Freedom's Toll
Honoring the Jewish GIs who died fighting in Iraq.
NATE BLOOM
Jewhoo.com
r
ighting for freedom is an
American tradition: Whether
it's on our own soil when we
declared independence from England,
or in Europe during World War II, or
now in Iraq — American lives have
been the cost of freedom:
As we reflect on our freedom this
July 4, it's appropriate to remember
the most recent soldiers — at least
nine Jews among them — who died
fighting in Iraq.
It is impossible to compile an
absolutely accurate list of the Jewish
service personnel who have been
killed in Iraq. The Defense
Department no longer keeps statistics
on the religion of its personnel.
Marine Cpl. Mark Asher Evnin,
21, of South Burlington, Vt., died
April 3, 2003, of wounds received in
action. He was a scout sniper with
the 3/4 of the 1st Marine Division at
29 Palms, Calif.
Cpl. Evnin is the best known of
4,1
7/ 2
2004
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Moreover, Jewish chaplains observe a
policy of strict confidentiality regard-
ing the faith of service personnel and
will neither confirm nor deny
whether, a war casualty was Jewish.
There is one more complication.
Cheryl Waldman, public relations
officer for the Jewish War Veterans,
says that many Jewish service person-
nel in Iraq are probably "flying under
the radar." They do not want their
religious status known lest it cause
problems in their unit or, more seri-
ously, that this fact becomes known to
their enemies.
Nevertheless, the names of nine
Jewish men killed in combat have
become part of the public record via
obituary notices and similar sources.
Here is the list, arranged by date of
death:
the Jewish war dead both because he-.
was the first Jewish serviceman to die
in Operation Iraqi Freedom and
because he was among the first casu-
alties of the war. His opened an emo-
tional outpouring from Jews around
the world when his story was told in
a JTA article.
"From Israel to New Jersey, people
have been calling, writing. It has
been incredible," said the corporal's
mother, Mindy Evnin, in the JTA
article.
"I don't know why it is. Maybe it's
because the war might help Israel.
Maybe because my father was a
rabbi. I don't know, but it gives me
pleasure."
Cpl. Evnin's traditional Jewish
funeral attracted more than 1,000
mourners, including Gov. Jim
Douglas of Vermont.
Army Spc. Jeffrey M. Wershow,
22, of Gainesville, Fla., assigned to
the 2nd Battalion, 124th Infantry
Regiment, 1st Armored Division,
Orlando, Fla., was shot and killed
July 6, 2003, in Baghdad. He was a
member of the Florida Army
National Guard.
Army Pfc. Jacob S. Fletcher,
26, of Bay Shore, N.Y., was killed
Nov. 13, 2003. He was with
Company C, 2nd Battalion
(Airborne), 503rd Infantry
Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade.
Pfc. Fletcher was killed when an
explosive device hit a bus he was rid-
ing in.
According to USA Today,
"Wershow's unit became one of the
first to enter- Iraq as the war began.
Under cover of darkness and using
night-vision goggles to see, they
breached dirt berms on Iraq's borders
with Jordan and Saudi Arabia to
allow special operations forces to
drive through ... The soldiers were
led to believe they would be sent
home in mid-May. Instead, [his
company] was ordered to Baghdad.
Wershow fretted that he would miss
the fall semester at college."
Spc. Wershow was guarding a
detail of civilian Americans meeting
with Iraqi university officials when
he left the meeting after two hours to
get a soft drink. He was fatally shot
in the back of the neck by a gunman
on the campus. The gunman escaped
in the confusion that followed the
shooting.
He was inspired to join the mili-
tary following the death of a friend
in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist
attacks. His father Marlowe told
Newsday, "Whether people believe in
the war or not, you have to believe in
our soldiers. This was an American
soldier, airborne. He was my beloved
son and he was a hero."
The Jewish War Veterans runs a program to assist Jewish service personnel in
Iraq called "Operation SOS." Care packages are sent to soldiers who identify
themselves as Jewish to the JWV or are identified by friends and families writing
the JWV. Other supplies are sent to Jewish chaplains for distribution to soldiers.
Contact Operation SOS by writing Jewish War Veterans, 1811 R Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20009.