Jewish War Veterans Art Fishman of Oak Park and
Bob Russman of Farmington Hills share a laugh.

World War II memorial will
honor Michiganders who served
here and abroad.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

to countless others who served on the home
front, where "Rosie the Riveter" and the
"Arsenal of Democracy" were born.
Even in its infancy, the Legacy Memorial
project has officially been recognized by the
Michigan Legislature as the state's tribute
to WWII, and the city of Royal Oak has fol-
lowed suit with its own declaration of sup-
port.
So, how did I, whose only active "mili-
tary duty" came as a safety patrol boy at
Schoenhals Elementary School in Southfield,
become involved? All I can tell you is that,
from an early age, I've had strong admira-
tion for those who put their lives on hold
and on the line to protect our freedom.
Perhaps growing up watching Bob Hope's
USO Christmas Specials from military bases
around the world did the trick; I don't know.
But what I do know is that this Legacy
Memorial must be built. And when we build
it, "they will come:'
The project was born out of a program
called Honor Flight Michigan; whose mis-

sion was to fly Michigan's WWII
veterans to Washington, D.C.,
free of charge, to see their
national memorial. As guardians
on a flight, my son Daniel and I
witnessed firsthand an emotional
one-day journey and the indel-
ible memory it created for our
aging vets.
After flying nearly 1,400 veterans to our
nation's capital, it became apparent to our
organization that if our veterans could no
longer make it to their memorial, then we
would have to bring it to them. The sun
is setting on our "Greatest Generation7
However, with the Michigan World War II
Legacy Memorial, we will ensure that their
courage and sacrifice will be illuminated for
generations to come.

Jewish War Vets
One of my responsibilities as a Michigan
WWII Legacy Memorial board member is
to reach out and inform our Jewish war vet-
erans (JWV) about the project. I'm happy to
report that the response has been incredible.

A rendering

shows the brick

paver walk that

ambles through

the memorial.

I'm proud to include Bob Russman and
Art Fishman, of JWV Posts 474 and 510
respectively, among my new soldier buddies;
though I've yet to talk about my safety patrol
boy years with them. Like many of their
comrades, they are humble men who, with-
out hesitation, answered the call to defend
our nation. Their love of country and resolve
is just as strong today, and they've proven
that by opening their hearts, homes and the
doors to their posts to help ensure that the
Legacy Memorial becomes a reality. Their
big battle has been over for decades, but they
have "re-upped" to help us conquer ours.
A couple of weeks ago, Bob and Art,
along with several of their fellow proud post
members, joined me and Russell Levine, our

board's vice president, on a visit to the site
that the city of Royal Oak has generously
set aside for the Legacy Memorial. What a
treasure it was to be among these gentlemen
on this bright and beautiful day. We stood
together beside the natural tree line that
encircles the parcel; embracing the area that
was destined to be the home of something
special. Nattily dressed in a crisp blue blazer
and a JWV cap, Bob gazed at the memorial
site.
"The whole thing is going to be great,"
he said. "I went to the WWII Memorial in
Washington, D.C., on the Honor Flight. It
was huge. This will be our WWII Memorial
for Michigan:'
I met Art Fishman several months ago for

Legacy on page 10

8

May 30 • 2013