Holocaust survivors became heroes in Korean War

Last month, the Cleveland Jewish News ran a story written by Korean War veteran and Holocaust survivor Michael Blain, that highlighted the relative commonplace of survivors who served in the U.S. military during the war.

Commenting on a recent certificate of appreciation he received from the U.S. Department of Defense in recognition of honorable service during the Korean War, Blain wrote:

What my new friends, the president of Korea and Leon Panetta don’t know is that I am also a Holocaust survivor, part of an untold story. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of Holocaust survivors served in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Korean War. None of these new servicemen were U.S. citizens yet, most spoke very little English and most had been in this country for only about a year before they were drafted.

I know. I am one of them, and I personally know many of these veterans. Some came over on the same boat as I, just six months before the war broke out.

It’s a short glimpse into a demographic that bravely went from the depths of one war to the front lines of another, and one that includes heroes like Medal of Honor recipient Tibor Rubin.

See the full article at the Cleveland Jewish News.