Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

Semper Fi!
Y

ou may have seen the recent, 
heart-touching photo showing 
Jewish U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. 
Matt Jaffe holding a baby during the evacu-
ations in Kabul, Afghanistan. The war there 
ended as it began, with Marines guarding 
the airport, but Jaffe showed the world the 
compassionate side of the Marine Corps 
(USMC). 
Unfortunately, this tender moment was 
followed by a despicable 
terrorist bombing that killed 
13 U.S. servicemen — 11 of 
them Marines — with others 
wounded. About 170 Afghan 
civilians were also killed and 
many more were wounded. 
As someone who served in 
the Corps, I felt the impact 
of both stories. They also led 
me to inquire about Jewish Marines in the 
William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish 
Detroit History. I found plenty of great 
reading. 
Note: While I’m writing about Marines, 
the Archive also holds a tremendous num-
ber of stories about Detroit Jews serving 
with honor in the Army, Air Force, Navy 
and Coast Guard — and the Israel Defense 
Forces. 

One of the earliest stories was about 
Jewish Detroiter and Marine Leonard Koch 
returning from WWI with a “scarred war 
diary.
” Koch fought in numerous battles, 
including Chateau-Thierry, one of the most 
storied battles in USMC history (May 23, 
1919, Chronicle). 
The JN and the Chronicle closely followed 
Jews in the Marines during WWII and 
after. You may have known some of them. 
Monte Korn, well known postwar for his 
financial advice on radio and TV
. He was 
a Marine (Feb. 28, 2013 JN). Local lawyer 
William Weinstein become the first Jewish 
Michigander and only the second Jewish 
American to become a Brigadier General in 
the USMC (Aug. 25, 1967 JN). Sgt. Sheldon 

Schwartz of Novi was a Medal of Honor 
awardee. This medal is only given to the 
bravest of the brave (Nov. 6, 2009 JN).
And it is not just Detroit Jewish men who 
served and serve in the Marines. Evelyn 
Nyman was the first Michigan woman to 
enlist in the Marines during WWII (obitu-
ary in Dec. 21, 2006 JN). Dorothy Florence 
joined the USMC in 1944 (Oct. 13, 1944 
Chronicle). In 1945, Dr. and Mrs. Morris 
Schiff welcomed their daughter, Cookie, 
home after two and a half years in the Corps 
(Dec. 14, 1945 Chronicle). 
Jewish Detroiters also do their part to 
support Marines. For example, a front-page 
photo for the Aug. 8, 1943 JN shows USMC 
Capt. Frank Upton receiving a contribution 
for the cigarette fund, a project that was 
sponsored by the JN (while no one would 
have a “cigarette fund” drive today, during 
WWII most in the military smoked and 
greatly appreciated extra cigarettes).
This tradition of Michigan Jews sup-
porting Marines continues today. For 
example, see the story about the friends 
of Lance Corporal Jordan Leitson in the 
26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) on 

board the USS Carter Hall. They 
sent him and his buddies lots of goodies 
(July 25, 2013). MEUs, by the way, are 
stationed on U.S. ships around the world, 
ready to go into action at a moment’s notice.
Appropriately, in 2019, the USMC held 
its first Jewish Heritage Month recogni-
tion for “the invaluable service and selfless 
contributions Jewish Americans, both mil-
itary and civilian, give to our country and 
Corps.
” This means Sgt. Jaffe and all Jewish 
Marines. Semper Fi!

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation 
archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.
org.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

54 | SEPTEMBER 30 • 2021 
 
 
 
 

SGT. ISAIAH CAMPBELL/USMC/JTA

As someone who served in 

Schwartz of Novi was a Medal of Honor 

SGT. ISAIAH CAMPBELL/USMC/JTA

Sgt. Matt Jaffe, a U.S. Marine assigned to the 
24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), holds 
a baby during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai 
International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan, in 
this photo taken on Aug. 20, 2021. 

board the USS Carter Hall. They