Participation by war Military history of Jewish Americans

1 participation war

1.1 french , indian war
1.2 revolutionary war

1.2.1 haym solomon


1.3 civil war

1.3.1 jews , union
1.3.2 jews , confederacy


1.4 world war i
1.5 world war ii

1.5.1 half million jewish soldiers
1.5.2 major general maurice rose
1.5.3 rabbi goode , immortal chaplains
1.5.4 jewish scientists , manhattan project


1.6 korean , vietnam wars

participation war
french , indian war

though history of jews in pre-independence conflict poorly documented, 19th-century historian simon wolf documented 1 jew new york became captain of company of bateau men, , 2 others served in expedition across allegheny mountains.

revolutionary war

american jews served in numbers disproportionate small population of period. of estimated population of 3,000, 160 jews served on colonial side in conflict, including francis salvador, first jew known die cause of american independence. (in 1895, simon wolf had counted 46).

haym solomon

haym solomon, personal friend of general george washington , financier of american revolution

during american revolutionary war, polish-born haym solomon (1740–1785), immigrated new york , friend of george washington, key financier helped fund continental army. solomon became agent french consul, paymaster french forces in north america. in 1781, began working extensively robert morris, newly appointed superintendent finance thirteen colonies. working out of london coffee house in philadelphia, @ 1 time solomon sold $600,000 in bills of exchange clients. @ 1 point, when washington s war chest , treasury of continental congress empty, washington determined needed @ least $20,000 finance campaign. when morris told him there no funds , no credit available, washington gave him simple eloquent order: send haym salomon . haym again came through, , $20,000 raised. washington conducted yorktown campaign, proved final battle of revolution, haym salomon.

salomon negotiated sale of majority of war aid france , dutch republic, selling bills of exchange american merchants. solomon supported various members of continental congress during stay in philadelphia, including james madison , james wilson. requested below market interest rates, , never asked repayment.

civil war

judah p. benjamin served second confederate states secretary of war september 17, 1861 – march 24, 1862.

reflecting pattern of long settlement in both northern , southern cities, jews served , supported both union army of northern states confederate states army of southern confederate states of america during american civil war. had taken on regional loyalties according residence. jews among supporters of each side of american civil war. 150,000 jews lived in united states @ time of american civil war, 0.5 percent of population. 1 academic estimate @ least 8,000 jewish soldiers fought union , confederate during civil war. donald altschiller estimates @ least 10,000 jews served, 7,000 union , 3,000 confederacy, 600 jewish soldiers killed in battle.

jews played leadership roles on both sides, 9 jewish generals , 21 jewish colonels participating in war. judah p. benjamin, non-observant jew, served secretary of state , acting secretary of war of confederacy.

jews , union

union army brevet major general frederick c. salomon.

the civil war, saw appointment of first official jewish chaplain in army, rev. jacob frankel of philadelphia s congregation rodeph shalom, on september 18, 1862. while catholic chaplains had been appointed first during mexican–american war, serve needs of large influx of irish immigrant enlistments, same had not been accomplished jewish americans; make matters worse, in 1861 congress ordered military regiments appoint chaplains of christian faith. following protests board of delegates of american israelites , introductions others, meeting held in december 1861 president lincoln, led rescinding of order , appointment of first jewish chaplain. sources consider intercession perhaps first example of organized jewish lobbying in washington .

during war, approximately 7,000 jews (out of around 150,000 jews in united states) fought on union side. 2 union jewish companies raised, including company c of 82d regiment of illinois volunteers, made of recent immigrants europe, , perkins rifles of syracuse, new york. but, jews serving in war served alongside christian soldiers, many in units such company d of 8th new york national guard regiment , light infantry blues of richmond.

four generals known have been jews served union , attained higher rank in heat of key battles:

jews , confederacy

during war, approximately 3,000 jews (out of total of 150,000 jews in united states , confederacy) fought on confederate side. notable jewish figure judah p. benjamin (1811–1884) who, before civil war, first jewish cabinet member in north american government. benjamin born british subject in saint croix phillip benjamin, english jew, , wife, rebecca mendes, portuguese jew (sephardic). emigrated parents u.s. several years later , grew in north , south carolina. considered brains of confederacy, serving in high office throughout war: confederate attorney general in 1861, secretary of war in 1861 , 1862, , secretary of state 1862 1865. president jefferson davis called benjamin capable statesman have ever known, subject vicious anti-jewish attacks object of popular discontent after becoming acting secretary of war in 1861. quarreled confederate generals p.g.t. beauregard , stonewall jackson on strategy. in 1864, south s military position became increasingly desperate, benjamin publicly advocated plan whereby slave willing bear arms confederacy emancipated , inducted, proposal faced stiff opposition traditionalists. not passed until march 1865, time late salvage southern cause.

other prominent jewish confederate figures include colonel abraham charles myers of charleston, south carolina, quartermaster general of confederate states army , dr. david camden deleon, surgeon general of army. surgeon dr. simon baruch, father of financier bernard baruch, served on general robert e. lee s personal staff. widow became member of daughters of confederacy.

major raphael j. moses, georgia businessman , later state representative, before war commissary officer of georgia. carried out last order of confederate government on may 5, 1865, taking possession of $40,000 in gold , silver bullion confederate treasury , delivering defeated confederate soldiers headed home – following president jefferson davis instructions. 3 of moses sons served in confederate army, , 1 killed @ 7 pines.

world war i

one prominent story involves william shemin sprinted across world war battlefield , pull wounded comrades safety no fewer 3 times. 19-year-old american took on command of unit , led safety. actions, awarded distinguished service cross. in december 2011, president obama signed national defense authorization act contains provision known william shemin jewish world war veterans act provides pentagon review of jewish soldiers , sailors may have been overlooked medal of honor due faith.

world war ii

half million jewish soldiers

servicemen of 20th air force stationed in guam during world war ii participate in rosh hashanah service.

during world war ii, approximately 500,000 american jews served in various branches of united states armed services. 52,000 of these received u.s. military awards. historian solomon grayzel, in history of jews: babylonian exile present, records more million jews officially enrolled in fighting forces of allies , largest number jewish americans. grayzel gives number of 550,000 jews in military service in united states during world war ii out of total population of 4,770,000 american jews.

major general maurice rose


maurice rose

major general maurice rose (november 26, 1899 – march 30, 1945) united states army general during world war ii , world war veteran. son , grandson of rabbis, general rose @ time highest ranking jew in u.s. army. married twice , had 2 sons.

the third armored division official history of world war ii, published after rose had been killed in action states on 6 feet tall, erect, dark haired, , had finely chiseled features. firm , prompt of decision, brooking no interference man, events or conditions in order destroy enemy.

rose highest-ranking american killed enemy fire in european theater of operations during war.

rabbi goode , immortal chaplains

chaplain goode

chaplain alexander d. goode, rabbi, 1 of 4 chaplains or immortal chaplains , name given honor 4 military chaplains sacrificed lives save other soldiers during sinking of troop transport dorchester u-boat off coast of newfoundland in february 1943. goode , 3 other chaplains, methodist, roman catholic, , reformed church in america, helped evacuate ship. when lifejackets ran out, gave own save more troops. 4 sang , prayed went down ship.

jewish scientists , manhattan project


a few months after put in charge of fast neutron research, berkeley physicist j. robert oppenheimer convened conference on topic of nuclear weapon design.



leó szilárd driving force create manhattan project authored einstein–szilárd letter signed albert einstein



albert einstein (left) j. robert oppenheimer (right) working on manhattan project



the fat man mushroom cloud resulting nuclear explosion on nagasaki rises 18 km (11 mi, 60,000 ft) air hypocenter resulting in surrender of japan , united states victory on japan in world war ii. executive order of president harry s. truman, u.s. dropped nuclear weapon little boy on city of hiroshima on monday, august 6, 1945, followed detonation of fat man on nagasaki on august 9. these 2 events active deployments of nuclear weapons in war. target of hiroshima city of considerable military importance, containing japan s second army headquarters, being communications center , storage depot. 6 days after detonation on nagasaki, on august 15, 1945, japan announced surrender allied powers, signing instrument of surrender on september 2, 1945, officially ending pacific war , therefore world war ii.

america s rise nuclear power resulted directly manhattan project, codename project during world war ii develop first atomic bombs wartime use. project s roots began in 1939 when, @ urging of leó szilárd, albert einstein signed einstein–szilárd letter president franklin d. roosevelt expressing concerns nazi germany may trying develop nuclear weapons.

albert einstein (1879–1955) theoretical physicist , philosopher, regarded 1 of influential , best known scientists , intellectuals of time. german-swiss nobel laureate, einstein regarded father of modern physics. father hermann einstein, salesman , engineer. mother pauline einstein (née koch). einsteins non-observant jews.

in 1933, einstein compelled immigrate united states due rise power of nazis under germany s new chancellor, adolf hitler. while visiting american universities in april 1933, learned new german government had passed law barring jews holding official positions, including teaching @ universities. month later, nazi book burnings occurred, einstein s works being among burnt, , nazi propaganda minister joseph goebbels proclaimed, jewish intellectualism dead. einstein learned name on list of assassination targets, $5,000 bounty on head . 1 german magazine included him in list of enemies of german regime phrase, not yet hanged .

leó szilárd (1898–1964) jewish hungarian physicist conceived nuclear chain reaction in 1933, patented idea of nuclear reactor enrico fermi, , in late 1939 wrote letter albert einstein s signature resulted in manhattan project built atomic bomb. szilárd left hungary because of rising antisemitism under horthy regime, excluded jewish students hungary s universities.

szilárd directly responsible creation of manhattan project. drafted confidential letter franklin d. roosevelt explaining possibility of nuclear weapons, warning of nazi work on such weapons , encouraging development of program create them. during august 1939 approached old friend , collaborator albert einstein , convinced him sign letter, lending fame proposal. einstein–szilárd letter resulted in establishment of research nuclear fission u.s. government , creation of manhattan project; fdr gave letter aide, general edwin m. pa watson instruction: pa, requires action! later, szilárd relocated university of chicago continue work on project. there, along fermi, helped construct first neutronic reactor , uranium , graphite atomic pile in first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction achieved, during 1942. szilárd became naturalized citizen of united states during 1943.

j. robert oppenheimer (1904–1967) appointed scientific director of manhattan project, world war ii project developed first nuclear weapons. referred father of atomic bomb . oppenheimer born julius s. oppenheimer, had immigrated united states germany in 1888 parents , become wealthy jewish textile importer, , ella friedman, painter.

among other german scientists forced flee germany fourteen nobel laureates , 26 of 60 professors of theoretical physics in country. among scientists came united states or allies edward teller, niels bohr, enrico fermi, otto stern, victor weisskopf, hans bethe, , lise meitner, many of whom worked ensure allies develop nuclear weapons before nazis. many jewish scientists forced live in united states, worked together, einstein wrote friend, me beautiful thing in contact few fine jews—a few millennia of civilized past mean after all. in letter writes, in whole life have never felt jewish now. einstein offered position @ institute advanced study @ princeton, new jersey, affiliation lasted until death in 1955.

in summer of 1939, few months before beginning of world war ii, einstein persuaded write letter president franklin d. roosevelt , warn him nazi germany might developing atomic bomb. einstein helped strengthen letter, , recommended u.s. begin uranium enrichment , nuclear research. according f.g. gosling of u.s. department of energy, einstein, szilard, , other refugees including edward teller , eugene wigner, regarded responsibility alert americans possibility german scientists might win race build atomic bomb, , warn hitler more willing resort such weapon. gosling adds president man of considerable action once had chosen direction, , believed u.s. not take risk of allowing hitler possess nuclear bombs.

other weapons historians agree letter arguably key stimulus u.s. adoption of serious investigations nuclear weapons on eve of u.s. entry world war ii . result of einstein s letter, , meetings roosevelt, u.s. entered race develop bomb first, drawing on immense material, financial, , scientific resources . due manhattan project, country succeed in developing atomic bomb during world war ii.

germany surrendered before atomic weapons used against it. japan bombed surrendering when united states deployed 2 atomic bombs against @ atomic bombings of hiroshima , nagasaki on august 6 , 9, 1945.

korean , vietnam wars

jewish americans continued serve in following 2 major wars, both of involved use of conscripted troops. on 150,000 jewish americans (men , women) served in korean war. in vietnam, 30,000 served.

captain jay robert wechsler army dentist served in vietnam nam 1967. died 11/1/1988 exposure agent orange.