jews d

in
the

where Billie’s parents are interred. The
bittersweet ceremony included an emo-
tional precision flag-folding ceremony,
a 21-gun salute and the somber tones of
Taps played by a lone bugler.
After the ceremony, 1st Sgt. Michelle
Belcher presented the flag to Pet Nosan
and recited the following time-honored
words: “On behalf of the President of the
United States, the United States Army and
a very grateful nation, please accept this
flag as a symbol of our appreciation for
your brother’s honorable and faithful ser-
vice to our country.”
Thanks to a generous donation by the
family of A. Alfred Taubman, a stone bear-
ing Billie Pearl’s name now rests between
his parents’ grave stones.
No body. No funeral. But finally some
sense of closure.
“The comfort brought to Billie’s younger
sister was, as I had hoped, truly touching,”
Techner said. “I thanked each member of
the Honors Team, but they returned the
thanks to me.”
Belcher said, “You have no idea how
much we appreciate being here today. Our
motto is ‘No soldier left behind.’”
A few days after the ceremony, Techner
received a handwritten note from Pet
Nosan, who lives in West Bloomfield.
“I cannot begin to thank you enough for
arranging the most beautiful experience
for me and my family,” she wrote. “After 72
years, my brother is with his mother and
father. Thank you for caring enough to

received the official tribute he so richly
deserved — that is, until a chance meet-
ing at a shivah call between Pet Nosan
and David Techner changed everything.

MAKING THINGS RIGHT
Nosan shared the heart-wrenching story
of her brother with Techner.
“As the conversation advanced,” he
recalled, “tears welled up in her eyes.
I could see not only the pain of losing
her only brother, but also that the lack
of any further acknowledgment had
weighed on her for seven decades.”
“Appalled” is how Nosan described
Techner’s reaction to her story. He
assured her he “would do something to
honor her brother.”
Following that conversation, office
manager Kelly Woerner at Kaufman
Chapel in Southfield began correspond-
ing with the Army Reserve Military
Funeral Honors Team based in Fraser,
Mich. The necessary paperwork and
preparations for a full military memo-
rial service were put into motion.
“I was amazed by their response,”
Techner said.
Last Nov. 6, just five days before
Veterans Day, Pet Nosan, surrounded
by an intimate gathering of family
members, witnessed the long-overdue
honoring of her beloved brother. A
dozen members of the Army Reserve
Military Funeral Honors Team gathered
at Machpelah Cemetery in Ferndale

EMU Jewish Studies
To Host Expert In
Voting Patterns

Jim Gerstein

Ypsilanti
The Eastern Michigan University
Center for Jewish Studies is present-
ing “The 2016 Election and the Jewish
Vote” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15.
Jim Gerstein, America’s leading
expert on Jewish voting patterns, will
discuss the results and voting trends
of the 2016 presidential election at
the event, which will be held in the
Student Center Auditorium at 900
Oakwood St., Ypsilanti. The event is
free and open to the public.
The Jewish demographic in the
United States traditionally votes
for the Democratic party, is heavily
involved in politics and makes up a
significant population in important

DAVID TECHNER

continued from page 18

Army Reserve Military Funeral Honors Team members get ready to fold the memorial flag.

make this happen. After such a long time,
Billie is finally where he belongs, thanks in
large part to you.”
Techner said, “I try to honor every
veteran who served this country with a
tribute by the Jewish War Veterans and/or

states such as Florida, said Martin
Shichtman, director of the Center for
Jewish Studies and professor of English
language and literature at EMU.
“The election came as a surprise
to so many, and it surprised so many
pollsters,” Shichtman said. “It will be
interesting to hear what he [Gerstein]
will say in retrospect.”
Shichtman also said the Jewish
demographic serves as a bellwether
for voting trends. Gerstein will pro-
vide insight into these trends, discuss
if they will change in future elections
and explain how Jewish voters help
pollsters determine who will win elec-
tions.
Gerstein is a founding partner of

the military branch to which each veteran
served.”
Now Pet Nosan has the one thing she
has spent a lifetime longing for — “that
everyone will know there was a Billie
Pearl in this world.” •

GBA Strategies in Washington, D.C.,
and provides research-based strategic
counsel for candidates running for
office, nonprofit organizations, arts
and cultural institutions, as well as
Fortune 500 companies.
He has served as executive direc-
tor of the progressive research and
strategy organization, Democracy
Corps; executive director of the Center
for Middle East Peace and Economic
Cooperation; and established Israel’s
Institute for Peace and Security, which
provides financial, organizational and
strategic support for Arab-Israeli proj-
ects.
For details on the event, contact
jewish.studies@emich.edu. •

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