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JWV Member Chosen to Become Hologram in the Shoah Foundation’s New Project

Max Glauben Speaking at Texas A & M. Photo Credit – Texas A&M Hillel

By Anna Selman, Programs and Public Relations Coordinator

For JWV members going to the opening night of the Dallas Holocaust Museum next year, they will see a familiar face.  That is because JWV Member Max Glauben was chosen by the Dallas Holocaust Museum and the USC Shoah Foundation to be the face of their new interactive Holocaust exhibit.

“They’ll get to have a conversation with Max,” says USC Shoah Foundation Program Manager Kia Hays, “to maybe ask Max a question they might have had about the Warsaw ghetto after going through that or they might have had about the camps, or survival or coping…and get an answer and really connect with him on a very personal level.”

Glauben, born in Warsaw, Poland, survived the Warsaw Ghetto, multiple concentration camps and the death march as a young teenager.  Since coming to America, he has committed his life to telling his story to ensure that the Holocaust is never forgotten.

“I have devoted my retirement to telling my story, and starting the seed for the Holocaust Museum that is scheduled to be finished next year around September 2019.  It is going to be a fine museum with, of course, the Hologram Exhibit that was made with the USC Shoah Foundation,” said Max.

Glauben is one of the few remaining Holocaust survivors living in Dallas.  As with most Holocaust survivors, Max is realizing that there will be no one else to tell their story after he is gone.  This new innovative project will allow students to interact with a life-like hologram that hopefully give the students the ability to speak with a holocaust survivor.

However, he also visits schools as a Jewish War Veteran.  “I come to speaking events when asked because I am a Jewish War Veteran.  I love going to the schools and speaking with the children to tell them about my service,” said Max.

He was drafted during the Korean War in 1951.  Max served for the next four years in different locations state-side as a mess hall sergeant.

Max Glauben being filmed for project. Photo Credit – Texas Jewish Press

“When I was liberated, the Americans gave us uniforms and had us help out.  While I was at the DP camps, I would run the mess hall and I would drive the cars.  So, I had a little experience coming.  When I came to the states in 49, I registered for the draft and I was picked up in 1951,” said Max.

“I remember running the mess hall.  I had the walls painted and had pictures of Mull Mullens up on the walls.  At Fort Hood, I was awarded for the best mess hall.  I don’t think anyone knew I was a Holocaust survivor.  I just went with the flow.  In those days, being a Holocaust survivor didn’t mean much, but I didn’t want to be treated any differently.  I just wanted to be a normal person; I didn’t want anyone to feel sorry for me,” said Max.

“When I came to the country, I was not a citizen.  I was grateful for what I did, and I became a patriot to the United States.  They gave me citizenship.  I feel that if you live in a country, and you should love that country and the people in that country.  I honored my commitment to the country that saved my life, and I feel good and I don’t care how anyone else feels about that.”

Max is now able to go back to the places that he served in order to tell his fellow soldiers about his experiences.

“I went to Fort Hood and Fort Sill for their Holocaust remembrance ceremonies a couple of years ago.  I think it is important to tell our military about the Holocaust.  They incorporate some of the things we went through into their practice about how they should handle certain things,” said Max.

“I think it is important what myself and the other holocaust survivors are doing right now.  We need to fight hatred, bigotry and racism,” said Max.  “We need to ensure things like freedom of speech, freedom of religion are not broken.  Unless we tell the people like it is and how things can change rapidly if we act the way we are acting right now, what goes around comes around…but you never know,” said Max.

Volume 72. Number 3. Fall 2018

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Finding Jewish War Veterans in Dutchess County

by Martin C. Hochhauser, Post 625

Private Herman Siegel Post #625, Poughkeepsie, Jewish War Veterans of the United States, embarked on a project to identify as many Jewish veterans as possible who lived in Dutchess County, NY; not just living veterans, but as many veterans as possible from all prior eras. During our search we contacted a representative from Arlington High School who told us of their memorial to all war veterans who had attended that school.

The senior officers of Post #625 paid a visit to the school to view their “Arlington High School Wall of Remembrance” display, which takes up a significant portion of a wall near their main entrance.  The Wall is dedicated to Arlingtonians who perished during military service to our country during World War II, the Korea War, Vietnam War and Afghanistan War. The one Jewish veteran we found on the wall was Phillip E. Budd, who was killed during WW II. (Our namesake Herman Siegel was not listed because he attended Poughkeepsie HS).

A special portion of the wall is dedicated to Silver Star recipient PFC Charlie Johnson who graduated AHS in 1951 and died heroically during the Korean War.   He is widely known for single-handedly holding off enemy forces who overran Outpost Harry throughout an eight-day battle, personally saving nine wounded comrades including fellow AHS graduate Don Dingee. A sculpture on display at the high school shows Johnson dragging the wounded Dingee to safety.

The Arlington High School Wall of Remembrance is an eloquent and meaningful display honoring those who served and gave the ultimate sacrifice.  JWV Post #625 is grateful that we had the opportunity to visit, understand and appreciate the sacrifices of Dutchess County’s youth in times of war.  Attending were (from left) Presiding Officer Rob Rubin, Commander Ron Markowitz, Past Post Commander Robert L. Morrison, Past Post Commander Ralph Schwartz, and Chief of Staff Martin Hochhauser.

Volume 72. Number 2. Summer 2018

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CPL Morris Meshulam: Coming Home After 67 Years

CPL Morris Meshulam’s name on the “Court of the Missing” at the Honolulu Memorial

By Anna Selman, Programs and Public Relations Coordinator

UPDATE WASHINGTON – On September 23, Army Cpl. Morris Meshulam remains were buried in Indianapolis. Meshulam died at the age of 19 in 1950 from malnutrition, frostbite and gangrene after being captured as a Prisoner of War (POW) during the Korean war.

UPDATE 9/14/2018 – JWV has been made aware that the ceremony will take place on Sunday, September 23rd at Etz Chaim Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana.  All those who wish to attend the ceremony should contact the Etz Chaim Synagogue ensure there is enough space.  JWV has ensured that a JWV member will be in attendance to be there for our battle buddy.  For any more questions, please email us at jwv@jwv.org.

WASHINGTON – On June 4, 2018, JWV received a notification from the U.S. Army that the remains of CPL Morris Meshulam had been identified.  CPL Meshulam, who died 67 years earlier, was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on July 11, 1931 to Sam and Pauline Meshulam.  His parents were founding members of the Etz Chaim Congregation, which is a small community of Sephardic Jews in Indianapolis.  According to the family, Moe dropped out of High School when he was 18 to sign up for the Army.

The little that we know of CPL Meshulam, or Moe as he liked to be called, comes from his surviving family – his sister Rose and his nephews Sam and Morris.  Rose was contact by Army a couple of weeks ago, and she was in “total shock” that her baby brother was finally found.  CPL Meshulam’s brother Jack and his twin sister Rae gave their DNA to DOD officials to 2006 to help identify Moe’s body.  Finally, Jack, Moe and Rae will finally be brought together in the family plot in Indianapolis later this year.

From what we do know about CPL Meshulam’s service, he completed basic training, and afterwards, he was sent to Korea to be part of Battery D of the 82nd Anti-Aircraft Battalion in the 2nd Infantry Regiment on July of 1950.  His first battle must have been on August 31st when the North Koreans attacked their position on the Nantong River Line, which resulted in a 16-day battle that ended up with the unit gaining more territory for United Nation forces.  It is likely that after this battle Meshulam was promoted to Corporal.

CPL Morris Meshulam in uniform.

His Division was within fifty miles of the Manchurian border when Chinese forces entered the fight, and during the Battle of the Ch’ongch’on River, his unit’s mission was to protect the rear and right flank of the Eighth Army as it retreated to the South.  After this battle, while surrounded and outgunned, CPL Meshulam’s Battery fought through what later was known as “The Gauntlet” – a valley where UN forces faced road blocks and heavy fire from Chinese forces.  His unit lost nearly one third of its remaining soldiers.  CPL Meshulam was captured in the Gaunlet near Kunu-ri on December 1, 1950 and taken as a Prisoner of War.  He later died in January 11th of 1951 either from severe malnutrition or injuries that he received during the battle.

The remains of soldiers that died in North Korea were returned by the North Koreans in two waves: one in 1954 (also known as Operation Glory) and another from 92-94.  It is estimated that out of the 4,219 bodies that were returned, 416 bodies were unable to be identified.  All unidentified soldiers were placed in the Punchbowl Cemetery in Honolulu, Hawaii.  The DoD has led a massive effort to identify the remains of these soldiers – about 90 military researchers are currently working at labs in Hawaii, Nebraska and Ohio to identify the bones of Americans as we speak.  The number varies from year to year, but they approximately identify around 30-50 remains a year through advanced DNA techniques.  Since CPL Meshulam’s remains have been accounted for, a rosette will be placed next to his name on the “Court of the Missing” at the Honolulu Memorial to mark that he now rests in a known gravesite.

JWV is grateful to the Department of Defense, the U.S. Army and the Korean War Project for ensuring that CPL Morris Meshulam can finally come home.  Although we do not have a date yet, we have been in contact with the family, and we have shared our sympathies and support for them.  We have been in contact with the Department Commander of Ohio, who has stated that they are committed to being at the funeral when it takes place.  Our goal at JWV is to ensure that each and every veteran is able to come home, and we are so glad that after 67 years, we can finally say that CPL Morris Meshulam is coming home.

Volume 72. Number 2. Summer 2018

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