Lt. Colonel Robert S. Levine, of Columbus, Ohio, is the most decorated American Jewish serviceman, having sixteen decorations for valor, the National Jewish Welfare Board reports today.
Although only 26 years old, Levine, who enlisted in May 1940, is now an air squadron commander, and wears the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, ten Oakleaf Clusters to the Air Medal, a Presidential Unit Citation and the Croix de Guerre.
Levine distinguished himself in North Africa and through the Italian campaign. He is officially credited with shooting down four German planes. He has flown 160 aerial missions covering 83 combat hours. As pilot of a Spitfire and commander of his squadron, he won the Distinguished Flying Cross for his “outstanding leadership, resourcefulness and initiative;” “his superior tactical knowledge,” according to the award citation, was of “high inspiration to all who have served under him.”
He received the Silver Star for gallantry in action during some sixty sorties in the Tunisian campaign where, said the award citation, “by his keen professional knowledge of fighter tactics and personal example,” he was an inspiration to the men of his squadron. He was further lauded for greatly improving the squadron’s tactics and technique. The Presidential Citation covered the squadron which he commanded in Italy, a group of Mustang fighters operating in Rome.
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.
