October I, 1943

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE end The Legal Chronicle

4

New Year's Greetings to All From Michigan Communities

Before Jap bombers began to what had once been a Dutch ad- Hyrnie Epstein, of Omaha, Neb.,
A rescue party got to him b rt
lay alongside of Major Bert Epstein was dead.
Major Zeeff said later: "Dr
demolish the "open city" of Ma- ministration
building.
"I heard bullets
rip into the Zeeff,
who
the
corn-
any.
As commanded
a medical aide,
Epstein
war I guess the best go fit., t.
nila, Lieut. M ark sent a cable to opposite side of the wall. Zeros P
(Continued from page 2)
maneuver
like
flies
and
the
two
was
forbidden
to
bear
arms,
his father. "Having wonderful
a machine gun they're handing honors around,
he to
has
gone on Since
more that
than time, with you were here," he that had chased me banked sharp- Several feet
Australia.
et ahead, a man was That kid was the best. When
journey
75
missions against said, when Manila fell, and Mark ly and sped back at me, coming hit in the fe
i operational
time,
order Major
anyone
out after
the to man.
goes Hynn
for ail ,
the
enemy and has earned eight and his men were transferred to in on the other side of the wall, bullet.
Zeeff
refused
you Epstein,
can give and
mine that
to little
"
f
taken refuge.
I had
where
"They
were
after
me
person-
It
would
be
throwing
one
life
of
us.
Another Jewish serviceman dis-
Distin- Bataan.
o
awards
Foy
On Dec. 24, 1941, his squad
aw
But
Epstein crawled through tinguished himself during the
guished
Flying
Cross,
the Air
Medal, an
Oak Leaf
Cluster
to was sent into action with a cav- ally, and it looked as though the after
another.
the mud to the wounded mall. New Guinea fighting. He is Lieut.
the Air Medal, a unit citation, airy unit. It was late afternoon. Billens would be saying Kaddish
Enemy motorized units began to for
"The
a fallen
Zeros
son.
turned and roared With bullets hitting all around David Hirsch of Brooklyn, N. Y.,
he got out his bandages and navigator on a Flying Fortress.
and four Oak Leaf Clusters to move toward a nearby bridge, one
e him,
powder. He set When the Japs threatened Milne
the Another
unit citation.
Jewish soldier, Lieut. of strategic importance. Mark and down on me again, opening fire
Henry Mark of Los Angeles, his men were ordered forward to the minute they straightened out. his
Calif., was the leader of a Filipino Protect it. They took up positions. The ground began to pop all to work and bandaged the wound- Bay, he was aboard his ship on
at-
A line of the armored cars around me. It looked pretty bad ed man's neck. Then he crawled a bombing
mission
over the
bay.
Suddenly
the Fortress
was
Later in the night another man tacked by a group of Jap Zeros.
scout outside
troop fighting
the invading
Japs
of Manila.
Mark's and tanks swerved around a bend for a while. And then, suddenly, back.
Shrapnel ripped open the belly
father had fought under General in the road, and rolled toward the Zeros gave up the chase and
rs be_ the bridge. Then, some yards be- retreated back over the tree tops. was wounded in the head. Again
fore they reached the bridge, the They'd decided, I suppose, that Epstein went out, and again he of the Fortress, killing the bora-
MacArthur's father 40 yea
column stopped. The Japs evi- they were wasting too much am- got to the wounded soldier.
He hardier and disabling the co-pilot.
and crawl-
fore in the same territory.
h again
See DEED—Page 6
b o d u nd te h man's ead
n."
one
.
dently considered the bridge munition on just
back . He made it
e
maevacua-
the
Billen
took
part
in
hu ed
id d
ric hugg
heavily defended and had decided
All night the Ameans
to pick off the defenders one by tion of men and equipment from
pockets bulging Northen
Australia
and
Java.
He
the
mud
while
Jap
machine
gun-
r
one. Wit
the Purple Heart for the ners and snipers systematically
his
Mark
raced
across
earned
with
grenades,
an open
rice field, coming in on courage he displayed during the covered the ground with their
Rosh Hashonah Greetings to All
Rosh Hashonah Greetings
the flank of the column, hoping Java evacuation. He received the fire. And during the night word
to blast at least a few of the Distinguished Flying Cross for went up and down the line: "Did
tanks before they reached the flying under enemy fire for 250 you see what little Epstein did?"
bridge. A Jap sniper hiding in a hours. He holds the Silver Star
At down,
the Japs
to
Y close
in. Another
man began
was hit.
tree fired. Mark was killed in- for shooting down two enem
Planes over Rabaul on June 19, He needed attention at once, and
A. J. BENNETT, Mgr.
stantly.
stantlh.
Fighting side by side with 1942. For his part in sinking a Epstein went out after him. A
"Manistee's Largest Department
Americans of every faith, Jew- Jap ship, and for spending 100 few minutes later the wounded
7TH FLOOR, PRICE BLDG.
ish servicemen were in the thick hours in the air under enemy man dragged himself back alone.
Store Where You Will Find
of combat at Wake, Java, Guam, fire in the New Guinea area, he He was crying. "Somebody's got
Mt. Clemens, Mich.
the Cream of the Fashion
the Coral Sea and Midway. was awarded the Aid Medal. Two to go out and take care of Ep-
Crop with Nationally
There were Jewish airmen in squadron citations followed. A stein," he said. "Epstein's bleed-
s ing to death. Somebody's got to
Advertised Lines"
the 19th Bombardment Group, third citation, signed by General
a
ws
go o ut quick and get Epstein."
gallant fighters who distinguished MacArthur and Kenney,
Rosh Hashonah Greetings
themselves by their exceptional given him for his participation
performances during long range in an attack on Vunakanan Air-
364 RIVER STREET
missions. One of these men was drome at Rabaul in September,
PHONE 496
Wishes
Sergeant Theodore Billen of 1942.
Another air hero of the Jewish Season's Greetings and Best
Poughkeepsie, N. Y.
Billen's first assignment was faith, perhaps the best known of
to join a crew ferrying a Flying all, is Sergeant Meyer Levin of
Manistee, Mich.
Fortress from the United States Brooklyn, New York. He enlisted
Motor Machining and Parts for
to r the South Pacific. He didn't in 1939—two years before the
t
attack.
On
the
first
all Cars and Trucks
tta
vaa
e
or
Harbor
LOUIS FRAZIER, Mgr.
expect to become a part of the PearlHarb
ck. bombar
But
19th Bombardment Group.
a day thewar
of , as
1042 GRISWOLD ST.
good engineer and gunner was in the plane piloted by the late
Phone 311
37 Market St.
needed, and he was placed on Captain Colin Kelly, Levin launch-
6692
PHONE
sunk
the
Mt. Clemens, Mich.
ed the bom bs which
diatel y
combat
u dty imme.
his ar- Japanese battleship Haruna. Dur-
Port Huron, Mich.
after
morning
On in
the the South Pacific, he ing the battle of Coral Sea, as
1,e Shorn) Tovo Tikosevu
rival
found himself 22,000 feet in the bombardier aboard the Flying
air, engaged in a bombing mis- Fortress "Chief Seattle," Levin
sion over Macassar Straits. His sank a 15,000-ton Jap transport.
plane was part of a six-plane In January, 1943, after a year
Rosh Hashonah Greetings to All
formation doing pattern bombing. of action, during which he went
That day the formation hit a out on more than 60 combat
cruiser. missions, Levin volunteered to
New Year's Greetings
In the next four weeks, Billen take part in a reconnaissance
took part in 17 bombing missions. flight. The plane took off from
His airfield was under daily aerial an advanced operational base in
Distributors of
attack. He spent most of his New Guinea to shadow a convoy.
time on the ground in foxholes. On the way back, it ran into a
Later, telling about this period, storm. Its tanks were almost
HI—SPEED
"I still squirm when empty. It plunged downward
PETROLEUM
PRODUCTS
Billen
said,
I remember what happened to through the driving rain. The
me one afternoon on that bat- wind screamed against the plane,
OFFICE
and the crew members knew they
Makers of
tared airfield.
crawled out of a foxhole, were going to crash. The plane
315 NORTH AVENUE
"I
a f ew feet of the
following a brief air alarm, and came within
PHONE 318
and
straightened
out.
LADIES WASH DRESSES
wat er
MT. CLEMENS, MICH.
started across the field.
Sgt. Levin crawled out of the
suddenly
I
"As I hurried along,
Mt. Clemens, Mich.
of the sound of bomb bay and began to unhook
became
planes aw
over my left shoulder. the safety clasps on the life-
saw two Jap rafts. The plane plowed into a
I
Glancing
back, along
Zeros clipping
over the wave with a shattering impact.
Nilanistee• Mich.
Z
ht at me. Somehow the stunned crew man-
rig
tree
tree
Rosh Hashonah Greetings to Our Jewish Friends
"A tops,
few comin
yards away there was aged to get free and, finding
a brick wall, all that was left of that Levin had released the rafts,
clambered aboard them. All were
saved but Levin himself. He had
COAL—BUILDER'S SUPPLIES
worked a moment too long over
PHONE 1850
the rafts, and he went down with
625 NORTH AVE.
his ship.
MT. CLEMENS, MICH.
At one point during a battle
i.e Shono Tovo Tikosevu
on New Guinea, an American unit
Rosh Hashonah Greetings
was cut off from its main force.
They had several dead and a
Best Wishes for a Happy and Prosperous New Year
number of wounded.
A company of Yanks, including
several medical aides, were sent
out to carry rations to the
trapped unit. The company crept
forward toward the jungle. The
LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED
Japs heard them. Enemy machine
guns were moved along their
line of movement. The Japs
Complete Line of Dairy Products
opened fire, and the Americans
425 QUAKER ST.
crawled into mudholes. It grew
Visit our new Dairy Bar—Plenty of Parking Space
dark.
South Has-en. Mich.
A young medical aide named
Mich.

DEED

MANISTEE, MICH.

ML CLEMENS, MICH.

Burton Macomb
County Abstract Co.

LARSEN'S

PORT HURON, MICH.

Union Farmers
Co-Operative Dairy

Macomb Motor
Parts, Inc.

Ml. CLEMENS, MICH.

MT. CLEMENS
OIL CO.

MANISTEE
GARMENT
CO.

JOHN SIERENS

J. P. McMAHON COAL CO.

SOUTH HAVEN, MICH.

MYERS ti
HUTCHINS

Michigan Shore
Lumber Supply
Co.

Miller Bros. Creamery Co.

South I liven, Mich.

Mt. Clemens,

310 EUCLID AVE.

PETOSKEY, MICH.

Rosh Hashonah Greetings and Best Wishes

THE MacDONALD DRUG STORE

E. D. FORCE

R. D. AIM

Season's Greetings and Best Wishes

BROCK-ECKEL
PHARMACY

Complete in Drugs — Free Deliver

316 HOWARD AVE.

512 PHOENIX

SOUTH HAVEN. MICH.

PHONE 141

A Happy and Prosperous New Year to All

Jacob F. Theut

SHERIFF

Macomb County

PHONE 2505

PETOSKEY,

MICH.

MT. CLEMENS, MICH.

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