By Robert Shay, Special to JTNews
I normally speak to you on these pages about Jewish films. This time, in honor of Memorial Day, the editor has graciously allowed me to tell you about some very real American Jewish war heroes of the United States. I will be upfront to tell you I did not research the subject myself. Rather I obtained this information from a little known Jewish organization: the Jewish War Veterans of the United States and the National Museum of American Jewish Military History, located at JWV headquarters close by the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.
This is the oldest veteran’s organization in the U.S., having been founded in 1896 “… as the patriotic voice of American Jewry” by Jewish Civil War veterans.
The stories I want to focus on are those of the 14 American Jews who have won The Congressional Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor is America’s highest award for military valor and is bestowed upon those who have performed an act of such conspicuous gallantry as to rise “above and beyond the call of duty.”
Only 3,395 of the tens of millions of men and women who have served their country since the Civil War have received this award. Among these honored few are the names of generals and privates, of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen, of Americans of every color and creed, from every corner of the country and beyond. As a symbol of heroism, the Medal of Honor has no equal in American life.
The Hall of Heroes at the museum tells the story of the Jewish-American heroes who have earned this high honor. The bravest of the brave, these men stand as the supreme examples of the heroism and sacrifice that protect our liberty and freedom.
Benjamin Levy, a private in the army, Company G, First New York Infantry. Born in 1845 in New York City, Private Levy, a 17-year-old drummer boy, took the gun of a sick comrade and went to fight at Glendale, Va. on June 30, 1862.
When the color bearers were shot down, Levy picked up the colors and without regard for his own life, saved them from capture. By today’s standards this would not appear to be a heroic act, but in the heat of battle in 1862, “the colors” were the rallying point and focus of morale for all military personnel. A skirmish could turn on the fall of the colors. Levy died at age 76, on July 20, 1921.
David Urbansky, a private in the army, Company B, 58th Ohio Infantry. Born in 1843 in Lautenberg, Prussia, he is simply noted for “gallantry in action” on the battlefields of Shiloh, Tenn., April 6 and 7, 1862 and Vicksburg, Mississippi May 18 thru July 4, 1863. Urbansky died at age 54 on Jan. 27, 1897.
Abraham Cohn, a sergeant major in the army, 6th New Hampshire Infantry. Born 1832, in Guttentag, Silesia, Prussia,
Sergeant Major Cohn rallied and formed, under heavy fire, disorganized and fleeing troops of different regiments during the Battle of the Wilderness in May 1864.
At Petersburg, Va., July 30, 1864, Cohn bravely and coolly carried orders to the advanced line under severe fire. Cohn died at the age of 55 on June 2, 1897.
Leopold Karpeles, a sergeant in the army, Company E, 57th Massachusetts Infantry. Born 1838, Prague, Austria-Hungary.
Sgt Karpeles’ citation reads: “while color bearer, rallied the retreating troops and induced them to check the enemy’s advance in the Wilderness Campaign, May 6, 1864.” Leopold Karpeles died at the age of 70 on Feb. 2, 1909.
Simon Suhler used the name Charles Gardner during his service as a private in the Army, Company B, 8th U.S. Cavalry. Born 1844 in Bavaria, Germany. His citation simple reads: “Bravery in scouts and actions against Indians in Arizona, August — October 1868.” He died at the age of 51 in 1895.
Samuel Marguilies, who used the name Samuel Gross during his service as a private in 23rd Company, U.S. Marine Corp. Born Philadelphia, Penn. in 1891.
Private Gross, in company with members of the fifth, 13th, 23rd Companies and Marine and Sailor detachments from the U.S.S. Connecticut, participated in the attack on Fort Riviere, Haiti on November 17, 1915. Following a concentrated drive, several different detachments of Marines gradually closed in on the old French bastion fort in an effort to cut off all avenues of retreat for the Caco Bandits. Approaching a breach in the wall — the only entrance to the fort — Gross was the second man to pass through the breach in face of constant fire from the Caco Bandits and for a 10-minute period engaged the enemy in desperate hand-to-hand combat, until the bastion was captured and the Caco resistance neutralized.
This action is the subject of a famous painting by Colonel D.J. Neary, now in the U.S. Marine Corps Art Collection. Marguilies died at age 43 in 1934.
Benjamin Kaufman, a first sergeant in the Army, Company K, 308th Infantry, 77th Division. He was born 1894 in Buffalo, NY.
Kaufman was cited for action in the Argonne Forest, France on Oct. 4, 1918. He took out a patrol for the purpose of attacking an enemy machine gun which had checked the advance of his company. Before reaching the shooter, he became separated from his patrol and a bullet shattered his right arm.
Without hesitation, he advanced on the gun alone, throwing hand grenades with his left hand and charging with an empty pistol, taking one prisoner and scattering the crew before bringing the gun and prisoner back to the first aid station. Kaufman served as National Commander of the Jewish War Veterans during WWII.
Sydney Gumpertz, a first sergeant in the Army, Company E, 132nd Infantry, 33rd Division. He was born 1879 in San Raphael, Calif.
Gumpertz was cited for action in the Bois-de-Forges, France, Sept. 29, 1918. When the advancing line was held up by machine gun fire, First Sgt. Gumpertz left his platoon and with two other soldiers advanced through a heavy barrage toward the machine gun nest. His companions became casualties from bursting shells, but Gumpertz continued on alone in the face of direct fire, jumped into the nest and silenced the gun, capturing nine of the crew. Gumpertz became a heavily decorated Army Captain.
William Sawelson, army sergeant, Company M, 312th Infantry, 78th Division. He was born 1895 in Newark, NJ.
Sawelson was cited for selfless bravery at Grand-Pre, France. Hearing a wounded man in a shell hole some distance away calling for water, Sgt. Sawelson, on his own initiative, left shelter and crawled through heavy fire to where the man lay, giving him what water he had in his canteen. He then went back to his own shell hole, obtained more water and was returning to the wounded man when he was killed by a machine gun bullet.
Raymond Zussman, a second lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company A, 756th Tank Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division. Born 1917 in Hamtramck, Mich.
On Sept. 12 1944, Zussman was in command of two tanks operating with an infantry company in an attack on the occupation of Noroy le Bourg, France. His command tank became bogged down, so armed with only a carbine, he reconnoitered alone on foot in advance of his remaining tank and the infantry.
Returning only from time to time to designate targets, he directed the action of the tank and turned over to the infantry the numerous Germans he caused to surrender.
Under Lt. Zussman’s heroic leadership, 18 enemy soldiers were killed and 92 captured. Zussman was killed in action nine days later.
Isadore Jachman, staff sergeant, Army, Company B, 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Division. Born in Berlin, Germany, in 1922.
He was awarded the CMH for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty at Flamierge, Belgium, Jan. 4, 1945, when his company was pinned down by enemy artillery, mortar, and small arms fire, two hostile tanks attacked the unit, inflicting heavy casualties. S/Sgt. Jachman, seeing the desperate plight of his comrades, left his place of cover and with total disregard for his own safety dashed across open ground through a hail of fire and, seizing a bazooka from a fallen comrade, advanced on the tanks, which concentrated fire on him.
Firing the weapon alone, he damaged one and forced both to retire. Jachman’s heroic action, in which he suffered fatal wounds, disrupted the entire enemy attack, reflecting the highest credit upon himself and the parachute infantry.
Ben L. Salomon, captain, Army, Second Battalion, 105th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division. Born in Milwaukee, Wis. in 1914.
While serving as battalion surgeon at Saipan, in the Marianas Islands on July 7, 1944, the regiment’s 1st and 2nd battalions were attacked by a force of 3,000–5,000 Japanese soldiers. It was one of the largest attacks attempted in the Pacific theater during WWII.
Although both units fought furiously, the enemy soon penetrated the Battalions’ combined perimeter and inflicted overwhelming casualties. Capt. Salomon, already under heavy pressure, had to defend the wounded soldiers from further attack. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Capt. Salomon ordered the wounded to make their way to the regimental aid station while he attempted to hold off the enemy.
Capt. Salomon then took control after four men were killed while manning a machine gun. When his body was found, 98 dead enemy soldiers were piled in front of his position. Capt. Salomon was awarded the CMH for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty.
Jack Jacobs, first lieutenant, Army , Military Assistance Command. Born 1945 in Brooklyn, NY.
On March 9, 1968, while serving as assistant advisor, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam, his unit came under intense machine gun and mortar fire from a Viet Cong battalion positioned in well-fortified bunkers. His troops were halted by devastating fire as they deployed into attack formation. Lt. Jacobs directed air strikes on enemy positions to facilitate a new attack. Although wounded by mortar fragments, Lt. Jacobs assumed command of a disorganized company and ordered a withdrawal from the exposed position to establish a defensive perimeter.
Despite profuse bleeding from head wounds that impaired his vision, Lt. Jacobs, under intense fire, evacuate a seriously wounded advisor to a secure area where he administered life-saving first aid. He then made repeated trips across open rice paddies to evacuate wounded soldiers and their weapons.
On three separate occasions, Jacobs drove off Viet Cong squads who were searching for allied wounded, single-handedly killing three and wounding several others. In all, he saved the lives of one U.S. advisor and 13 allied soldiers and restored the allied company to an effective fighting unit and prevented its defeat.
John Lee Levitow, airman first class, Air Force, 3rd Special Operations Squadron. Born in 1945 in Hartford, Conn.
While assigned as loadmaster on a night mission in support of the Long Binh Army Post, his aircraft was hit by a mortar round. The explosion ripped a two-foot hole through the wing while fragments made over 3,500 holes in the fuselage. The blast wounded every occupant of the cargo hold.
Levitow, suffering from 40 fragment wounds in his back and legs, staggered to his feet to help his comrades. Realizing the danger involved and completely disregarding his own injuries, Levitow struggled to push a lit flare from the partially out of control aircraft.
Unable to grasp the rolling flare with his hands he threw his body on it. He hugged the deadly device and dragged himself to the rear of the craft and hurled the flare through the open cargo door. At that instant, the flare ignited mid-air, but clear of the aircraft. By his selfless and heroic actions, Levitow saved the aircraft and its entire crew from certain death.
As we pause to remember all who served their country this Memorial Day weekend, don’t forget to place a flag on the graves of military veterans, as my family and I will be doing at Temple De Hirsch Sinai’s Hills of Eternity Cemetery. Following this task of honor and as we look out at the field of wind whipped red, white and blue, I will remind my son, that freedom is not free, and that “we are the home of the free, because of the brave”.
Robert Shay is the Administrator of the Sylvia Suckerman Jewish Video Collection at Temple De Hirsch Sinai’s Seattle facility and can be reached at (206) 903-9010 or via e-mail: [email protected] or on his fledgling Web site: www.videojudaica.com