The United Jewish War Effort today made public the texts of messages received from Gen. Douglas Macarthur and Admiral William F.Halsey, American commanders in the Pacific area, Paying tribute to the Jews in the American armed forces on the occasion of American Jewish Heroes Day, which was observed throughout the United States last Sunday.
Gen. MacArthur said in his cable: “Every page of American history belies the enemy claim that one race is superior to another. That doctrine is as wrong morally as it is false scientifically. In peace and in war our country’s noblest tradition as well as the best security for our future is the doctrine that each citizen shall be weighed on his merits and not by his inheritance. The searing fires of this war have again and again and again put to the test the fighting qualities of our men and women. As colin kelly and his bombardier, Meyer Levin, so well exemplified, we have met the challenge, whether Catholic or Protestant, Jew or Gentile,On May 23, specially set aside in their honor, I am proud to join with you in saluting the memory of fallen American heroes of the Jewish faith.”
Admiral Halsey’s airmailgram read: “The Jewish heritage has been one of suffering and sorrow. Jews have always fought against oppression, seeking freedom for themselves and for all peoples. Today, the whole civilized fights against history’s greatest tyrants and oppressors. We are proud to have the Jews in our ranks. Their deeds furnish unshakable proof of their courage and loyalty to our common cause – the world wide preservation of freedom.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
