Rabbi Abraham Avrech, my father and my favorite veteran. An Army Chaplain in the 42nd Rainbow Division, my father served this great nation through World War II, The Korean War and Vietnam. Retired as a full Colonel, my father often speaks of his Chaplaincy as the most important and fulfilling of his long and distinguished Rabbinic career.
Today we honor our veterans—the living and the dead.
Take a moment to ponder the enormous sacrifices made by our nation’s heroes and their families.
Millions and millions of people all over the world are forever in their debt.
Keep in mind that the U.S.military has freed more people on this earth from tyranny and evil than any other force. Certainly, American servicemen have done more for the cause of freedom and democracy than any so-called peace movement.
Because if the forces of good do not defeat evil, evil prevails.
A very close friend who survived Auschwitz and a death march in which he carried another man on his back for over seventy miles recently told me about the moment he was liberated:
I woke in the middle of the night and saw a dark figure moving through the barn in which I was hiding. He was carrying a gun and there was a bayonet on the tip. I recited the Sh’ma because I figured this was the end. Then the figure said something in English. He lit a match. I saw the American uniform. And I met my first American, a black soldier. He kneeled by my side and gave me a drink of water from his canteen. He said: “You are free.”
If the U.S. military disappeared today, cruelty, genocide and unlimited wars would engulf the planet. On the global stage, the U.S. military is the only effective force for good.
Karen and I wish all our friends, relatives and veterans a lovely and patriotic Shabbat.
Ariel Chaim Avrech, ZT'L, May His Righteous Memory be a Blessing.
20 Comments
Miranda:
The allies were still dealing with Nazi war criminals and collaborators. My friend speaks about a dozen languages.
Dear Robert: Thanks. Shavuah Tov. Now go adapt Tongues of Fire or Snapshot;-).
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
God bless your father and all our veterans!
Tom
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Dear Robert: I’m not familiar with Daniel Silver, but if you really want a pro-Israel thriller to adapt, try Peter Abrahams’s 1982 Tongues of Fire or A.J. Quinnell’s Snap Shot.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Dear Mr. Brandt: I hope and pray your friend Keith can find his way out.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Great books. Hollywood is not interested. Silva is too pro-Israel. I producer I know called Silva’s books, you guessed it, Islamaphobic.
Welcome to my world.
Like or Dislike: 1 0
Dear Robert: I’m not familiar with Daniel Silver, but if you really want a pro-Israel thriller to adapt, try Peter Abrahams’s 1982 Tongues of Fire or A.J. Quinnell’s Sanp Shot.
Log in to
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Robert,
What a lovely photo of your father in uniform!
May I also pay tribute to my late uncle Corrado, who was on the beach at Normandy, my late uncle Joe, who saw action in Burma, and my uncle Leo, who was a gunner on a ship in the Pacific theater.
Uncle Corrado was an immigrant, and Leo and Joe were the children of immigrants (all from Italy); they were American patriots, who didn’t hesitate to enlist when WW II broke out. (My dad would have done the same, but he was handicapped).
I liked the story about your friend. As a nice Catholic girl, it warms my heart to know that a priest was there to help a Jewish boy.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
God bless our veterans, every one–your dad, Robert; my uncle Harold (WWII submarine service); my uncle Bill (WWII Navy); father-in-law Al (WWII cavalry); brother-in-law Jim (Korea Marines); great-great-grandfathers Amos (Civil War infantry, survived Cold Harbor and Petersburg) and Avery (Civil War infantry, with the Peninsula Campaign); g-g-g-g grandfathers John (Green Mountain Boys), Caleb (Revolutionary War infantry), Abner (Revolutionary War infantry) and Thomas (French and Indian war); and last but not least, my nephew Derek who is in Afghanistan serving as a naval flight surgeon.
We owe them so much.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
Bill Brandt’s story about Keith reminded me of another hero. His name was Fred Thompson of the 174th Assault Helicopter Company. Fred was just another idealistic (surfer) kid from California when he entered the US Army and went to Vietnam to fly helicopters. After the service, he continued serving the people as he entered law enforcement in L.A.
Sadly, Fred passed away 9 years ago from lung cancer. Although I never met him in person, I did have the pleasure of corresponding with him on several occasions and although he never knew it, he is one of my heroes.
Fred wrote a very compelling history of his time “in country” which can still be found online at: http://www.174ahc.org/bio-16.htm It’s not a quick read and it’s not a “ride off happily into the sunset” sort of story — it’s brutal, honest and compelling. It’s also one of the best insights I’ve ever read about life in Vietnam. I highly recommend reading it.
I’d like to mention several other vets who matter to me — my father, who served in the US Army during the Korean Conflict. My great grandfather served in the Union army during the Civil War. My g-g-g-g-grandfather who fought in the Revolutionary War. Numerous great uncles who served in W.W. I and II. Thanks!
God Bless Our Veterans!
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
For some reason, the link about is adding a hidden character to the end of the URL. If you copy the URL into the address field, then delete the extra characters so the “.htm” are the final characters, you’ll find the page just fine. Sorry about that…
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Your friend that survived Auschwitz reminded me of someone I talked about in your post on the Jewish chaplain memorial. Tibor Rubin was in the Maulthausen concentration camp when it was liberated by American troops. When he emigrated to the U.S. he kept pushing to enroll in the army during the Korean War as payback for what his new country had done for him.
As the black and white choices from WWII fade into the grays of Vietnam and Iraq, people forget that our country is a force for good against the evils of the world. Starting in the ’60s we’ve been told the U.S. is just as bad as other countries. Instead of John Wayne’s Green Berets we’re supposed to believe we’re really the country of The Deer Hunter and Coming Home. No one in Hollywood would even consider making The Green Berets of Iraq. Instead we get Stop-Loss and Redacted.
Fortunately there are still some WWII vets like your father still with us as a reminder of what good the U.S. could and still can do. But will there still be that belief 100 years from now? Or will The Deer Hunter and Redacted form the view Americans have toward the military?
To all vets past and present, we thank you for your service.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
Johnny:
Thanks so much for the reminder about Tibor Rubin, a great man.
Ironically, my friend (obviously) did come to America. He was about 16 years old when he arrived. A few years later, before he was a citizen he was drafted into the army to serve in the Korean war.
At first, the army was going to post him to, naturally, Germany. My friend told them he’d rather go to a combat unit in Korea. The army being the army did not oblige. Orders are orders he was told. In desperation he begged help from a Jewish Chaplain, who was from one of our more, ahem, liberal branches. He told my friend to stop acting like a whiny Jew. My friend approached a Catholic chaplain who immediately sprang into action and got my friend’s orders changed. He was posted to a base in Paris where my friend ended up as a translator for American officers who were interrogating prisoners. My friend has never forgotten the kindness of his Catholic chaplain.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
I think all that can be said about your friend’s story is – only in America.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Dear Robert: Why would American officers IN PARIS need a translator during the KOREAN War?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Miranda:
The allies were still dealing with Nazi war criminals and collaborators. My friend speaks about a dozen languages.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
I think I have read all Daniel Silva’s books. You should work with him on a screen play to bring Gabriel to the big screen.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
Jackie:
Great books. Hollywood is not interested. Silva is too pro-Israel. I producer I know called Silva’s books, you guessed it, Islamaphobic.
Welcome to my world.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
What did they call the show 24 ?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
My neighbor is interesting. He was a helicopter repairman in Vietnam and because his Army unit was short tail gunners, he was also ordered to be a door gunner in the same helicopter he maintained.
16 hours he’d he on duty.
I told Keith that he had incentive to keep that machine in top condition.
On some days though he’d tell me a few things of the darker things he remembers.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
Bill:
Please thank Keith for his service. We hope he can see beyond the darkness.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
Keith is doing OK – I joke with him. Last week when I am using a leaf blower up on my roof – really gets those gutters! – I told him that it would be so easy to just go to the gutter adjacent his patio and blow all my leaves into his yard.
“You do that” Keith said, remembering his Vietnam days, ‘I’ll put some punji sticks in your front yard!
But he still goes to the VA occasionally to talk with the new Afghan and Iraq veterans trying to put their dark experiences behind them.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0