Footsteps of David
Common Roots, Uncommon Valor
by
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First Kill at Pearl Harbor
American Jews have served in the United States Marine Corps in all of our major conflicts and during peacetime. Although just one Jewish Marine, Samuel Gross (Margulies), won the Medal of Honor, there were others just as worthy who did not receive our country's highest decoration. Some, such as Samuel Glucksman and Meier Rothschild performed far above and beyond the call of duty to win the Navy Cross. Their exploits and daring-do were the equal of others who were recipients of the Medal of Honor. Some of the most renowned Marines of yesteryear, the legendary Lou Diamond of China and Guadalcanal fame, LeRoy Diamond, hero of Guadalcanal and model for the film Pride of the Marines, Major-General Melvin Krulewitch, veteran of four wars, boxing champion and hero of Guadalcanal, Barney Ross, Abe Daniels, who sank a Japanese destroyer in the Pacific after three of his squadron mates missed the target, flying ace Harold Segal, actor Harvey Keitel, actress Bea Arthur of Golden Girls, Lieutenant-General Robert Magnus, and famed writers Leon Uris and Art Buchwald are Jewish-Americans. Today, Jews continue to serve in the US Marine Corps. Their numbers are not impressive, but they serve, as proud as ever, in all of our bases, units, and detachments.
It is interesting to note that the first Japanese plane to be brought down at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, is credited to Bud Newman, a Jewish-American Marine.
His action is described in "The Pearl Buddha, an article in a journal of ham operators by Alex (call number WB6ZWG):
"There's no denying that Bud Newman ... KD6YUD, is 'looking good.' However, during the early hours of December 7, 1941, twenty-one year old Marine Corporal Lawrence Newman's face reflected confusion, anger, and fear. He was a witness to Japan's early assault on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
"Corporal Newman was returning to base from liberty in Honolulu as the Japanese planes were strafing everything in the area. He could see black smoke coming from the ships in the harbor as machine gun fire from a Jap plane killed a young Marine near him. Corporal Newman was so angered that he grabbed a 30 cal air-cooled machine gun from its tripod and emptied the ammo belt at the plane. The pilot was waving his fist at Bud as the plane burst into flames and exploded on impact when it crashed in Waipio Point.
"Two squadrons of single seat Japanese fighters roared over the base as low as twenty to twenty-five feet to avoid anti-aircraft fire. They attacked everything with machine gun fire, bombs, and torpedoes. After the attack, Corporal Newman went to the plane he had shot down. It was badly burned but Bud was able to remove one of the three propeller blades. He later had it inscribed with '...Here is the first Jap that did not get back. December 7, 1941, 8 am. Pearl Harbor T. Hawaii.'
"Corporal Newman's effort to ship his trophy home to Chicago proved to be a difficult task. After crating it, his valued trophy weighed one hundred twenty pounds (he didn't weigh much more). When he arrived at the ship, his valuable cargo was stored three decks down in the hold. On arriving in San Francisco, he had to haul it three decks up. At that point, Bud was thankful for that Marine Corps good conditioning. With his cargo on the dock, he still faced the problem of getting it to Chicago. Finally, the Salvation Army came to Bud's rescue and helped with transportation to the railway station. From there it traveled by Railway Express to the Windy City.
"Colonel Chester Fordney, Chicago recruiting director, posed for a picture with Corporal Newman and his prize propeller blade at the Treasury Center in Chicago. The picture gained wide distribution and considerable publicity for Bud and his Pearl Harbor trophy.'
Many years later, the Smithsonian Institution contacted Bud and offered to ship his war trophy to Washington if he would donate it to the Museum. However, they denied having funds available to provide round-trip tickets for Bud and Mrs. Newman so they could make a proper official presentation.
"Bud's valued souvenir remains in his garage. He tells me that he would be proud to show the propeller to anyone who is interested. As we move forward in time, Bud's famed trophy stands as a constant reminder of that tragic morning many years ago. It will continue to stimulate vivid memories until Bud Newman enlists in that great ham station in the sky. When Bud stands in final judgment before that great 'Control Operation,' he will hear these words...'Bud, you're looking good!...Over."'
Chapter 78
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About the Book
Little is known of Jewish participation in the history of the United States: even less of Jewish involvement in our armed forces. To read a history of our public schools, one would never know that Jews have been citizens, much less soldiers, of our country, from the inception of the Republic. While token mention is made of a Haym Solomon, or a Dr. Salk, scarce attention is paid to the important role of Jewish-Americans in the history of the United States.
Footsteps of David acquaints the reader with dozens of stories of Jewish-American heroes, their role, service, and sacrifice in the military. Some of the participants are well known, most are obscure, unnoticed, and unpublicized. Other than their own circle of friends and family, few know of their heroic and unselfish service. Jewish service has been important, but unrecognized. While our ethnic/religious groups have all made their contribution to the aggrandizement, success, and defense of our country, the Jewish role has been ignored. Footsteps of David corrects that oversight. It fills that void.
In Footsteps of David, one reads of dozens of Jewish GIs and heroes, participants in all of our conflicts and wars. They come to life. We read of their service, valor, honor, and sacrifice: the same as those of all our countrymen in defense of our country. They faced the same hardships, deprivations, and successes. But, at times, they had to do so in the face of antipathy and contempt, which made their task doubly difficult. That they emerged from the forge of enemy and friendly fire is further evidence of the difficult path that many trod. Thus, the undecorated as well as the decorated are true heroes of our nation.
Cervantes said that his honor is dearer to him than his life. The pages of Footsteps of David exemplify the words of the great Spanish writer.
About the Author
Howard J. Leavitt was born in Boston, Massachusetts, March 4, 1929. Raised in neighboring Brookline, he graduated from Brookline High School in 1947 (majoring in baseball and swimming), and from American University (Washington, D.C.) in 1951. In 1959, he received a Master of Arts degree in Spanish from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (Mexico City).
Leavitt joined the Marine Corps Reserve in his senior year of high school, was called to active duty in 1951, volunteered for service in Korea, and served two years, including seven months in Korea. He is the recipient of the Presidential United Citation, Navy Unit Citation, National Defense Service Medal, Korea Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, and the Marine Sharpshooter Medal. He taught high school Spanish and French for thirty years in California. Now in retirement in Riverside, California, he operates a small photography business and is engaged in his new passion of writing about Jews in the military. Married to the former Beatriz Moreno for over forty years, he and his wife have two daughters and an autistic grandson whom they have been rearing since his birth in 1986.
Leavitt has traveled extensively, including Korea and Tunisia (courtesy of the U.S. government), Mexico, Cuba, and Japan. He camped throughout Europe to and from a sabbatical year in Israel. He is an active member of his local synagogue and has been commander of Post 512, Jewish War Veterans of the United States, for several years. Working out regularly at the neighborhood sports club, he tries, with accompanying frustration, to stay in the shape he was as a gung-ho Marine in the early '50s.
He is a member of the Semper Fi Marine Honor Detail, which renders military honors to veterans interred at Riverside National Cemetery, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Marine Corps Association and the 1st Marine Division Association. He is also an associate member of the 5th Marine Division Association.
Leavitt has served as a volunteer with the Riverside Police Department.