In writing my recent review of Cast a Giant Shadow, I learned about a unique service held at West Point to honor Colonel Mickey Marcus. 

This past May, the 39th annual ceremony brought in nearly 200 people.  Colonel Marcus, a 1924 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, is the only American officer buried at West Point that was killed fighting beneath the flag of another country.

“He represents a visible example that anybody, regardless if they’re Jewish or not, can follow,” said Cadet 1st Class Matthew Moosey, member of the West Point Hillel, a 60-member Jewish cadet organization. “The Army values are universal to all Soldiers of any race and religion, and Col. Marcus embodied and reflected those in his life and that’s why he’s important for any cadet to recognize.”

While Colonel Marcus is the main focus of the ceremony, the service also recognizes 40 other North American volunteers who died while fighting to preserve Israel’s creation.  A recent article in The Journal News highlights some of the other contributors.

For more details about Colonel Marcus and his contributions to the United States and Israel, see:

• The Jewish Virtual Library
• Marcus’s Wikipedia Entry

Editor’s note: Margery Gross is a member of JWV Post 39 in Atlantic County, NJ.

In 1896, a group of Jewish Civil War veterans got together to form the Hebrew Union Veterans (HUV) group.  This group was the direct result of slanderous accusations that Jews had not participated in the military during the War Between the States.  What is difficult to believe is that this accusation has resurfaced in both World Wars, Korea, Vietnam and even to the current conflict.  The HUV group eventually became the Jewish War Veterans (JWV). 

We are proud of our history of support for the freedom we so enjoy in America, and are proud of the thousands of Jewish men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for that freedom.  In WWII alone, over 52,000 awards, including the Congressional Medal of Honor, were bestowed on Jewish service members.  The JWV has continues to combat anti-Semitism and bigotry where ever it appears.  We offer our youth support through scouting, scholarships, and anti-drug programs.

The JWV offers a wide range of benefits and support to returning service men and women, be it a friendly face, a welcoming hand, or an eager ear to listen.  To join is easy, the only real requirement is to be a Jewish military member, active or veteran (not necessarily a war veteran).  The dues are low, and vary from Post to Post.  Most posts offer free membership to active duty personnel.  You are not alone when you join, but are with comrades in arms. 

Further information can be found on the web at www.jwv.org.  We are the first group to have an official Veterans Organization and are proud of all we can offer.

Editors Note: We normally focus on Jews in the U.S. Military, but this nod to our Canadian brethren is well deserving.  Thanks Canuck!

This newly established museum now has a website up:

www.jcmm.ca

While there is a lot of growing to do to develop the museum and its site, if you go into the Collections & Research page they have preserved, in PDF format, an old book composed of bios and photos of those Jewish Canadian servicemen who made the supreme sacrifice during WW2.

Adapted from excerpts of the Jewish Heritage Week proclamations from President William J. Clinton, 2002, and President George W. Bush, 2003 and 2004.

Jewish Heritage Week, May 8 – 14, 2005, commemorates the rich history of the Jewish people and the many contributions Jewish Americans have made to our Nation. The Jewish people began their search for freedom more than 3,300 years ago. From the struggle of the Exodus, to the miracle of the Maccabees, to the horrors of the Holocaust, to the creation of the democratic State of Israel, Jews have faced and survived many challenges. Jews draw on their faith to provide hope for the future.  They proved that even when faced with challenges to liberty and even life, it is possible to not merely survive, but to thrive beyond expectation.

In a country which this year reached its 229th birthday, the Jewish community marks its 351st anniversary of the first permanent Jewish settlement in North America, in what is known today as New York. We honor the courage and perseverance of these Jewish immigrants and their descendants, and we celebrate their steadfast dedication to the ideals that have made America strong. They bring to our Nation a rich heritage that recognizes the dignity of every citizen and the possibilities within every human life.

From science and the arts to business and law; as teachers, physicians, journalists, judges, musicians, and policy-makers; from neighborhood stores to the corridors of Congress; from the Armed Forces to the Supreme Court, generations of American Jews have succeeded in every sector of our society. And the rewards of that success are shared by us all. Our Nation has benefited immeasurably from the character, values, and achievements of our Jewish citizens.

Their commitment to religious freedom, respect for diversity, and belief in democracy has helped make America a better place.  It is the inheritance of these precious values which drive our efforts today to support others in their fight for freedom around the world. 

During this historic time, we are particularly grateful for the many Jewish Americans who serve in our military. Their efforts and example help advance the cause of freedom and provide hope for people around the world.

During Jewish Heritage Week, let us acknowledge and give thanks for the many contributions that Jews have brought to our national life and character, and let us celebrate the rich religious and ethnic threads that Jewish men and women have woven into the tapestry that is America

By Sheldon Derer
(From the cover)

“At Tarawa, Saipan & Tinian, I saw Marines killed and wounded in a shocking manner, but I saw nothing like the ghastliness that hung over the Iwo beachhead. Nothing any of us had ever known could compare with the utter anguish, frustration and constant inner battle to maintain some semblance of sanity,” said Lt. Cyril P. Zurlinger, later a casualty himself.
They don’t look any different then most other 70 plus year olds. They’re somewhat overweight, balding, brow and face lined with the creases of time. They laughed and joked. Talked about family and their lives here in Florida.

It’s hard to believe that these same men had been to hell and back. Both had been Marines and survived the battle and horrors of the volcanic speck in the Pacific called Iwo Jima.
Each had his own memories that when recalled, turned their faces from smiling congeniality to a stoic, almost robot look. There were memories of young men going down the rope netting of a troop ship, into a sea tossed “Higgins Boat.” This would land them on a strange black-sanded beach. Each would say that the exploding mortar shells and machine gun fire that took the lives of so many of their fellow marines just wasn’t meant for them. It was just plain luck.

Read on for more…

Read more...

Yesterday marked the 60th anniversary of the start of the battle for Iwo Jima.  I thought it appropriate to spotlight some news and information about the Jews who fought and died in the five-week battle between 70,000 American Marines (1,500 of which were Jewish) and an unknown number of deeply entrenched Japanese defenders. 

The Metro West Daily writes about Sam Bernstein, a 20-year-old (Jewish) Marine corporal at the time of the battle.

Bernstein chuckles when he remembers the Tootsie Rolls he put in his cartridge belt.

“I chose Tootsie Rolls because they wouldn’t melt and they were just the size of a bullet. At the same time, I strapped on three or four bandoliers full of ammunition. Still, if the officers had known what I was doing, they probably would have shot me instead of the Japanese.”

He does not chuckle when he remembers the two men who were killed in his foxhole. Or the day he helped the Jewish chaplain bury some Marines. He wrote a poem that day; his wife will read it toward the end of his presentation. He cannot, he said.

An interesting fact that many of you may be unaware of is the historic events that surrounded a Jewish chaplain on the island. 

Rabbi Roland B. Gittelsohn, assigned to the Fifth Marine Division, was the first Jewish chaplain the Marine Corps ever appointed.  Rabbi Gittelsohn was in the thick of the fray, ministering to Marines of all faiths in the combat zone.  His tireless efforts to comfort the wounded and encourage the fearful won him three service ribbons.

When the fighting was over, Rabbi Gittelsohn was asked to deliver the memorial sermon at a combined religious service dedicating the Marine Cemetery.  Unfortunately, racial and religious prejudice led to problems with the ceremony.  What happened next immortalized Rabbi Gittelsohn and his sermon forever.

Read on to learn more and to see Rabbi Gittelsohn’s sermon.

Read more...

Sandee Brawarsky of The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles recently wrote about her thoughts on Jews who fought in WWII.

More specifically, she talks about her father’s experiences in WWII and her reactions to Deborah Dash Moore’s book: GI Jews.  I wrote about the book when it first came out back in October.  I finally bought the book, but I haven’t had a chance to read it yet.

If you need convincing to get the book, check out Sandee’s full article here.

Each chapter begins with a powerful epigraph, whether some lines of poetry by Stanley Kunitz or Anthony Hecht, or a basketball cheer that ends, “So we’re eating ham for Uncle Sam…

...The men speak of eating nonkosher food for the first time, and several have difficulties with pork. Even an nonobservant Jew can’t get over his aversion and realizes how firmly his Jewish identity was lodged in the mundane realm of food.  For many men, prayer became “an opportunity to express their deepest concerns.”

After reading her review, the book has definitely moved up on my reading list.  Again, I’ll post my own review as soon as I can get to it.  If anyone has read this themselves, feel free to leave your thoughts by posting a comment.

The JTA reports on a ceremony honoring Jewish World War II veterans and their families at New York City’s Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust.

Speakers included WWII veterans: Henry Kissinger (Army Captain), New York City Mayor Ed Koch, (Army Sergeant), and Robert Morgenthau, the Manhattan district attorney (Navy Lieutenant Commander).

The event coincided with an exhibit at the museum called “Ours to Fight For: American Jews in the Second World War.” The exhibit features Jewish World War II veterans’ eyewitness testimony threaded throughout displays that include battle footage, combat weapons and artifacts of life in America before and during the war.

It sounds like a wonderful event, I only wish I could have been there myself.  I encourage you to read the ful article from the JTA.  If you live in New York and you haven’t seen the Museum of Jewish Heritage, you are really missing out.  It’s a wonderful museum and the area around it (near Battery Park) has really been fixed up nicely.  It’s a great spot to spend a nice day outside.

Samuel G. Breidner has written a series of articles for The Sun News of Myrtle Beach giving a brief history of Jewish military contributions.

• Article #1 ties in the Channukah story to everything from Pearl Harbor to The War of 1812.
• Article #2 talks about Jewish heroes in the Civil War, the Indian Wars, and the beginning of WWI.
• Article #3 brings us from WWII, through Vietnam and Korea, to today in Iraq.

There are certainly more thorough works written about Jews who have served this country, but Mr. Breidner offers a quick glance at some of our superstars and does a decent job relating it to the military aspects of the Channukah story.  I’m also quite impressed that a local newspaper would devote three days to this.  Kudos to Sam Breidner and The Sun News for making this happen.

Aharon ben Anshel over at The Jewish Press recently highlighted a new book about Jews who served in World War II.  GI Jews, by Deborah Dash Moore, charts the lives of fifteen young Jewish servicemen through their personal memoirs, oral histories, and letters.

I haven’t read the book yet, but I’ve added it to my Amazon list.  I’ll post a review of the book as soon as I’m able.  If anyone else has read this, I’d be happy to post up your reviews and/or comments.

While there are a few other books about Jews in the military during WWII, this one sounds particularly interesting.  It sounds like the stories are very personal, and there is an obvious focus on the unique challenges and experiences of serving as a Jew during the war.  One review talks about the subjects of the book, taking “their Jewish identity for granted in the Jewish enclaves where they grew up—and that only in the army did they begin to see its value.”

You can order the book from amazon.com HERE.