Community Magazine February 2019

Ezra Husney “There are many community projects and reforms which have long been forthcoming. We’ll work for them too. We’ll work for a Community Center, and no matter the cost or how long and strenuous the effort, someday we’ll build it. Gambling and all other recognized and unrecognized social evils will be discussed and attacked, too. Lofty and difficult to realize as our aims might seem, they can be achieved, every one of them, if you pitch in and cooperate. This newspaper, though published by the Girl’s Junior League, will be the community’s paper and is to be used as a weapon in the betterment of the community.” Private Robert Molko, from San Diego, California wrote: “Talk about morale, your first edition has done more for my morale than a three-day pass could do (and believe me those three-day passes are hard to get!). To think we are capable of putting out so fine a monthly! Please convey my thanks to your reportorial staff and I hope the people back home support them and encourage them to publishing bigger and better editions!” As months passed, a war committee was started to drum up maximum support from our community, keeping us fully involved. The Junior League raised money for the American Red Cross, the Hebrew Aid Society, American Women’s Voluntary Services, and numerous courses related to civilian defense. There were drives to donate blood and books and to buy war bonds and stamps. All events were advertised in the Bulletin. Letters from the Soldiers Private Abe Abadi was able to find humor overseas. “Can you imagine? MP Raymond Sultan single-handedly breaking up a riot… Private ‘Doc’ Ashear as a paratrooper... Joe Tobias as a jeep chauffeur to a major... Lee Shalom as strategist on General MacArthur’s staff, and ‘yours truly’ as a bombardier on a Flying Fortress…” Private Ralph Anzaroot wrote from England, “About 18 days after I left New York I was in a fox hole deep inside Germany, the greenest replacement of the 18th regiment of the Fighting First Infantry Division. Over my objections I was told to go to it and give the ‘Jerries’ hell. It happened that it was I who got hell, not the enemy. In a few weeks I was evacuated for bullet wounds and trench foot, but it was the trench foot that got me to a hospital in England for four months. I was released from the hospital, and as luck would have it, I got a gig in the Air Corps. There are actually quite a lot of SY families living in Manchester, and we are frequent guests at their homes. I spent a few days of the past holiday with the Alaires and enjoyed a good old-fashioned meal. I am grateful.” Raymond Harari, who still resides in Panama, recalls, “We had a lot of army personnel in our community here defending the Panama Canal. We had a special rabbi from the U.S. Army, and hosted dinners for the boys. They were scared, far from family, and anxious for news from Brooklyn. We received The Victory Bulletin once a month and shared it with them. They were happy to have updates and a few laughs.” Other Stories from the Front Lines The Bulletin tells Jack D’Jemal’s story. He was taken captive September 30, 1944. “Jack was inducted into the Air Corps in July, 1943. Things were going smoothly until one day while flying over Munich, anti-aircraft flak brought his ‘chute down. The whole crew jumped and parachuted safely to Earth, but after five minutes Jack was captured and taken prisoner, along with his crew. He recalls, ‘We were kept in Frankfurt for questioning and then brought to a camp at Wetzlar. We were treated horribly and I lost 55 pounds there in just a few months. When the Germans began retreating in February, they took us with them, forcing us to march on foot, hundreds of miles. Finally, we were liberated by the British at Neuhaus.’” The Bulletin continues, “From then on, the story of Sergeant Jack D’Jemal took on a rosier hue, finishing up with his arrival at long last in the good old United States.” Fred Betesh writes, June 22, 1945… “I have met two cousins out here, Fred Fallas and Dave Saks, in Nuremberg. Fred came to visit me when he landed in France on D-Day plus 1 but when he found my outfit on the beach, they told him I was killed on the assault landing. Then he had to leave with his outfit. What really happened, as I explained to him the other day in Nuremberg, was that we were hit and had to abandon ship and swim for the beach. One of my buddies saw me, and a few seconds later an 88 exploded right near our Commanding Officer, completely disintegrating him. I was knocked out, but the life belt and the assault gas mask kept me afloat. I was picked up by an English craft, and in December I was transferred to the famous Armored Division. I joined them just as they were going into Bastogne, where we helped relieve the 101st Paratroopers and the 9th Armored. I’m mentioning this because we received the Presidential citation for that action a few days ago.” Not all endings were happy, though. Lieutenant Jack Ballas lost his life during combat training on March 31, 1944 when The Victory Bulletin – Volume I, Issue 1 The Victory Bulletin made its debut in July 1942. Jonah Mishaan SHEVAT - ADAR I 5779 FEBRUARY 2019 33