in “Bloody” Lowndes County, Alabama.

Sep. 25, 2023
DMACC Boone Campus

Sep. 26, 2023
DMACC Urban Campus

Sep. 26, 2023
DMACC Ankeny Campus

Buried Alive Twice on 9/11 by Joe Torrillo

On September 11, 2001, NYC Fireman Joe Torrillo survived the collapse of both Twin Towers. For three days, he was missing and presumed dead. Hear his powerful story of survival and recovery. The talks are free and open to the public.