JEWISH WAR VETERANS

OF THE OF AMERICA MURRAY L. ROSEN POST #64

OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING WILL BE HELD ON SUNDAY, JULY 26, THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF THE MONTH. THE MEETING WILL BE HELD AT THE SUNCOAST HOTEL AND CASINO IN THE FAIRWAY 2 EXECUTIVE MEETING ROOM LOCATED ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE HOTEL.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL:

COMMANDER: STEVE SEIDEN 702-363-5338

SENIOR VICE-COMMANDER: JAYME GLICK 360-710-9736

JUNIOR VICE-COMMANDER ISAAC COHEN 702-321-6604

2ND JUNIOR VICE-COMMANDER: HOWARD GREENSPON 702-396-2900

CHECK OUR WEBSITE

WWW.KLINEHOMELESSVETERANSFUND.ORG POST 64 OFFICERS & COMMITTEES

COMMANDER POPPY DAY CHAIRPERSON Steve Seiden 702-363-5338 Mort Friedlander 702-645-1288 SR. VICE COMMANDER PUBLICITY Jayme Glick 360-710-9736 Don Davidson 702-862-0282 JR. VICE COMMANDER TRIBUTES Isaac Cohen 702-321-6604 Carol & Paul See Tribute Article on 2ND JR. VICE-COMMANDER Warman Page 4 Howard Greenspon 702-396-2900 NEWSLETER QUARTERMASTER Helen Groner 702-367-0145 Ricki Greenspon 702-396-2900 FUNDING ADJUTANT Les Sherman 702-240-6234 Bea Siefman 702-368-3840 TRUSTEE CHAPLAIN Gil Boscoe 702-242-1552 Lori Bordman 702-353-8355 EDWARD KLINE MEMORIAL HOMELESS COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS VETERANS FUND, INC. (501(c)3 EXECUTIVE CARING BOARD) Sal Friedlander 702-645-1288 Steve Seiden 702-363-5338 PHONE Mort Friedlander 702-645-1288 Nancy Jacobs 702-645-5032 Les Sherman 702-240-6234 SOCIAL - CO-CHAIRPERSONS. Art Withop 702-240-3280 Sheila Epstein 702-360-4554 Don Davidson 702-862-0282 Jayme Glick 360-710-9736 Abe Efros 702-362-5995 (Post 64 Lois Berkowitz 702-233-8982 Liaison) HISTORIAN Paul Warman 702-838-5806 Herb Cohen 702-513-3218 Former Mayor PROGRAMMING & SPEAKERS Oscar Goodman (Advisory) Nancy Jacobs 702-645-5032 Greg Abernathy 702-453-9407 (Advisory) Jayme Glick 360-710-9736

******************************************************************************************

ANIMAL LOVERS

Abe Efros is still collecting aluminum cans to recycle to help animal rescue. They are easier to carry if you crush them.

Q U O T A B L E Q U O T E S

It‘s not how much you have that makes people look up to you. It‘s what you are.‖…Elvis Presley

―The happiest people don‘t necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.‖ …Unknown

FROM YOUR COMMANDER, STEVE SEIDEN

I would like to mention that Sandi & Lenny Rose will be relocating to San Antonio, TX. Both of them have given so much to our Post over so many years that they will not be forgotten. Sandi has been our Tribute Chairperson and Lenny has helped in so many ways including working with the Veterans Home in Boulder City and assisting Abe Efros with our Independence Day Program and never being afraid to speak his mind at Executive Board and General meetings. We can only wish them the very best in Texas.

On Thursday July 23rd at 2 PM our Post will be sponsoring a Pizza Party and several members of our Post will be serving the Pizza at the Veterans Home in Boulder City. If you are interested in attending, please contact Lenny Rose @ 702-243-6312.‘

At our next General meeting on July 26th we will be presenting a Post Budget for your review for 2016 that starts on July 1, 2015. The timing is perfect since there is a Department Meeting on Sunday, July 12th to finalize their budget. We will also be presenting the Kline Fund Financial Statement for 2014 at the meeting. All I can say is that a lot of important business matters will be discussed then, so make an extra effort to attend. Need a ride call me directly at 702-205-6393.

Regarding membership renewals - JWV, as we should all know, works on a fiscal year which starts July 1, 2015 for fiscal year 2016. I have in my possession quite a number of applications for those members that had missed the prior year. I will be sending the package into National in the 2nd week of July. For those of you that have not given me your reinstatement Membership Applications, please do so at our next General Meeting on Sunday, July 26th. Checks should be made out to JWV of the USA and dated July 1, 2015. I will bring forms to the next meeting. Any questions call me directly.

Take a look at our Post's web site at www.JWVpost64lasvegas.org

For those of you that are not familiar with the Kline Fund visit our web site at www.klinehomelessveteransfund.org.

FROM YOUR SOCIAL CHAIRPERSON, SHEILA EPSTEIN

First, I must say Thank You, Thank You, Thank You to Mickey Durkin, Lois Berkowitz, Jayme Glick, Gil Boscoe, Sal and Mort Friedlander, Jean Robbin, Sandy Epstein and Herb Cohen. All who helped in one way or another by Shopping, Chopping, Slicing, Mixing, Cooking, Baking and Shlepping for the JWV Department Convention/Installation/Luncheon. And, thanks to Helen Groner who took all the reservations. The many hours spent by all of you made this a very memorable day for us and the Members of Posts 711, 21 and 65.

Too bad there were ―No Shows‖ by Members of Post 64 that signed up for this event. Shame on you!!! You missed a beautiful day in a very beautiful Ballroom with a most fantastic lunch and wonderful entertainment. Shame on Post 64 for not supporting the hard work that your fellow Members put into this event.

P.S. Thank you Paul Warman for doing the letters asking for donations and then sending Thank You‘s to Great Buns and Smith‘s on Flamingo and Ft. Apache for their donations. Also, to Sandi Rose for sending a Thank You to Haleh Zandi, Event Management Assistant at the Rampart. She was very helpful with anything asked of her. JULY & AUGUST BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES Leah Kline July 3 Birthday Phil Nevins July 10 Birthday Lori Bordman July 14 Birthday Sandy Epstein July 14 Birthday Rebecca & Bill Levin July 25 Anniversary Oscar Goodman July 26 Birthday Laura Grau July 27 Birthday Fran Augenblick July 28 Birthday Jean Robbin July 30 Birthday Steve Seiden August 9 Birthday Toni Withop August 11 Birthday Les Sherman August 12 Birthday Ricki & Howard Greenspon August 15 Anniversary Sol Tolpen August 16 Birthday Carol & Paul Warman August 19 Anniversary Bernadette Levin August 22 Birthday Toni & Art Withop August 22 Anniversary Isaac Cohen August 25 Birthday Art Withop August 29 Birthday Jack Green August 30 Birthday

TRIBUTE CARDS CAN BE SENT FOR ALL OCCASIONS: BIRTHDAYS, ANNIVERSARIES, MAZEL TOV‘S, WEDDINGS, GET WELL, THINKING OF YOU AND CONDOLENCES. THIS IS AN EASY WAY TO MAKE OUR POST EXTRA MONEY IT SO NEEDS. REMBMBER FAMILY AND FRIENDS BY EMAILING (PREFERRABLE METHOD) CAROL AND PAUL WARMAN AT [email protected] OR CALLING CAROL AND PAUL FOR YOUR TRIBUTES AT 702- 321-6790. PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE IF THERE IS NO ANSWER. (THE COST TO SEND A TRIBUTE IS $3.50).‖

TO FROM TYPE Eileen & Les Sherman Sal & Mort Friedlander Anniversary Leah Kline Sal & Mort Friedlander Birthday Lori Bordman Sal & Mort Friedlander Birthday Sandy Epstein Sal & Mort Friedlander Birthday Fran Augenblick Sal & Mort Friedlander Birthday Jean Robbin Sal & Mort Friedlander Birthday Phil Nevins Sal & Mort Friedlander Birthday Leah Kline Bea Siefman Birthday Sandy Epstein Bea Siefman Birthday Jean Robbin Bea Siefman Brthday Phil Nevins Leah Kline Birthday Leah Kline Sally Birman & Phil Nevins Birthday Leah Kline Sandi & Len Rose Birthday

A TRIBUTE CARD TO SANDI ROSE

Thanks to Sandi Rose (and Lenny for aiding Sandi) for her (their) years of sending out Tribute Cards for the Post and the exemplary job she (and he) did while she (and Lenny) was the Tribute Card Chairperson. Sandi and Lenny will be moving to Texas in the near future and we wish them good luck and only good health. FROM YOUR HISTORIAN, HERB COHEN (Welcome Back, Herb) HONOR FLIGHT INFORMATION

Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America‘s veterans for all their sacrifices. We transport our heroes to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to the senior veterans – World War II survivors, along with those other veterans who may be terminally ill.

Of all of the wars in recent memory, it was World War II that truly threatened our very existence as a nation—and as a culturally diverse, free society. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, an estimated 640 WWII veterans die each day. Our time to express our thanks to these brave men and women is running out. We fly veterans to Washington DC to visit memorials built to honor their service to the nation. Honor Flight for World War II vets are first choice. Korea Vets are eligible on a space available basis. An Honor Flight Application is printed in this edition of the Newsletter. For further information you can email honorflightsouthernnevada.org, or call 702-749-5912.

L A U G H L I N E S The President of Iran was wondering what country to invade when his telephone rang.''This is Mendel in Tel Aviv. We're officially declaring war on you!' 'How big is your army?' the President of Iran asked.

'There's me, my cousin Moishe, and most of our pinochle team!' 'I have a million people in my army,' laughed the president of Iran. 'I'll call back!' said Mendel.

The next day Mendel called and said, 'The war's still on! We have now also have a bulldozer, a Goldblatt's tractor, and all the members of our canasta club!' The President of Iran responded, 'Well I have 16,000 tanks, and my army is now two million people.'

'Oy gevalt!' said Mendel. 'I'll call back.' Mendel phoned the next day and said 'We're calling off the war.' 'Why?' asked the President of Iran. 'Well,' said Mendel, 'we all had a little chat and there's no way we can feed two million prisoners.'

OUR GENERATION OF 60+ WAS HOME SCHOOLED IN MANY WAYS 1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE . "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning." 2. My mother taught me RELIGION. "You better pray that will come out of the carpet." 3. My father taught me about TIME TRAVEL. "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!" 4. My father taught me LOGIC. "Because I said so, that's why." 5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC . "If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me." 6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT. "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident." 7. My father taught me IRONY. "Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about." 8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS . "Shut your mouth and eat your supper." 9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM. "Just you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!" 10. My mother taught me about STAMINA. "You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone." DATE RECIEVED: ______Veteran Application Honor Flight Southern Nevada (HFSN) recognizes American Veterans for your sacrifices and achievements by taking you to Washington DC to see your memorials at no cost to the veteran. Top priority is given to WWII and terminally ill veterans from all wars. This flight is only for veterans that have not gone before. For what you and your comrades have given us, please consider this a small token of appreciation from all at Honor Flight Southern Nevada. Guardians may be available to assist veterans on the flight. For further information, please contact: 702-749-5912, [email protected], or visits us at www.honorflightsouthernnevada.org. NAME: ______DATE: _____/_____/_____ (Please PRINT your name as it appears in your driver‘s license or government ID) ADDRESS: ______CITY: ______STATE: ______ZIP: ______T-Shirt Size: (S, M, L, XL, XXL) PHONE/Day______Evening: ______Mobile: ______EMAIL ADDRESS: ______AGE: ______Date of Birth______(mm/dd/yyyy) Have you been on an Honor Flight before? Yes or No. You may only go on any Honor Flight once. Emergency Contact Information Please list one (1) emergency contact information. Must be verifiable: Name: ______Email:______Address: ______City/State/Zip: ______Relationship to Applicant: _____ Phone Numbers- Day: ______Evening: ______Guardian SPOUSES OR ―SIGNIFICANT OTHERS‖ CANNOT BE GUARDIAN UNLESS: VETERAN OR SERIOUSLY MEDICALLY DEPENDENT VETERAN Are you taking a guardian with you? _____Yes _____No Did they complete the guardian application? _____Yes _____No They MUST complete application with this application. Name: ______Relationship to Applicant: ______Phone Numbers- Day: ______Evening: ______Service History Branch of Service: Marines – Army – Army Air Corps – Navy – Air Force - Coast Guard Rank:______Years of Service: ______Primary Location: ______Served During (Circle all that Apply): WWII – Korea – Vietnam Activity in Service: ______Medical Information Information provided WILL NOT disqualify you however, we must ensure you are able to endure the travel. It permits us to assess the support we need during the trip. This information is for Honor Flight Southern Nevada and Medical Staff Only. IT IS STRONGLY ADVISED THAT YOU CONSULT YOUR PRIVATE PHYSICIAN BEFORE MAKING THIS TRIP. HAVE THEM PROVIDE A MEDICAL HISTORY AND CURRENT PERSCRIPTIONS. Medication:______Dose & How Often:______Medication:______Dose & How Often:______Medication:______Dose & How Often:______Medication:______Dose & How Often:______Medication:______Dose & How Often:______PROVIDE PRIMARY PHYSICIAN INFORMATION. ______Phone______Please document your medical history or conditions. Print Clearly Below: Condition/Procedure: Date: Where: ______Do you use Mobility Equipment? _____Yes _____No : Cane – Walker – Scooter – Wheelchair Allergies? _____Yes _____No If yes, please list:______Seizures? _____Yes _____No If yes, which type? Grand Mal – Petit Mal – Other ______Date of Last Seizure ______(If within the last five (5) years, discuss trip with your physician) Breathing problems? _____Yes _____No if yes, please describe: ______Home nebulizer machine? _____Yes _____No Motion Sickness? _____Yes _____No Can it be controlled with medication? _____Yes _____No (If no, we strongly advice you discuss trip with physician) Use of oxygen? _____Yes _____No (If yes, discuss trip with your physician for a prescription for oxygen. Turn in prescription with application. Oxygen will be provided for in room concentrators) Can you walk one hundred (100) yards without assistance? _____Yes _____No If no, please discuss reason:______Do you have incontinence concerns?____ Yes _____ No If so are you able to handle any issues?______Have you had a head injury? _____Yes _____No Do you have any ear issues? _____Yes _____No Do you have any sinus issues? _____Yes _____No Have you flown since the head, ear, or sinus problem occurred? ____ Did you have any problems in previous flights ______Yes ______No (If yes, we strongly advise you discuss trip with your physician) Do you have a colostomy or urostomy bag? _____Yes _____No (If yes, please make sure the bag is vented prior to flight. If you are not sure bag has a vent, we strongly advise you ask your physician) PLEASE REVIEW CAREFULLY AND SIGN: The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that: 1. As photographic and video equipment are frequently used to memorialize and document Honor Flight Southern Nevada (HFSN) and the Honor Flight Network (HFN) trips and events, his/her image may appear in a public forum, such as the media or a website, to acknowledge, promote or advance the work of HFSN and the HFN program. I hereby release the photographer and HFSN and the HFN from all claims and liability relating to said photographs. I hereby give permission for my images captured during HFSN and the HFN activities through video, photo, or other media, to be used solely for the purposes of HFSN and the HFN promotional material and publications, and waive any rights of compensation or ownership thereto. 2. I further state that medical insurance is the responsibility of the veteran, guardian, volunteer and I understand that HFSN and the HFN does NOT provide medical care. I understand that I accept all risks associated with travel and other HFSN and the HFN activities and will not hold HFSN and the HFN responsible for any injuries incurred by me while participating in the HFSN and the HFN program. SIGNED:______DATE:____/____/____ (Email applicants will be required to sign prior to actual flight date) Please submit this form to: HFSN 2190 E. Pebble Rd. Suite 150 Las Vegas NV 89123 OR scan and Email to: [email protected] OR fax to: 702-749-5933

William Shemin Gets His — a Century Later Written By David Laskin, June 21, 2015

About a year ago, David Laskin, Author of this article, got a phone call out of the blue from a woman who was breathless with excitement over an article he had written for Hadassah Magazine about the Jewish experience in . ―Do you have a minute?‖ she asked, identifying herself as 85-year-old Elsie Shemin Roth of St. Louis. ―I thought you might be interested in the story of my father, Sergeant William Shemin.‖

Without waiting for an answer, she launched right in. When the United States entered the Great War in the spring of 1917, William Shemin, the athletic, broad-shouldered son of Russian Jewish immigrants, enlisted to fight for his country. Even though he was only 18, and thus technically too young to serve, he lied his way into the infantry. Assigned to Company G, 47th Infantry, Fourth Division, Shemin shipped out for Europe, and by the summer of 1918 this scrappy Jewish kid from Bayonne, , was fighting in one of the costliest engagements of a very costly war — the battle of the Vesle River in the Second Battle of the Marne.

Despite his age, Shemin had the calmness and stubbornness of a seasoned veteran. Over the course of three days in August 1918, he proved that he had the courage of a hero. ―Three times he exposed himself to heavy machine-gun and rifle fire in order to rescue wounded comrades,‖ his daughter told me. ―He led them all to safety and returned to the battlefield. When the entire officer corps of his unit was killed or wounded in action, my Father took control of the platoon and saw the survivors through the battle, until he himself sustained a serious head wound. He was found unconscious the next day.‖

For these actions, William Shemin had received the Distinguished Service Cross. But his daughter was convinced that he had been cheated. ―The reason he didn‘t get the Medal of Honor — the nation‘s highest military award for valor — was anti-Semitism.‖

By this point, having swallowed my initial skepticism, I was all ears. Shemin Roth told me that for the past 13 years she had been engaged in a multi-front campaign to secure the medal for her Father — and now victory was in sight. ―I‘ve been in touch with the office of Chuck Hagel (Secretary of Defense at the time), and they told me it‘s not a question of if but when the authorization comes through. I thought you‘d be interested in this because of what you wrote about Jews in World War I.‖

Late in May, Shemin Roth was back on the line — even more breathless than the first time. ―The President himself called last week to tell me the news,‖ she said. ―The award ceremony is going to be on June 2nd at the White House. ―Simultaneously, they are awarding a posthumous Medal of Honor to an African-American soldier named Private Henry Johnson, another World War I hero who never got the recognition he deserved. This is so big!‖

I said Mazel Tov, jotted down a few notes and hung up. Two minutes later the phone rang again. It was Shemin Roth, inviting me to join the 66 members of her family who would be going to Washington, D.C., to celebrate the award. ―You and Col. Erwin Burtnick, who worked with the Jewish War Veterans to shepherd this through the military bureaucracy, are the only nonfamily members who will be included,‖ she said. How could I pass this up?

The lobby of the Pentagon City Sheraton was packed and buzzing. Shemins ranging in age from 16 to 86 were out in force, along with assorted military brass. Johnson had left no descendants. He never recovered from his war wounds, and died a broken man, alone and penniless, at the age of 32. But a sizable contingent of his regiment, the celebrated Harlem Hellfighters (369th Regiment, National Guard), had turned out on his behalf. I worked the lobby crowd with my daughter Sarah (whom Shemin Roth had graciously invited, since my wife couldn‘t make it) while we waited to be whisked to the White House.

―This is quite the study in contrasts,‖ Col. Richard L. Goldenberg, the public affairs officer for the New York Army National Guard, told me. ―Shemin had friends and family to help him deal with the aftermath of combat — and look at all these descendants on hand to celebrate today. But Private Johnson had no support network and he fell apart after the war.‖ The diverging trajectories of the two enlisted men‘s lives epitomized the lot of American Jews and blacks in the early 20th century.

By the time we boarded the buses, I felt like I was part of the extended Shemin family. Shemin Roth‘s daughter Carolyn Roth, a St. Louis nurse and attorney, recalled hiding from her Grandfather when she was a little girl. Sergeant Shemin had a temper; he was tough, and he brooked no slacking or whining. Suzanne Katz, another Granddaughter, remembered her Grandfather shouting ―Get up!‖ whenever a Grandson got tackled during a football game. ―There were 14 Grandkids and they all went through Shemin basic training,‖ Shemin Roth said. ―When my sister and I were little girls, my Father barked at us at the start of each day: ‗All right, men, let‘s go to work. Police the grounds and clean up your areas.‘‖

The tradition of American military service that William Shemin started continues in the family to this day: His late son Emanuel ―Manny‖ Shemin, who inherited and expanded his Father‘s successful nursery business, was a Lieutenant in the Air Force during the Korean War and went on to serve as a major in the Reserves; Shemin Roth‘s Son, named after his Grandfather, served four years with the Marines. ―My Father always said, when our country needs us, we go — no questions asked,‖ as she put it. ―Always give back more than you‘re asked.‖

Men of Honor: William Shemin (second from left) had previously received the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism during World War I.

The East Room was packed by the time Sarah and I took our seats on the far-right side. Standing on bleachers at the back of the room, the press jostled for optimal sightlines. While we waited, I chatted with an elderly veteran of the Harlem Hellfighters seated beside me, mentioning how wonderful it was that an African-American and an American Jewish hero were being honored simultaneously. The veteran expressed surprise to hear that Shemin was Jewish.

Then the strains of ―Hail to the Chief‖ filled the room; we all rose, and there he was, the 44th President of the United States — slim, straight-backed, somber, graying, a touch haggard. ―Welcome to the White House,‖ the President said, scanning our beaming faces. ―We are a nation, a people who remember our heroes. We never forget their sacrifice, and we believe that it is never too late to say thank you.‖

Obama spoke of Johnson first. This young African-American railroad porter and coal yard worker became a hero in the predawn hours of May 15, 1918, when he single-handedly held off a German raiding party that was attempting to capture one of his comrades-in-arms. When Johnson‘s rifle jammed, he used his rifle butt and bolo knife to fend off the enemy and save his buddy. But in the aftermath of the war, Johnson became a tragic hero. Crippled by his injuries, his physical and psychological wounds untreated, his heroism unrecognized by his country, Johnson died alone and impoverished at the age of 32. ―America can‘t change what happened to Henry Johnson,‖ the President said. ―But we can do our best to make it right.‖

The tone lightened a bit when Obama spoke of Shemin. The President described how this naturally athletic, first-generation American boy was bent on enlisting when the United States entered the war in April 1917, even though he was underage. For William Shemin, the President said, this presented ―no problem. He puffed his chest and lied about his age.‖ The room grew hushed when Obama talked about those three days in August when Shemin proved what he was made of. The men in Shemin‘s unit faced ―a terrible choice‖ as they watched their comrades mowed down in No Man‘s Land: ―Die trying to rescue your fellow solider or watch him die, knowing that part of you will die along with him. William Shemin couldn‘t stand to watch.‖ The Jewish enlistee raced through heavy machine-gun fire not once, not twice, but three times to rescue fallen comrades. ―Personally utterly fearless,‖ Obama said, ―that young kid who lied about his age grew up fast in war.‖

When the President mentioned that the sergeant was ―devoted to his Jewish faith,‖ the elderly black fellow sitting next to me winked and nudged me in the side. I returned the nudge and grinned at him.

―Well, Elsie,‖ the President said, turning to the daughter who made it all happen, ―as much as America meant to your Father, he means even more to America. Sergeant Shemin served at a time when the contributions of Jewish Americans in uniform were too often overlooked. It is my privilege on behalf of the American people to make this right and finally award the Medal of Honor to William Shemin.‖With that, Obama summoned Shemin Roth and her sister Ina Bass to the podium, and the three of them beamed as they gripped the medal case.

A century ago, Johnson and Shemin were disposable citizens — their brawn, decisiveness and courage were valued in the flashpoint of combat and then rapidly discounted because one was black and the other Jewish. The matter could have rested there, as it did for so many of their forgotten comrades. But thanks to the efforts of a headstrong Daughter and a Senator‘s staff, both their actions and the discrimination that prevented those actions from being fully recognized during their lifetimes became front page, home page, top-of-the-hour news. This was a news story that took the nation 100 years to hear. As Elsie Shemin Roth put it, ―A very handsome Jewish man and a very handsome African-American man, each with discrimination up the wazoo, received the Medal of Honor from our African-American President. How beautiful is that?‖ The crew-cut blond Soldier sitting next to me at the Pentagon ceremony in the Hall of Heroes had zero personal, racial or religious connection to the medal awardees being honored. He was a career Army information technology specialist from Arkansas. By the looks of him, he was 100% apple pie American. Why was he there? ―A memo circulated asking if we wanted to attend,‖ the Sergeant told me. ―For me, it‘s an honor to pay my respects to these two men.‖

This solider applauded just as vigorously as we all did when Shemin Roth stood up to say on behalf of her father: ―Discrimination hurts. A wrong has been made right. All is forgiven. This true story could happen only in America. Peace be with each and every one of you. Shalom.‖

David Laskin is the author of “The Family: A Journey Into the Heart of the Twentieth Century” (Penguin, 2013) and “The Long Way Home: An American Journey From Ellis Island to the Great War”(HarperCollins, 2010).