Jewish Americans have fought in every war and conflict to protect the
liberties and freedoms of their country, despite anti-Semitism and
prejudices they encountered. Across differences of time, place, and
individual background, the heroic service members profiled in this work
share a common factor beyond their Jewish heritage: their deeds moved a
grateful nation to bestow upon them its greatest military honor.
In Jewish Medal of Honor Recipients: American Heroes, veteran author
Michael Lee Lanning presents the stories and official citations of
Jewish service members who joined the US Armed Forces' most exclusive
group through their bravery and self-sacrifice in combat.
From the total to date of 3,526 service members who have received the
Medal of Honor, Lanning has identified 17 recipients who are confirmed
to be Jewish, 11 more who are thought to be Jewish but whose ethnicity
has not been fully verified, and another five who were initially
recognized as Jewish at the time of award but who have since been
determined not to be. Each of these 33 men receives individual attention
as Lanning delves into their backgrounds with brief biographies to show
the different paths that brought them to their place on the list of
honor. He includes the full award citation for each as well.
Jewish Medal of Honor Recipients: American Heroes is the result of
thorough review of archival sources, interviews with surviving family
members, newspaper accounts, and military service records, providing
testimony to extraordinary deeds, service, and sacrifice.
