22 | NOVEMBER 9 • 2023 J
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OUR COMMUNITY
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heart-wrenching letter finally
received by his mother over a
year later in response to her
numerous inquiries about the
circumstances surrounding
her son’s death. It came in
the form of a correspondence
from a fellow soldier who said
he “had the opportunity of
becoming close to Gilbert”
both stateside and during their
tour of duty overseas. An edit-
ed down version of that letter
reads as follows:
“I am quite sure I have the
entire story of your son’s death
as it is more or less firsthand
except for the last few hours in
which I can only pass on from
a friend who was present when
he was hit. The Germans were
massed, and we expected an
attack but not with such a force.
Our orders were to hold at all
cost.
” That order did not hold.
“Your son’s outfit decided
to withdraw. Gilbert mounted
his machine gun on top of the
pillbox and covered their with-
drawal. His assistant withdrew
as soon as your son was hit ...
he said he died immediately.
”
He concluded his remarks
to Gilbert’s mother with a
painful summation.
“I felt to blame for his death
since I if I had been with him,
I would pull him back with the
rest of the squad. I certainly
wouldn’t have stayed, for it was
impossible to hold off such an
attack with my gun. I am not
trying to build your son up as
a hero to you, for he was an
average American boy and felt
it was his duty to cover for his
friends’ withdrawal. The papers
never print such individual
bravery such as that, but I am
confident your son possesses
a certain quality not found in
most soldiers who face death as
he did, knowing damn well he
didn’t have a chance in hell of
getting out alive.
“If there is anything else I
can do, please let me know as I
will gladly help in any way.
”
PRESERVING LEGACIES
The JWV Department of
Michigan (JWV-MI) has been
instrumental in preserving
lasting tributes to Michigan
Jewish War Veterans, includ-
ing Gilbert Himelhoch, who
have died in combat. In 1956
they created the “Golden
Book,” the title of which is
derived from the “Gold Star
Family” designation given to
families of soldiers who had
lost loved ones in combat
during WWII and Korea.
The book is housed in
the Rabbi Leo M. Franklin
Archives at the Joan Meyers
Jampel Center for Michigan
Jewish Heritage at Temple
Beth El. With the help of the
JWV, the book was digitized
in 2021 and can be viewed at
www.jwv-mi.org/GoldStar.
During that process, addi-
otional research led to almost
80 more names of Michigan
Jewish veterans being added
who were killed in action from
WWI to the Vietnam War up
to 1969. To add a name or to
update a current listing email
webmaster@jwv-mi.org. (For
more on the Golden Book, see
“Looking Back” on page 61.)
While preparing this col-
umn, I had the opportunity
to make a return visit to The
Michigan WWII Legacy
Memorial at 13 Mile and
Woodward in Royal Oak,
which in August celebrated
the dedication and opening of
Phase I. It pays homage to the
over 600,000 sons and daugh-
ters who served on the war-
front and the countless others
who served on the homefront.
The Jewish War Veterans
Department of Michigan is
among the supporters who
have given generously to the
memorial. I thought of Gilbert
Himelhoch as I gazed once
more at the numerous engraved
brick pavers donated by the
JWV that make up part of the
memorial’s Walk of Honor.
A bronze statute, affection-
ately referred to as “Joe,
” depicts
an Army soldier in a war zone
far from home, reading a letter
from his parents. An engraved
plaque includes a letter from
France dated Oct. 6, 1944,
written by Corporal Aarol
W. “Bud” Irish of Hemlock,
Michigan. It reads in part:
“It was pretty cold tonight
and a hard wind blowing, but
when that mail call came it
took our minds off everything. I
can’t even start to explain how
much a letter means over here.
Just keep the letters coming and
I’ll do the rest.
”
Corporal Aarol, Pfc. Gilbert
Himelhoch and all veterans
who have done, and continue
to “do the rest,” will be on my
mind this Saturday when I
participate with the JWV-MI
during Shaarey Zedek’s Annual
Veterans Shabbat morning ser-
vice. It begins at 9:30 a.m. and
will pay tribute to all branches
of the United States military
and is open to the public.
Who among us hasn’t been
gripped by today’s head-
lines? It pains me that nearly
80 years later we still face
the same evil that Gilbert
Himelhoch sacrificed his life
for. I can only imagine what
he might think.
On this Veterans Day, and
every day, give thanks to the
men and women in uniform
who remain steadfast in their
mission to protect and pre-
serve our freedom. They are
what stands between us and
those who seek to repeat the
horrors of the past.
JWV patron Alan
Muskovitz and JWV’s
Arthur Fishman at the
“Mail Call” statue at
The Michigan WWII
Legacy Memorial in
Royal Oak.
FOR MORE
INFORMATION VISIT:
michiganww2memorial.
org.
JIM HOUSE