Fall 2011 - Jewish War Veterans of the United States

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MUSEUM NEWSPRESIDENT’S MESSAGESitting in the heart of Washington,DC, the National Museum ofAmerican Jewish Military Historyoften pulls in tourists who havecome to see what our Nation’scapital offers. Among our visitorsare veterans and civilians, Jewsand non-Jews, young and old – alldrawn to learning more about thestory of Jewish Americans in ourmilitary.For many prospective visitors,though, a trip to our museum maybe months, or even years, away.That’s why the NMAJMH is workingto bring the museum to you!Recently, we’ve expanded our onlinepresence by adding Facebook(Facebook.com/NMAJMH) andTwitter (twitter.com/NMAJMH) toour arsenal.On Facebook and Twitter, theNMAJMH discusses importantmoments in American Jewish militaryhistory, interesting new acquisitions,and fun museum happenings.These online tools will giveyou a window into the NMAJMHno matter where you are in theworld. It is our hope that these resourceswill help you feel connectedto us all year round.This move into social mediabrings to mind our new exhibitPast, Present, and Future. As wework to raise the funds necessaryto complete this exhibit, we willcontinue to look to the future ofonline communication to help usreach our goals. It is our belief atthe NMAJMH that the Internetwill allow us to reach out and findnew individuals who are interestedin helping us preserve AmericanJewish military history for the nextgeneration.Connect with theNMAJMH Online!PNC Norman RosensheinPresident, NMAJMHwww.nmajmh.orgwww.facebook.com/NMAJMHwww.twitter.com/NMAJMHFROM OUR ARCHIVES By Pamela ElbeCollections Manager/Archivist NMAJMHA New Way to View Items from Our CollectionAfter much preparation, the National Museumof American Jewish Military History is proudto announce that we have made a portion of ourcollection available online. It has long been agoal of the museum to make our collection moreaccessible to the public, especially since only asmall percentage of artifacts can be on exhibitionat a time. Publishing our database onlineis another means by which the NMAJMH caneducate the public about Jewish service in theAmerican military, in addition to our in-houseexhibits and traveling displays.For the past eight years, the museum staffhas been cataloging and photographing everyitem in the collection, and while this projectis still not fully complete, we are at the stagewhere we are finally able to share the fruitsof our labor. The collection online features asearchable database of selected items from theNMAJMH’s permanent collection.Now donors and researchers will be able tosearch our collection and view objects and photographsonline. The database can be browsedby item type, event, or person, or searched bykeyword. The site currently contains roughly2000 objects, photographs, and archival items.These highlights are designed to reflect thebreadth, diversity, and tenor of the museum’ssizeable collection.We are continually expanding the selectionto include a larger representation of the museum’scollection as well as selected recent acquisitions.Please visit the site often to browse thelatest additions.To view the collection online pleasevisit the Collections and Researchsection of the NMAJMH’s web site(www.nmajmh.org). You can also godirectly to the database by visitinghttp://nmajmh.pastperfect-online.P002.030.003 – I Corps Chaplain’s Jeep – “RoughRiden’ Rabbi.” Donated by Milton Walzer.P002.018.001 -- Boxing trophy made from an airplanedashboard clock mounted in wood. Reads “FortLauderdale Naval Invitational Boxing Tourn, Jack Golomb,118 lb champion.” Donated by Jack Golomb.USAF cold weather flight jacket with Majorrank insignia on shoulders, 469th TacticalFighter Squadron patch (F-4E). Donated byFred Zedeck.20National Museum of American Jewish Military History Fall • 2011 www.nmajmh.org
MUSEUM NEWSAdministratively Speaking By Mary Westley, Asst. AdministratorStitches for SoldiersDuring the months of November throughFebruary, The National Museum of AmericanJewish Military History, located at 1811 R StreetNW, Washington, DC, is hosting a StitchingBee every Tuesday and Thursday from noon to2pm to help keep our soldiers warm this winter!We’ve asked crafters to bring their lunch andtheir projects for sweaters, gloves, hats (yes,even Yarmulkes) socks, and small blankets andsit and stitch. Participants can provide a nameand address of an active duty friend or familymember, and we will pick the name of a militaryservice personnel each session to receivesomething warm from the Noontime Stitchers.For each package sent from the NoontimeStitchers, we will include a Museum and JWVmembership brochure and a note of good cheerand thanks. If you are interested in participating,contact Mary Westley at 202-265-6280 x511.Finding Peace from PiecesRobert Fried didn’t know much about his uncle,Maurice Wolfson, who was killed-in-action duringWWII. Robert knew Maurice enlisted andwas “assigned” to be a gunner in the Air Corps.He knew his mother never felt at peace over hisinduction and ultimately what happened. Robertnever saw anything that belonged to Milton;only his picture in a high school yearbook.The year book was subsequently destroyed, hismother’s pain too much.That was over 30 years ago. Recently, Robertfelt the need to see what he could find out abouthis uncle. He used tools not available backthen; he began with Ancestry.com and foundWolfson’s enlistment record, date of death, andburial in Italy. What he found out next throughGoogle astounded him. He learned of the fatefulMission 139 of the 485th Bomb Group, andhe learned of Wayne B. Whiting, a gunner ofthe 485th Bomb Group who had written scoresof letters home, some of which had become abook (I’m Off to War, Mother, But I’ll be Back),where Wolfson was mentioned. Robert alsolearned about Enzio Vinci who with two otherresearchers had written about Mission 139.Finally, Robert found some pieces for peace.Robert Fried has presented a tribute to MauriceWolfson to the National Museum of AmericanJewish MilitaryHistory.“ I n e v e rknew. I neverknew the meaningand importanceof the485th BombGroup. I never knew what kind of plane myuncle was on, the crew size or that this was oneof many missions. I never knew where he waswhen he died or how he died or that others diedwith him. I never knew how those who livedin a small village in Italy were affected on thatfateful day. I never knew…..”To read the full memorial tribute to MauriceWolfson, visit our web site at www.nmajmh.org and click on Collections and Research, thenSearch the Collection and tap into Search theCollection Online.For more information on our Yahrzeit programclick on the Star of David graphic on ourweb site.From Our Collection By Mike RugelAssistant Collections Manager/NMAJMHGerman Propaganda“Dollar Bill” from the Albert Wenger CollectionNazis were masters of propaganda. Much of itwas designed to spread their anti-Jewish ideology.The ideas expressed in the propagandamaterials were appalling and frightening whenspread by the Third Reich. However, the significanceand meaning of these materials changein new hands. When Sgt. Albert Wenger foundthese “American dollar bills” at Kaufberen AirBase, the German propaganda, now owned bya Jewish American G.I., became a symbol ofAllied victory and of understanding what thatvictory meant to the world.The Germans dropped these leaflets overFrance beginning in 1943. Presumably Germanplanes left from Kaufberen for Paris and otherFrench cities to flood the air with the anti-American anti-Jewish message in the form of awell-disguised U.S. dollar. The bill unfolds toreveal a message in French with that old stereotypeabout Jews and money. The text explainsthat the “American Minister of Financeis the Jew Morgenthau jr.” and that the dollarbill is loaded with Jewish symbols. The messagefinishes by blamingthe Jew for war: “Willthis dollar be enough tocompensate us for thesorrows caused by theJewish war? Money hasno smell ... but the Jewhas one!”Wenger found thisleaflet when the U.S.was occupying Germany.With the material inthe hands of a JewishAmerican who had exhibitedgreat character as Allied Forces wonthe war, the absurdity of the materials becomesclear, the anti-Semitism almost laughable.German propaganda attempted to reinforce stereotypeswhile Wenger and hundreds of thousandsof his fellow Jewish Americans in themilitary were defying them.The permanent collection at the NMAJMHis filled with German propaganda, much of itGermans printed counterfeit “dollar bills” on one side, and on the other,anti-Semitic propaganda messages. These bills were then folded anddropped over French cities. From the Albert Wenger Collection.anti-Semitic. This includes Der Stürmer newspaperswith hideous depictions of Jews, portraitsand glossy photo books glorifying Hitlerand his racial philosophies, and films proclaimingNazi triumphs. These souvenirs broughthome by Jewish Americans in the military areno longer a symbol of Nazism, but of pride atproving the anti-Semitic canards false throughmilitary service.www.nmajmh.org Fall • 2011 National Museum of American Jewish Military History 21
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Fall 2011 - Jewish War Veterans of the United States

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