On the 69th anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 2013, my 6th grade history class at Magen David Yeshivah (MDY) experienced a unique event. They had spent ten months learning about World War II, extensively researching Pearl Harbor Day and Yom HaShoah and discussing their findings and thoughts about these special days that are part of American Jewish history.
To commemorate the Normandy invasion, I shared the story of my Great-Uncle PFC Julius Moses Lask A’H, set against the background of America’s involvement in WWII. Displayed at the front of the classroom were an American flag in a triangular commemorative case, a set of dog-tags, a marksman’s medal, a picture of PFC Lask in uniform, and a Purple Heart. I opened the program by asking the class to look carefully at the American flag and think of an answer to the question: “What do you think is the cost of this American flag?” The students held their answers until the end of the program.
My tale was that of a typical American Jewish family in the 1940s. The family consisted of my Great-Grandparents Fannie and Charles Lask and their three sons: Great-Uncle Julius, Grandpa Jack, and Great-Uncle Herbie. In elementary school, Julius was not a good student. Because he was very talented with his hands and could fix anything, he went to a trade high school, where he learned to be a machinist and toolmaker. Like many families of what is now known as “the greatest generation,” mine was very patriotic and accepted the fact that Julius was drafted at 18. Julius had wanted to be drafted into the Navy, where he hoped to serve as a mechanic on an aircraft carrier. Indeed, he was drafted into the Navy and ordered to report on Yom Kippur 1943. His strong Jewish roots would not let him do this and, instead, he agreed to be drafted into the Army Infantry two weeks later. Julius went off to basic training at Fort Dix in New Jersey, and later Camp Blanding in Florida, leaving behind Jack, aged 15, and Herbie, aged 8. At that time, the Army would not allow a soldier under the age of 19 to go into combat. Julius turned 19 on June 16 and shipped out of the Brooklyn Army Terminal to France on June 28, 1944, as part of a unit sent to replace the great losses of the D-Day landing in Normandy. On August 18, he was wounded at Saint Lo and later died of his injuries. He was buried in a military cemetery in France with a Magen David over his grave and one of his dog-tags nailed to the star to identify him.
After WWII was over, my Great-Grandparents were given the option of an all-expense paid trip to France to visit the grave or having the body brought back to the US for re-burial. They chose to have Julius brought home. The process took four years. My Grandfather Jack, who was 19 at the time, went with his mother Fannie to Fort Hamilton when the ship, stacked with coffins, came into port. PFC Julius Moses Lask was buried in the family plot in a military funeral with a 21 gun salute. An honor guard presented an American flag to the family, with the words “This flag is presented on behalf of a grateful nation and the United States Army as a token of appreciation for your loved one’s honorable and faithful service.”
The students continued to listen intently as my Great-Uncle Herbert Lask, himself a U.S. Navy veteran, offered his memories of WWII and of his brother. Speaking of that terrible time, he noted that everyone in the neighborhood had a family member who was fighting and felt that it was an honor to defend America. He answered many thoughtful questions from the class, both about his older brother, and his own service, such as “How did you feel when your brother went off to war?” “What happens when a soldier has to fight on Shabbat?” “When do soldiers in battle eat and sleep?” “Did you ever see someone die?”
Students also were able to see the artifacts up close and relate them to the story they had just heard. The class understood that the price of the American flag they saw was that of a young man’s life, that of my Great-Uncle PFC Julius Moses Lask A’H.
MDY’s beloved security guard, Al Nunez, himself a Vietnam veteran, visited the class to see the artifacts and share some of his own experiences with the students. He spoke of the loyalty soldiers feel for each other and how they protect each other, sometimes with their lives.
The compelling program left the students with the knowledge that soldiers or veterans are to be greeted and thanked for their service, as well as an appreciation of the fact that the freedoms we are blessed with in the United States are not free.
By : Sharona Spiewak
