Alexander Weiss is the first Jew in Hungary to be granted membership in the “Hungarian Order of Heroes.” The order was founded by Admiral Horthy, the Regent of Hungary, in the year 1922, for the purpose of conferring recognition upon those Hungarian soldiers who had especially distinguished themselves during the war. The members of this Order are allowed to prefix to their names the word “Hero” and are given a special grant of land.
The honor was conferred upon Weiss at the request of a Hungarian General, whose life had been saved by Weiss. During the retreat of the Hungarian army on the Austria-Italian front, the general was pinned under a shattered automobile. The retreating soldiers, who were anxious to escape the pursuing enemy, refused to come to his help. Only one Jewish private, Alexander Weiss, stopped in his flight to rescue the General. He bound his wounds and carried him on his back for three days until they reached a hospital. The General, who has now received a high command in the Hungarian Army, demanded a reward for his rescuer. Weiss has on five previous occasions been decorated for bravery.
It will be recalled that 10,000 Jewish soldiers fought in the Hungarian army, many of them receiving decorations for bravery from the King.
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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.
