Jewish soldiers--United States

Scope and Contents

1st Lieutenant Irvin Baker's unpublished manuscript describes his experiences as a platoon leader with the 4th Marine Division and 10th Amtrac Battalion of the United States Marine Corps. He led his platoon through the Battle of Iwo Jima.

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This collection contains a transcript provided by the Reichelt Program for Oral History. Benjamin Epstein was a Jewish American serviceman who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1942-1946, and he trained at Fort Logan, Colorado. He was transported on the U.S.S. Dorchester, which was torpedoed by a German U-Boat in February 1943. He described escaping from the sinking ship and swimming to one of two lifeboats. He was picked up by the U.S.S. Escambia and taken to Greenland. He remained in Greenland until January 1945 where he was transferred to Fort Totten, New York and remained there until discharged in 1946.

Scope and Contents

Cecil Blumenstein (served 1943-1945) discusses his experiences in the 13th Armored Division in Germany in the winter and spring of 1945. Blumenstein was captured and spent a brief period of time in a POW camp before being liberated and sent back to the front. He fought in several engagements. This collection consists of an interview transcript.

Scope and Contents

The papers of Carl Lavin contains a transcript provided by the Reichelt Program for Oral History. Carl Lavin served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1946 as an infantryman in the European Theatre of Operations with the 69th Infantry Division. He operated a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) in the advance across Western Europe in 1944 to 1945, and he relates numerous anecdotes from his combat experiences.

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This collection contains the personal papers, photographs, ephemera, documents, newspaper clippings, and various other papers relating to World War II years and post war years lives of Herbert and Betty Colker as well as many family members and their correspondences with the Colkers.

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This collection relates to David Westheimer who served as a 1st Lieutenant Navigator on a B-24 Bomber with the 457th Bomb Group during World War II and was shot down over Italy where he became a POW. This collection consists of an oral history transcript of David Westheimer.

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This manuscript memoir relates to Joseph Freilick who served with the 102nd Infanty Division during World War II in the European Theater.

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This collection centers around Joe Gould (formerly Goldstein), a soldier in the intelligence section of the 25th Bomb Group and 325th Photographic Wing in England, and his wife, Shirley Gould, on the homefront in Chicago. It includes letters, photographs and some of their corresponding negatives, a photo album of letters and V-Mail, newspaper clippings, event brochures, various personnel records, and ephemera from the service and the homefront, including drawings, decorative dog tags, and ration cards.

Scope and Contents

The papers of Harvey Glick contains a transcript that was provided by the Reichelt Program for Oral History. Harvey Glick served with the 63rd Infantry Division in the European theater during World War II.

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Henry Loewenthal served in the U.S. Army with the 645th Battalion, 45th Division, II Army Corps, 7th Army, in the North African, Mediterranean, and European (ETO) Theaters. This collection consists of a 77-page manuscript written in 1995 entitled "World War II - A Soldier Remembers" by Loewenthal on his experiences during the war. The memoir begins with his memories as a Jewish American Serviceman at the beginning of the war in Europe and continues through V-J Day.

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This collection relates to Morris L. Horowitz who served in the U.S. Army with the 669th Military Police Escort Guard Company during World War II in Europe. He was a Jewish-American soldier. The collection contains two unit group photographs.

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This collection pertains to Private First Class George Kass who served with Company E of the 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 1st Division. The collection consists of letters written to and from Kass to his family, particularly his sister Rose Goldblum. Kass’ letters provide detailed accounts of Army life, and Rose’s letters provide a civilian perspective on life and the war. The letters begin after Kass’ enlistment in 1942 and end when he is wounded in action on September 5, 1944.

Content Description

This collection relates to George H. Rosenfield who served in the 10th Mountain Division and 85th Infantry Regiment in the European Theater of Operations in Italy during World War II. This collection includes his 18-page, self-published memoir where he recounts his training at Camp Hale and combat in the North Apennines, Alps, and Po Valley. This collection also includes a veteran questionnaire about George H. Rosenfield.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains letters written by Reuben Schreiber and his wife Sylvia during World War II.  Reuben served with the 136th Ordnance Company (Medium Maintenance) in the U.S. and European Campaign. The letters discuss training, deployment to the European Theater, through to the time of discharge.

Abstract

This collection relates to Eli Solomon who served as a Pharmacist's Mate 3rd Class and medic in the United States Navy on board the U.S.S. La Grange in the Pacific Theater during World War II. The collection contains an oral history transcript, photographs, letters, and documents.

Scope and Contents This collection relates to Herman Stern who served in the U.S. Army with the 165th Engineer Combat Battalion in the European Theater. The collection contains a timeline of Stern's life, focusing on his World War II service, and also contains a manuscript about Stern's battalion entitled, "Is This It?: A History of the 165th Engineer Combat Battalion in World War II," by Richard Ross Rebert. The manuscript details the 165th's induction, training, and combat deployment in France and Germany from 1943 to 1945. The collection also includes a USO Club "Voice Letter" package for a record from Herman to Louis Stern, with a picture of a Jewish kid blowing a shofar and Hebrew and English letters...

Scope and Contents

Hy Wakstein was a Jewish American serviceman who reached the rank of Staff Sergeant with the 778th Anti-Aircraft-Automatic Weapons Battalion, Self Propelled, (served 1943-46) and discusses his experiences as an Army communications officer in the European theater of World War II in this oral history transcript. Wakstein participated in the Battle of the Bulge, and his division advanced further east into Germany than any other American division.

Content Description

This collection relates to Alan and Rita Wold. Alan served as a Staff Sergeant with Company F, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division in the European Theater during World War II. He received the Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, and Silver Star Medal. Rita Wold attended high school in Cleveland, Ohio during the war. The collection contains photographs, military documents, personal documents, marriage papers, and medals.