List of Jewish Americans in the military

This is a list of notable Jewish American in the U.S. military.

• Aaron Bank, United States Army Colonel, founder of US Army Special Forces (the Green Berets)
• Jeremy Michael Boorda, United States Navy Admiral, 25th Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) and first CNO to have risen from enlisted ranks
• Mark Wayne Clark, Major-General, in command of II Corps, 5th Army, 15th Army Group. Baptized Episcopalian at West Point, but the son of a Romanian Jewish mother.
• Martin Dannenberg, U.S. Army intelligence officer during World War II
• Sergeant Sam Dreben, served in the United States Army in the Philippines, Panama Canal Zone, the Pancho Villa Expedition, and World War I, also fought in Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and the Mexican revolution. Noted for his prowess with machine guns.^[1]
• Rabbi David Max Eichhorn (Jan. 6, 1906–July 16, 1986), Reform Jewish rabbi, author, and chaplain in the Army who was among the troops that liberated Dachau. He founded Merritt Island's Temple Israel.^[2]
• Moses Jacob Ezekiel, Confederate Army soldier^[3]
• Jeffrey S. Feinstein, colonel, flying ace of the USAF in the Vietnam War
• Joshua L. Goldberg, first rabbi to serve as a Navy chaplain in WWII
• Jack H. Jacobs, colonel, Medal of Honor recipient
• Leopold Karpeles, (Civil War) Sergeant, Medal of Honor recipient, Battle of the Wilderness, 1864
• Benjamin Levy, (Civil War) Private, Medal of Honor recipient, Battle of Glendale, 1862
• Uriah P. Levy, (War of 1812) first Jewish Commodore; first Jewish American to have a full U.S. Navy career (1812-1862); hero of the War of 1812; was instrumental in ending the practice of flogging; bought, repaired, restored, and preserved Monticello (Jefferson's home) (1834-1862). The Jewish Chapel at the Norfolk Naval Base is named for him, as is the Jewish Chapel at the United States Naval Academy.
• Robert Magnus, general, Former Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps
• David "Mickey" Marcus, (World War II), Army lieutenant colonel, West Point graduate, Divisional Judge Advocate, Division Commander, attended the "Big Five" meetings, volunteered to join D-Day airborne assault without formal training. Distinguished Service Cross, Bronze Star, and British decorations. Volunteered to Israeli Army to defend against Transjordan Arab Legion. Became first Israeli Brigadier General, and served as Commander of Jerusalem front.
• Morris W. Morris, aka Lewis Morrison, first Black-Jewish commissioned officer in both the Confederate (1861) and Union (1861-1865) armies; served with the 2nd Louisiana Native Guard (Confederate) and also with the 2nd Louisiana Native Guard (U.S.) after its reorganization as a Union regiment
• Judah Nadich, Jewish chaplain and advisor on Jewish affairs on Gen Dwight D. Eisenhower's staff
• John B. Oakes, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, World War II; Bronze Star, member of O.S.S. (the Office of Strategic Services); also Croix de Guerre, Medaille de Reconnaissance (France), and Order of the British Empire
• Mark Polansky, NASA, USAF (Ret.), Space Shuttle Commander
• Arnold Resnicoff, Navy Chaplain, Special Assistant (for Values and Vision) to the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force (Equivalent military rank: Brigadier General)
• Hyman Rickover, United States Navy Admiral, Father of the Nuclear Navy
• Jack L. Rives, Lt. General, USAF, TJAG (The Judge Advocate General of the Air Force)
• Maurice Rose, Major General, (World War II) Negotiated the unconditional surrender of the Germans in Tunisia, Commanded 3rd Armored Division: the first division to cross the German border and the first to breach the Siegfried line, killed in combat
• Robert Rosenthal, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF in World War II
• Tibor Rubin, (Korea) Medal of Honor for actions in battle and in Chinese POW camp
• Brigadier General Edward S. Salomon, (Civil War)
• Haym Salomon, (American Revolution), Sons of Liberty, Financier
• Francis Salvador, (American Revolution), "Paul Revere of the South"
• Norton A. Schwartz, general, Chief of Staff of the Air Force
• George Stern, (Civil War), enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as "Charles Stein" in June 1864 in Philadelphia, promoted to sergeant and later captured by the Confederates and imprisoned in Pensacola.^[4]
• Judah Touro, (War of 1812), civilian volunteer in American Army, Philanthropist
• Michel Thomas, (World War II), awarded Silver Star for service with 45th Infantry Division in 1944; CIC Agent, 1945–47
• Ellis M. Zacharias, (World War II) awarded silver star for his service as Captain (1940-1942) USS Salt Lake City and deputy director of the Office of Naval Intelligence(1942-1943)

See also

• List of Jewish Medal of Honor recipients
• Jewish American military history

References

Notes

2. New York Times obituary, July 23, 1986.
3. Moses Jacob Ezekiel
4. Robert Shosteck, "The Jewish Community of Washington, D.C. during the Civil War," Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington.