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Congressional Medal of Honor - Jewish Recipients
Opening panel of Jack Jacobs receiving the Medal of Honor from President Richard Nixon. This larger than life panel also contains quotes from the citations of Jewish Medal of Honor recipients at the National Museum of American Jewish Military History
The sixteen Jewish recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor that we know of since the medal was first issued during the Civil War. There are probably more as many are unknown because they enlisted under different names. - Civil War : Six
Indian Wars : Two
Haitian Campaign : One
World War 1 : Three
World War II : Two
Vietnam War: Two
CIVIL WAR COHN, ABRAHAM
Rank and organization: Sergeant Major, 6th New Hampshire Infantry Places and dates: At Wilderness, Virginia, 6 May 1864; At the mine, Petersburg, Virginia, 30 July, 1864 Birth: Prussia Date of issue: 24 August, 1865 CITATION: At the battle of the Wilderness, on 6 May, 1864, he rallied and reformed the disorganized fleeing Union troops from several regiments and established a new line of defense that held. At the Battle of Petersburg, Virginia, 30 July, 1864, he bravely and coolly carried orders to the advanced Union line while under severe fire from Confederate troops.
GAUSE, ISAAC
Rank and organization:
Corporal, Company E, 2nd Ohio Cavalry
Place and date:
Near Berryville, Virginia, 13 September, 1864
Birth:
Trumbull County, Ohio
Date of issue:
19 September, 1864
CITATION: In hand-to-hand combat while on a reconnaissance along the Berryville and Winchester Pike, he captured the colors of the Confederate Army's 8th South Carolina Infantry.
SYDNEY G. GUMPERTZ WORLD WAR I
Rank and organization:
First Sergeant, United States Army, Company E,
132nd Infantry, 33rd Division
Place and date:
In the Bois-de-Forges, France,
29 September, 1918
Entered service at:
Chicago, Illinois
Birth:
San Raphael, California
CITATION
When the advancing line was held up by machine gun fire, Sergeant Gumpertz left the platoon of which he was in command and started with two other soldiers through a heavy barrage toward the machine gun nest. His two companions soon became casualties from the bursting shells, but Sergeant Gumpertz continued alone in the face of direct fire from the machine gun, jumped into the nest and silenced the gun and capturing nine of the enemy crew.
HENRY HELLER CIVIL WAR
Rank and organization:
Sergeant, Company A,
66th Ohio Infantry
Place and date:
Chancellorsville, Virginia, 2 May, 1863
Entered Service at:
Urbana, Ohio
Date of issue:
29 July, 1892
CITATION
In the Battle of Chancellorsville, he was one of a party of four under heavy fire. They voluntarily crossed the enemy lines to capture and bring back to the Union lines a wounded Confederate officer from whom valuable information was obtained concerning the position of the enemy.
GEORGE GEIGER INDIAN WARS
Rank and organization:
Sergeant, Company H, United States Cavalry
Places and dates:
Little Big Horn River, Montana, 25 June, 1876
Entered Service at:
San Francisco, California, 15 October, 1866
Birth:
Cincinnati, Ohio
Date of issue:
5 October, 1878
CITATION
George Geiger, with his three companions, courageously held a position against fierce attacks from the Indians to secure the water for the command.
BENJAMIN LEVY CIVIL WAR
Rank and organization:
Private, Company B, 40th New York Infantry
Place and date:
Glendale, Virginia, 30 June, 1862
Date of issue:
1 March, 1865
CITATION
In the Battle of Charles City Crossroads, Levy, a drummer boy, rescued the two standards which were dropped by their wounded color bearers. He unfurled them and carried them throughout the battle, preventing the colors from being captured by the Confederate soldiers.
DAVID ORBANSKY CIVIL WAR Rank and organization:
Private, Company B, 58th Ohio Infantry
Places and dates:
At Shiloh, Tennessee, Vicksburg, Mississippi, etc.
1862 and 1863
Birth:
Prussia
Date of issue:
2 August, 1879
CITATION
Exceptional gallantry and heroism in many actions.
SIMON SUHLER (CHARLES GARDNER IN THE ARMY) INDIAN WARS
Rank and organization:
Private, Company H, 6th United States Cavalry
Places and dates:
At Sappa Creek, Kansas, 23 April, 1875
Entered Service at:
San Francisco, California, 15 October, 1866
Birth:
Carlisle, New York
Date of issue:
16 November, 1876
CITATION
For outstanding bravery and gallantry in action against the Indians.
SAMUEL MARGUILES (SAMUEL GROSS IN THE MARINES) HAITIAN CAMPAIGN (1915)
Rank and organization:
Private, U.S. Marine Corps
Places and dates:
Fort Riviere, Haiti, 17 November, 1915
Birth:
9 May, 1891, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
CITATION
In company with members of the Fifth, Thirteenth, Twenty-third Companies and marine and sailor detachments from the U.S.S. Connecticut, Gross participated in the attack on Fort Riviere, Haiti. Following a concentrated drive, several different detachments of marines gradually closed in on the old French bastion fort in an effort to cut off all avenues of retreat for the Caco Bandits. Approaching a breach in the wall, which was the only entrance to the fort, Gross was the second man to pass through the breach in face of constant fire from the Caco Bandits and, thereafter, for a ten minute period, engaged the enemy in desperate hand-to-hand combat until the bastion was captured and the Caco resistance neutralized.
WILLIAM SAWELSON WORLD WAR I
Rank and organization:
Sergeant, United States Army, Company M,
312th Infantry, 78th Division
Place and date:
At Grand-Pre, France, 26 October, 1918
Entered service at:
Harrison, New Jersey
Birth:
Newark, New Jersey
CITATION
Hearing a wounded man in a shell hole some distance away calling for water, Sergeant Sawelson, upon his own initiative, left his shelter and crawled through heavy machine gun fire to where the man lay, giving what water he had in his canteen. He then went back to his own shell hole, obtained more water, and was returning to the wounded man when he was killed by a machine gun bullet.
BENJAMIN KAUFMAN WORLD WAR I
Rank and organization:
First Sergeant, United States Army,
Company K, 308th Infantry, 77th Division
Place and date:
In the forest of Argonne, France,
4 October, 1918
Entered service at:
Brooklyn, New York
Birth:
Buffalo, New York
CITATION
He took out a patrol for the purpose of attacking an enemy machine gun which had checked the advance of the company. Before reaching the gun, he became separated from the patrol and a machine gun bullet shattered his right arm. Without hesitation, he advanced on the gun alone, throwing grenades with his left hand and charging with an empty pistol, taking one prisoner and scattering the crew, bringing the gun and prisoner back to the first-aid station.
RAYMOND ZUSSMAN WORLD WAR II
Rank and organization:
Second Lieutenant, 756th Tank Battalion
Place and date:
Noroy le Bourg, France,
12 September, 1944
Entered service at:
Detroit, Michigan
Birth:
Hamtramck, Michigan
CITATION
On September 12, 1944, Lt. Zussman was in command of two tanks operating with an infantry company in an attack on enemy forces occupying the town of Noroy le Bourg, France. At 7 p.m., his command tank bogged down. Throughout the action, armed only with a carbine, he reconnoitered alone on foot far in advance of his remaining tank and infantry. Returning only from time to time to designate targets, he directed the action of the tank and turned over to the infantry numerous German prisoners that he had caused to surrender. He located a road block and directed his tank to destroy it. Fully exposed to enemy gun fire 50 yards away, he stood by his tank directing its fire. Three Germans were killed and eight surrendered. Again he walked in front of his tank, leading it against an enemy held group of houses, with machine-gun and small arms fire kicking up around his feet. The tank fire broke the enemy's resistance and 20 more surrendered. Going forward again alone, he passed an enemy held house from which gun fire and grenades were directed at him. He ordered the tank to fire on the house and eleven Germans were killed and fifteen surrendered. Going on alone, he disappeared soon to appear with thirty prisoners. Under Lt. Zussman's heroic and inspiring leadership, eighteen enemy were killed and ninety-two were captured.
ISADORE S. JACHMAN WORLD WAR II
Rank and organization:
Staff Sergeant, Company B,
513th Parachute Infantry Regiment
Place and date:
Flamierge, Belgium, 4 January, 1945
Entered service at:
Baltimore, Maryland
Birth:
Berlin, Germany
CITATION
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty at Flamierge, Belgium, on 4, January, 1945, when his company was pinned down by enemy artillery, mortar and small arms fire, two hostile tanks attacked the unit inflicting heavy casualties. Sergeant Jachman seeing the desperate plight of his comrades, left his place of cover with total disregard for his own safety dashed across open ground through a hail of fire and seizing a bazooka from a fallen comrade advanced on the tanks, which concentrated their fire on him. Firing the weapon alone, he damaged one tank forcing both of them to retire. Sergeant Jachman's heroic action, in which he suffered fatal wounds, disrupted the entire enemy attack, reflecting the highest credit upon himself and the parachute infantry.
JACK H. JACOBS VIETNAM WAR
Rank and organization:
Captain, United States Army,
U.S. Military Assistance Command, Republic of Vietnam
Place and date:
Kien Phong Province, Republic of Vietnam,
9 March, 1968
Entered service at:
Trenton, New Jersey
Birth:
8 August, 1945, Brooklyn, New York
CITATION
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Jacobs (then a lieutenant) distinguished himself on 9 March, 1968, while serving as Assistant Battalion Advisor, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam, during operations in Kien Phong Province. His unit came under heavy enemy attack. Jacobs called for and directed air attacks against the enemy. He was wounded by mortar fragments and he continued to direct the air fire while bleeding profusely from head wounds. He assumed complete control of the unit and he reorganized it for its defense and attack. He made numerous trips through the rice paddies evacuating the wounded. His gallant actions and extraordinary heroism saved the lives of one U.S. advisor and thirteen allied soldiers. Captain Jacobs by his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action in the highest traditions of the military service, has reflected great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.
JOHN L. LEVITOW VIETNAM WAR
Rank and organization:
Sergeant, U.S. Air Force,
3rd Special Operations Squadron
Places and dates:
Long Binh Army Post, Vietnam, 24 February, 1969
Entered Service at:
New Haven, Connecticut
Birth:
Nov. 1, 1945, Hartford, Connecticut
Died:
Nov. 8, 2000
Buried:
Arlington National Cemetery, VA
CITATION
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty. Sergeant John L. Levitow (then Airman First Class), U.S. Air Force, distinguished himself by exceptional heroism on 24 February, 1969, while assigned as a loadmaster aboard a AC-47 aircraft flying a night mission. On that date, Sgt. Levitow's aircraft was struck by a hostile mortar round. The resulting explosion ripped a hole through the wing and fragments made over 3,500 holes in the fuselage. All occupants of the cargo compartment were helplessly slammed against the floor and fuselage. The explosion tore an activated flare from the grasp of a crewmember, who had been launching flares to provide illumination for Army ground troops engaged in combat. Sgt. Levitow, though stunned by the concussion of the blast and suffering from over forty fragment wounds in the back and legs, staggered to his feet and turned to assist the man nearest to him, who had been knocked down and was bleeding heavily. As he was moving his wounded comrade forward and away from the open cargo compartment door, he saw the smoking flare ahead of him in the aisle. Realizing the danger involved and completely disregarding his own wounds, Sgt. Levitow started toward the burning flare. Sgt. Levitow struggled forward despite the loss of blood. Unable to grasp the flare with his hands, he threw himself bodily upon the burning flare. Hugging the deadly devise to his body, he dragged himself back to the rear of the aircraft and hurled the flare through the open cargo door. At that instant, the flare separated and ignited in the air, but clear of the aircraft. Sgt. Levitow, by selfless and heroic actions, saved the aircraft and its entire crew from certain death and destruction. Sgt. Levitow's conspicuous gallantry, his profound concern for his fellowmen and his intrepidity at the risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
LEOPOLD KARPELES CIVIL WAR Rank and organization:
Sergeant, Company E, Massachusetts Infantry
Place and date:
Wilderness, Virginia, 6 May, 1864
Birth:
Hungary
Date of issue:
30 April, 1870
CITATION
In the Battle of Wilderness, the Confederate forces had charged the Union lines many times and the woods were full of smoke. Sergeant Leopold Karpeles was entrusted with the colors which he kept waving as it was the only visible thing the Union soldiers could see. General Wadsworth rode up and down the Union lines on his horse shouting to his disarrayed soldiers "rally around the flag boys!" Risking his life, Sergeant Karpeles kept waving the flag as Confederate gun fire kept missing him. The Confederate Army was checked and defeated as the Union soldiers were able to reform their lines and fight back. For his bravery in face of the enemy fire, Sergeant Karpeles was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
U.S. defended many times by Jews
North Carolina's Alfred Mordecai was raised to the rank of major for meritorious service in the line of duty during the Mexican War, 1846-1848.
During the Civil War, Jews across the South sided overwhelmingly with the Confederacy. Most accepted slavery just as they did Southern ideas about dueling, honor and states' rights.
Judah Philip Benjamin, a Charleston native served as attorney general of the Confederacy; he also served as secretary of war and secretary of state.
Moses Cohen Mordecai's flagship, The Isabel, removed Maj. Robert Anderson and his men from Fort Sumter at the outset of the Civil War. David Lopez constructed a torpedo boat that targeted Union warships. Charleston-born Phoebe Yates Levy Pember ran a hospital near Richmond, where 76,000 wounded and sick soldiers were treated. Like their Christian sisters, hundreds of Southern Jewish women lost husbands and sons in the war and dedicated the remainder of their lives to memorializing "Lost Cause."
The Civil War divided our nation and the Jewish population, which numbered about 150,000.
There were about 8,500 Jews fighting for the North and the South. Jewish Civil War veterans organized the Hebrew Union Veterans, later to become the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America.
While many Jews were fighting for the Confederacy, others were serving in the Union Army. The Medal of Honor was established by Congress during the Civil War.
Leopold Karpeles, Benjamin Levy, Henry Heller, Isaac Gause, David Orbansky and Abraham Cohn received the Medal of Honor for heroism in battle.
During the so-called Indian Wars, Charles Gardner was awarded the Medal of Honor. His brother, Aaron, served as the first reform rabbi in Dallas, Fort Worth and Waco, Texas. Sgt. George Geiger received his Medal of Honor for his action in hand-to-hand combat with American Indians on June 25, 1876, at Little Big Horn River in Montana.
When the USS Maine was sunk in Havana on Feb. 15, 1898, 15 Jewish sellers perished along with their Christian brothers. The ship's executive officer was Adolph Marix, who became a vice admiral in the Navy. During the Spanish-American War, the first Rough Rider to die in combat was Jacob Wilbusky, a 16-year-old boy. In the attack on Manila, Sgt. Maurice Joost of the First California Volunteers was the first man to be killed.
Laibel (AI) Wellcher was born Aug. 14, 1881. Al Welsh, a test pilot for the Wright brothers, taught many aviation pioneers to fly, including Lt. Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, later the Army's air chief of staff during World War II. According to legend, Al Welsh flew with a white scarf, which was adopted after his death by many of the early fliers who emulated him.
Welsh died in a crash. That white scarf was his prayer shawl (tallis). It was also the shroud.
Serving in Haiti during an insurrection, Samuel Gross of the Marine Corps was awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery in fierce hand-to-hand combat.
In World War I, 250,000 Jews served with their Christian brothers and sisters. More than 3,500 were killed; more than 12,000 were wounded; they received more than 1,100 decorations for bravery.
In World War I, Chaplain Capt. Elkan Voorsanger, a rabbi, ministered to the wounded and dying of every faith in no man's land. Sgts. Benjamin Kaufman, William Sawelson and Sydney G. Gumpertz received the Medal of Honor for bravery.
By Samuel G. Breidner
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