Paterson’s Jewish War Veterans

Selwyn Jacobs, a JHSNJ member, has written our January 2018 

Listening and reading all the current tributes to former servicemen and women who served our country during times of war, it seems appropriate to have  listed in the JHSNJ archives, those Jewish men and women from Paterson who served their country with some having made the supreme sacrifice. Obviously I cannot name all those who served in WWI, WWII, the Korean Conflict, Vietnam and the Middle East conflicts. I would like to submit those I knew and remember basically through WWII and the Korean Conflict and encourage any person who has names not mentioned, to submit same to the JHSNJ. This hopefully will reach out to other cities that have their own veterans.

By the way, the respect and tributes being rendered, in my opinion, are long overdue since I can personally state that after spending 3 years in the army during the Korean Conflict, it actually took over 50 years to get a “thank you” which prompted me to write this newsletter.

The following are those I knew and remember and my apology to any not herein mentioned. I hope this newsletter will encourage others to submit names to be remembered. With that in mind, I wish to list the following:
WWI- Ben Jacobs, army
WWII- “Coach” Abe Arnowitz, army; Marty Bernstein,army; Bernie Braverman,army; Herb Braverman, army; Bert Bressler,Army Air Force; Hy Eisman,army; Harold Feldman,navy; Len Friedman,army; Arnold Frost, army; Happy Gottlieb,army; Alvin Greenbaum,army; “Coach” Lou “Red” Grower,army; Sandy Jacobs, army; Les Kravitz, Army Air Force; Senator Frank Lautenberg,army; Irving Libert, Army Air Force; Sidney Libert,army; Hy Miller,army; Ben Miller, army; Dick Nachimson,Coast Guard; Marvin Resnick,army; Irving Rifkin,navy; Ben Rosenzweig,army;Bernie Saltzman,army; Lou Sirota,navy.
Korean Conflict-Stanley Blake,army; Julius Corn,army; Dan Epstein,army; Max Friedman,marines; Jerry Gelfand,army; Bill Goldberg,army; Bob Gray,army; Selwyn Jacobs,army; Alan Kessler,navy; Sid Opper, army; Marty Rittenberg,navy; Jack Rosenbloom,army; Sid Shapiro,army.
Once again, it is my hope that there are those who will submit additional names of veterans to the JHSNJ for inclusion in its archives.

Selwyn Jacobs, member of the JHSNJ

Selwyn’s newsletter brings to light the fact that the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam “Police Action” were, for years, thought of as America’s ‘forgotten wars'. That perception has slowly been changing with the building of the Korean and Vietnam war memorials in Washington, D.C. Ken Burns’ PBS documentaries have also helped us remember the sacrifices of our veterans. As you probably know, since 1973 our armed forces have been strictly voluntary. Nowadays, it is estimated that only 1% of Americans actually know someone serving in the armed forces which is quite a contrast to the time period that Selwyn served in the U.S. Army.
As a follow-up to Selwyn’s newsletter we went back into the JHSNJ archives and extracted some items we feel will be of interest to our readers.

At the annual meeting of the officers, directors and members of the YM-YWHA on 10/24/44, William Pinsker, the Executive Director of the 'Y' at that time, noted “the honor roll in the lobby of the ‘Y’ listed 2200 young men and women from our community that served in the war".{WWII}.  Editor’s note - In other publications that we have at the JHSNJ,each and every serviceman and woman are listed individually by name. The “Y” always welcomed area service personnel and regularly sent them packages and periodicals such as the ‘Bugle’ and ‘Criterion’. Many other well-earned benefits were also offered. Upon their return from active duty, every veteran received a six months free membership to the “Y”.

There are letters from service personnel and regular columns that appeared in the 'Y' Criterion (“Furlough Chatter", “Jottings”,"Nutshell News” etc.)devoted to our service men and women. Samplings from 1944 appear below:

1. A WAC thanks the “Y” – somewhere in England – I wish to thank you all very much for the gift you have sent to me. I received it today and was elated with the contents of the box. It contained many small but very necessary articles and I appreciate every one of them. It was very thoughtful of you to remember me way over here in a strange land where such things like this bring me nearer to home. May we all have the opportunity to be there this time next year.   Sgt.Beatrice B. Puch 

********Buy War Bonds And Stamps********
2. Lt.Oliff Writes From Ship – December 25, 1943, Aboard Ship. Hello Folks: At present I am enjoying the oceanic beauty and sights of places that were mere geography until now.        The first day aboard ship the funniest coincidence occurred, while standing on the main deck a fellow passed me that looked quite familiar and we both stopped and turned around and looked at each other quizzically for a moment, and believe it or not, it was Arthur Hartman, Radio Man 3/c U.S.C.G., who once we began to recall familiar incidents about home and the Sunday afternoon basketball league in which we both participated at the same time. Please note my new address and continue sending me your publications. Regards to all. Lt. Danny Oliff
*********Buy War Bond And Stamps ************
{Editor’s note: After the war, Danny Oliff opened a shade and window treatment store on Maple Avenue in Fair Lawn near the River Road intersection}.

3.misc.--- “As Garry Smith writes us from India, Sa-laam A-Lai-Kum, friends – sound familiar? Sgt. Julian J. Katz has been promoted to Staff Sgt…. 2LT Irving R. Hirsch has recently been promoted to 1LT – what comes next Irv? Cadet Carl W. Glass has successfully completed the 11 week course at the U.S. Navy Pre-Flight School at Chapel Hill, N.C…..Home again fellas and how I’d like to see the rest of the PANTHERS. Things are quiet without you muggs, Cpl. Geo.”Tsatz” Infald…PFC Joe Rubenstein says “Hello to all SYACS and E.14th Street gang over in England: Butch, Bolia and Rube” {and the personals and greetings go on and on………}-ed.
4. On the second anniversary of Pear Harbor – a letter from Sgt. Milton B. Bromberg to Mr. Albert {who was on the “Y” staff}: North Africa, December 7, 1943. Dear Mr. Albert – Like most every other American I was listening to the radio 2 years ago, in fact hearing a football game. It was a typical Sunday afternoon, with the family all gathered around, and after finishing dinner- when a brief terse announcement awoke us all from that usual lethargy one feels after putting away a big meal.

I don’t believe it is necessary to repeat that announcement. We are all familiar with it- but how it has altered all our lives. Gone was that “it’s not our war” feeling, for we had been stung- stung hard. We had been hit on our “home grounds” and we didn’t like it one bit. It was more than a threat to our American way of life. Now that threat has been answered and you can read about it in the headlines and hear about it over loudspeakers daily. From all walks of life, the laborer, the salesman, the businessman, the school boy, etc. answered that threat and answered it by fighting! History is now being written by them – men and boys alike who never had a warlike life. And now, 2 years later, let’s just pause and slowly take stock of what has been accomplished. Speaking for myself – as a Jew and a Patersonian now overseas close to 18 months, I would like to say a few words which might be of interest to you.

Without being melodramatic, I can truthfully say that the torch handed down to us is burning more brightly than ever. Not only as an American but as a Jew this has been our battle for survival – and in true American style we are fighting side by side with all races and nationalities, and in all corners of the earth... and while I am writing this, our President has just concluded conferences putting the remaining nails in the coffins of Hitler and Hirohito.

It hasn’t been an easy 2 years, but we never asked for the easy ways. Now we are roaring down the home stretch and I know that my friend, Sgt. Sidney Harris, who was killed in Bataan, did not hesitate to fight for the preservation of our way of life and as he looks down upon us he is smiling and says “well done”- and it must be well done for after the armistice is signed our battle has only begun. We must never have a recurrence of this struggle and I know that all us Patersonians overseas, as well as all of you back home, certainly stand together in pledging to Sgt, Harris, continued undying effort in seeing that the day will come when we can return to our original way of life so rudely suspended that Sunday afternoon 2 years ago today. Then, and then only can we acknowledge the “well done” handed down to us by Sidney Harris and all those other loyal companions who made this possible.    Sincerely, Milton B. Bromberg,