16 January 3 • 2019 jn jn O n the day before Chanukah began, I received an early and priceless gift. It came in the form of an inspiring conversation I had with 93-year-old WWII Jewish War Veteran (JWV) Elvin “ Al” Rasof in his West Bloomfield apartment. Al has received several prestigious awards for his ser- vice, but this past Aug. 16, more than 73 years after he flew in one of the last B-17 missions of WWII, Al was awarded France’ s Knight of the Legion of Honor, its highest commendation. The award, given to U.S. veterans who risked their lives during WWII to fight on French territory, was bestowed upon him in a private ceremony. The French government doesn’ t seek veterans out for the award. Al only found out about his eligibility after see- ing information posted during one of his frequent visits to the website of the 487th Bomb Group, of which he was a radio man and gunner during the war. The official letter to Staff Sgt. Al Rasof from the Consulat General De France states: “You gave your youth to France and the French people. Many of your fellow soldiers did not return but they remain in our hearts … You saved us. We will never forget … Gratitude and remembrance are forever in our souls. ” Although his bomb attacks over France in “Operation Venerable” played a pivotal role in the defeat of the remain- ing German forces, Al made it clear that he did not want to be made out a hero. “I beg of you, I did nothing like the guys who flew before me and died, ” he told me. It was a request, a kindly demand really, he repeated several times during our two-hour visit. If it had been up to a very modest and humble Al Rasof, that ceremony and recognition would have remained known only to those in attendance. That included Rabbi A. Irving Schnipper of the Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network, a friend and weekly visitor of Al’ s as well as a Korean conflict veteran. He shared the details with JN publisher Arthur Horwitz, which led to my meet- ing Rasof. In an attempt to take the spotlight off himself, Al redirected the conversation toward a cover story he wrote for the JN 16 years ago about his cousin, world boxing champion and WWII hero Barney Ross, who was awarded the Silver Star for his bravery. (Visit djnfoundation. org to find Remembering a Fighter, Nov. 8, 2002.) Al “failed” to mention that in that same issue, the late JN Contributing Writer Bill Carroll wrote a related story that including Al’ s war experience. In true Rasof fashion, he downplayed his wartime role in that article; describing his bombing missions as “milk runs” toward the end of the war because of the diminished counter attacks by the soon- to-be defeated German forces. At every turn, Al shone the spot- light on veterans other than himself. He recalls how a club made up of 14 boyhood friends in his hometown of Chicago all enlisted. “I was so proud to be a microcosm of the Jewish communi- ty contributing to the war effort, ” he said. He honored one of those “boys” in 1995, when he drove to Illinois to leave his 50th high school commemorative pin at the grave of his friend Sidney Frederick Barr. While Sydney was recov- ering from an injury in a field hospital during WWII, German soldiers, sensing their impending loss, infiltrated the hospital and systematically went from bed to bed shooting each soldier who lay defenseless. Sidney was among them. A TRUE MENTSH Rasof spends the majority of his day in a recliner chair. The love he showed his caregivers during my visit was some- thing to behold, a sentiment shared by Rabbi Schnipper: “He’ s so appreciative. No matter what people do for him, from that chair he exudes menschlichkeit. ” It’ s that same endearing quality he exhibited as a doting husband. Al spoke glowingly about his 64-year marriage to his beloved wife, Betty (Yack), whom he described as a “treasure. ” Betty passed away in 2009. Said Al: “ All I want is to walk hand in hand with Betty again. ” He told me with great pride that as a spouse of a veteran, Betty is laid to rest at the Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, Mich. Blending sorrow with a sense of humor, Al shared with me the three things Betty said during one of their final conversations: “Take care of my sister Rose; I’ ll jump into your arms when you get here; and don’ t forget the casserole in the freezer. ” Betty passed away a week later, lying next to her beloved. Al made good on his promise, ensur- ing Rose’ s well-being by visiting her every day for four years until her passing at age 101. It was a labor of love, a way to pay tribute to Betty’ s sister who “opened her home and heart” on Buena Vista in Detroit after the war to newlyweds Al and Betty Rasof. “Rose took us in, ” Al said. “She had one husband, one child, one bathroom and a Murphy bed for us — two nuch schleppers (Yiddish for hangers on). ” Once settled in Detroit, Betty became a bookkeeper and Al, after several years as a retailer, earned his Ph.D. at Wayne State University. He spent the remainder of his career as an educator and admin- istrator dedicated to helping make a difference for kids in the Detroit Public Schools. Today, Al spends his days listening to books on tape and his favorite music. He is, as described by Rabbi Schnipper, “sharp as a whip. ” And, as I had the priv- ilege of witnessing, he continues, as his 94th birthday on Dec. 23 just passed, to have an insatiable thirst for getting the most out of every day of his life. “I have no complaints, ” Al told me. “I’ m surrounded by everything I love. ” ■ jews d in the TOP LEFT: Staff Sgt. Al Rasof with Consul General of France Guillaume Lacroix and Honorary Consul of France in Michigan Jean Mallebay-Vacqueur. TOP RIGHT: Rabbi A. Irving Schnipper blows the shofar for Al Rasof prior to the High Holidays. Alan Muskovitz Award After Decades WWII offi cer dedicates French decoration to his fallen comrades.