The military quality of Jewish soldiers in the U. S. armed forces was praised here today by Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor, U. S. Army Chief of Staff, addressing the third annual armed services rally arranged by the National Jewish Welfare Board. Two hundred and forty-three volunteers active in JWV’s morale and religious programs for servicemen and hospitalized veterans in 42 military installations were honored at the rally.
“Our American past, in terms of military history, abounds in examples of military contributions to our country by citizens of Jewish origin,” Gen. Taylor said. “The work of Jews in the World Wars is fresh in the memory of most of us here. Over 500,000 Jews served in the U. S. armed forces in World War II, gaining some 36,000 awards and citations for gallantry and conspicuous service.”
Gen. Taylor also lauded the work of the representatives of the National Jewish Welfare Board who visit Jewish soldiers and minister to their needs. “As a commander, often responsible for many Jewish soldiers, I have viewed the members of the JWB as colleagues supplementing and extending the work of military commanders in an endeavor to assure the physical and moral well-being of their troops,” he declared.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
