The Jewish War Veterans of the United States were called upon today in a Memorial Day message by their national commander, Benjamin Kaufman, to concentrate all their efforts towards speedy victory.
“The program for winning a total war is one which calls for the voluntary participation of all the people,” the message said. “This means, that we pledge ourselves not to cheat on gasoline rationing, nor to hoard sugar, to voluntarily convert at least 10% of our income into War Bonds. It means that we will walk in order to save rubber and that we will save tin cans and paper in order to help out our dwindling stock of supplies.
“These are the things which we must pledge our honored dead. By conforming to this pledge we will honor them more than by uttering statements of pride in their accomplishments. Let us honor them by living in such a way as to prove that we have learned why they died. We pledge ourselves to make their memory more effective by making their sacrifice the last of such sacrifices.
On Memorial Day, we honor the heroes who fought so bravely at Valley Forge, New Orleans, Bull Run, Bataan and Corregidor, at Wake Island and Pearl Harbor, but let us see to it that no more such heroes need be made.”
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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.