American Jewish Soldier Decorated for Rescuing Three French Generals in Africa

T/Sgt. Herman Straussner of Rego Park, N. Y., has received the French Colonial Medal with the Sahara Bar for helping to rescue three French generals from the African desert, it was reported today by the Jewish Welfare Board. This is the first decoration given by a foreign command to American troop carrier fliers. Sergeant Straussner also holds the Air Medal.

Lt. Jerome Goldberg of Paterson, N. J. Liberator bombardier who participated in the Ploesti oil fields assault, holds eight decorations, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, and six Cak Leaf Clusters, the JWB discloses. Completing thirty-five bombing missions against enemy installations in Italy, Greece, Austria, and Rumania, Lieutenant Goldberg has returned to the United States and is now awaiting reassignment.

T/Sgt. Harry Shultz of Kansas City, Mo., holds the Distinguished Flying Cross, and Oak Leaf Cluster to the D. F. C., an Air Medal, and a Purple Heart, according to another JWB report. Also a participant in the Ploesti attack, Sergeant Shultz, an aerial engineer aboard a Liberator, crawled over an open bomb bay to extinguish a fire started by enemy shells.

Col. Benjamin Stern of Lincoln, Nebr., a Signal Corps officer, has been awarded the Legion of Merit for “exceptionally meritorious performance of duties,” the JWB announcement says. Colonel Stern was cited for organizing an air warning service for his unit and establishing an air warning training school. He has been in service twenty years.

First Sgt. Norman R. Goldberg of New York City, who directed traffic from the beach during the invasion of Sicily, exposed “continually to enemy fire” and who refused to be relieved from duty “despite severe physical stress,” has been decorated with the Legion of Merit, personally presented by Lt. Gen. Clark, the JWB report concludes.