The White House announced today that President Truman has made a posthumous award of the “Medal of Merit” to Al Jolson “for extraordinary fidelity and exceptionally meritorious conduct” as a volunteer entertainer for U.S. troops. Jolson died of a heart attack after his return from Korea where he entertained American units.
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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.