I ' a Compilation of Facts Concerning Jewish Men in the Armed Forces
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i A Compilation of Facts Concerning Jewish Men in the Armed Forces l i ' during the First Year of the War t 07 .... I TABLE OF CONTENTS . Page I. INTRODUCTION .............................................. i ................................................ ..'. ............. 3 II. COMMENT ON JEWISH SERVICE ............................................................ 6 Editors and News Commentators ............................................................... 7 Comment by Public Officials .......................................................................... 15 "The army today contains devotees of many religious faiths. This is in accord with the democratic principles which we are III. RECORD OF HEROISM ............................................................................................. 17 preparing to defend. There are thousands of Jewish soldiers in the Resume of the Year ...................................................................................................... 17 ranks of the army, and many officers of that faith. All are Ameri- cans, and all are involved in our effort to promote peace and Official Awards ............................................................................................................ 21 justice in the world." Battle Stories ................................................................................................................ 43 General George C. Marshall Chief of Staff IV. JEWISH SERVICEMEN AS SEEN BY THEIR COMMANDING OFFICERS ................................................................................ 50 I V. ON THE CIVILIAN FRONT ................................................................................. 53 Published December 7. 1942, by the NATIONAL JEWISH WELFARE BOARD 220 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, N. Y. ! i t • ,, Io INTRODUCTION Since earliest Colonial days, men of Most difficult to satisfy have been re- Jewish faith have played a part in this quests for statistical information. Ade- country's struggles, participating in its quate collection and analysis of statis- wars and in its growth, sharing in its tics while we are still at war are not victories 'and its sacrifices. History has practicable and sometimes even unde- recorded the full measure of service sirable because they may be of value to rendered by Jews in wars fought by the the enemy. The War Department on United States from the Revolution to several occasions has declared that sta- the Great War of 1914-1918. In the tistics on religious groupings in the present conflict, Jewish soldiers and army will be available only at the con- sailors are once again fighting and dy- clusion of hostilities. It nevertheless ing on every front where American has said that religious groups today troops are meeting the enemy. have the same proportions in the army as their ratio in the general population. Events move faster today than in the past and, consequently, the desire for in- The position of the War Department formation about World War II often in this connection is summed up in two exceeds the speed with which the his- statements, the first from the Adjutant torian can make it available. He cannot General, Maj. Gen. C. S. Adams, issued get access to many important facts dur- on December 5, 1941, and the second ing the struggle. These may not be ob- from the Chief of Chaplains, Brig. Gen- tainable until after the war is over. eral William P. Arnold, issued on De- Nevertheless, there is at hand some in- cember 22, 1941. formation of general interest on the subject of Jewish participation in The Department has no statistics America's battle for the Four Free- for dissemination on the subject. Re- doms. This booklet, accordingly, has ligious aÿliations and denominational been prepared as a preliminary and in- preferences are approximately the formal compilation of facts available at same in the Army as in civilian life. this time. It covers only certain high- The current strength of the Army is lights and is intended to be indicative a fair cross-section of American life rather than conclusive. The sections in all its phases, including religion.- that follow include some figures on Adjutant General. Jewish participation, editorial comment on the patriotism of Jewish citizens, ac- It is believed that the present counts of distinguished service on the strength of the Army is a suÿciently part of Jewish soldiers and sailors and large cross-section of American life in related topics. all its phases, including religious pref- eliminate duplications and to ascertain other communities have made simi- erences, to warrant the assumption The most careful test so far was made that those listed were actually residents lar efforts. But the methods employed that the religious pre]erences o] sol- in Trenton, N. J., a medium-sized city of Trenton proper. With the co-opera- tend to understate the number of Jews diers in the Army are the same as in irÿ the East, where a thorough survey tion of the local organizations, addi- in the service. It is surprising, never- civil life.---Chie] o] Chaplains. was recently completed. This study has tional names and data were secured and theless, how often these local surveys been valuable in many ways, but out- Both of these official statements in- these again were checked against ear- have disclosed figures for Jewish men standing is the fact that it has clearly dicate in effect that men of Jewish faith lier lists. Draft board reports already in service in excess of their ratio to the shown that a thoroughgoing survey in- are fully represented in our armed made available for general use in an local population. creases in marked degree the number forces and that the number in service overall table, also provided comparative The information at hand, although of Jews known to have joined the corresponds proportionately to the figures. The most important aspect of limited, shows clearly that American armed services. The survey showed the number of Jews in the United States. the Trenton work, however, was the Jews are contributing their full share number of Trenton Jews in the armed systematic house to house canvass of to the national war effort. The Jewish forces to be S0 percent greater than an At the same time, the National Jew- every Jewish family in the city which Welfare Board proposes to continue to estimate based upon lists of such men [ ish Welfare Board, through its Bureau had at least one male member between collect information on their participa- assembled by various local organiza- of War Records, has been gathering the ages of 20 and 45. This exhaustive tion and through its Bureau of War tions. It was found that 22.7 percent statistical information on Jews in the canvass was the master yardstick which Records advise communities on the of Jewish men between ages 20 and 45 armed forces. The primary emphasis of made it possible to check other meth- methods to be followed that will insure were in service, as compared with 20.4 this effort has been placed on current ods and to arrive at findings as nearly greater accuracy and completeness of percent for non-Jews in the community. administrative needs to serve the men accurate as is scientifically possible. local statistics. Furthermore, 8.4 percent of Trenton's in the armed forces. Much of the in- men in the services are Jewish, al- formation it has gathered is, therefore, incomplete. The Bureau is, however, though Jews make up only 6.1 percent laying the foundation for more thor- of the total population of the city. This ough and accurate compilations which experience suggests that Jews of many it hopes will in the future meet the situ- other communities will likewise be ation more satisfactorily as the basis found to have contributed to the armed of an historical document on the par- forces more men than would be ex- ticipation of American Jews in the pres- pected on the basis of their proportion ent war. in the population. So far the Bureau of War Records The Trenton study was undertaken has assembled material from about 200 by the city's War Work Council, con- communities on the nature and extent sisting of representatives of every Jew- of the services of their Jewish citizens ish organization in the city, working in the war. These early efforts have been under the guidance of the Jewish Wel- largely in the nature of tests to estab- fare Board's Bureau of War Records. lish scientific fact-finding machinery. Several different procedures were em- Still further checking must be done in ployed in conducting the survey. There these localities to obtain a complete were lists compiled by individual Jew- picture of the situation. It must be clearly realized that since our armed ish organizations; the general findings forces and our war production are still of draft boards for certain areas and expanding any statistics are soon out- finally and most important, a house to dated. Furthermore, unless compari- house canvass. The first method con- sons are available for other groups in centrated on the collection of lists of the general population of the same date, servicemen maintained by local organ- the figures are often misleading. izations. These Jists were reviewed to The Right To Pay Tribute By GERALD W. JOHNSON THE Navy Department announced this Obviously, we do not always do it; that any wise and good men can be week that Ensign Edward Irving but we have the right to do it, and that found among Jews, Catholics or Ne- Kohn, of Baltimore, is missing in action. rilÿht is our one great hope. Again and groes. There are Catholics who deny I did not have the honor of Ensign again we have made bad" choices and it as regards Jews, and Jews who deny Kohn's acquaintance, and I have not the error has cost us much money and l'. as regards Catholhrs. It might scan- talked to anyone who did. but I know endless trouble. But that is because, dalize a Jew who holds any such opin- everything about him that matters. He even after 166 years of effort, we still ion to be informed that in holding it was a young American. He did 'his duty. have learned too little about the art he is admitting that Hitler is right in He is missing in action.