Footsteps of David: Common Roots, Uncommon Valor - Softcover

Leavitt, Howard J

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0759694486 ISBN 13: 9780759694484

Publisher: 1st Book Library, 2002

Synopsis

Little is known of Jewish participation in the history of the United States: even less of Jewish involvement in our armed forces. To read a history of our public schools, one would never know that Jews have been citizens, much less soldiers, of our country, from the inception of the Republic. While token mention is made of a Haym Solomon, or a Dr. Salk, scarce attention is paid to the important role of Jewish-Americans in the history of the United States.Footsteps of David acquaints the reader with dozens of stories of Jewish-American heroes, their role, service, and sacrifice in the military. Some of the participants are well known, most are obscure, unnoticed, and unpublicized. Other than their own circle of friends and family, few know of their heroic and unselfish service. Jewish service has been important, but unrecognized. While our ethnic/religious groups have all made their contribution to the aggrandizement, success, and defense of our country, the Jewish role has been ignored. Footsteps of David corrects that oversight. It fills that void.In Footsteps of David, one reads of dozens of Jewish GIs and heroes, participants in all of our conflicts and wars. They come to life. We read of their service, valor, honor, and sacrifice: the same as those of all our countrymen in defense of our country. They faced the same hardships, deprivations, and successes. But, at times, they had to do so in the face of antipathy and contempt, which made their task doubly difficult. That they emerged from the forge of enemy and friendly fire is further evidence of the difficult path that many trod. Thus, the undecorated as well as the decorated are true heroes of our nation.Cervantes said that his honor is dearer to him than his life. The pages of Footsteps of David exemplify the words of the great Spanish writer.

About this title

About the Author

Howard J. Leavitt was born in Boston, Massachusetts, March 4, 1929. Raised in neighboring Brookline, he graduated from Brookline High School in 1947 (majoring in baseball and swimming), and from American University (Washington, D.C.) in 1951. In 1959, he received a Master of Arts degree in Spanish from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (Mexico City).Leavitt joined the Marine Corps Reserve in his senior year of high school, was called to active duty in 1951, volunteered for service in Korea, and served two years, including seven months in Korea. He is the recipient of the Presidential United Citation, Navy Unit Citation, National Defense Service Medal, Korea Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, and the Marine Sharpshooter Medal.He taught high school Spanish and French for thirty years in California. Now in retirement in Riverside, California, he operates a small photography business and is engaged in his new passion of writing about Jews in the military. Married to the former Beatriz Moreno for over forty years, he and his wife have two daughters and an autistic grandson whom they have been rearing since his birth in 1986.Leavitt has traveled extensively, including Korea and Tunisia (courtesy of the U.S. government), Mexico, Cuba, and Japan. He camped throughout Europe to and from a sabbatical year in Israel. He is an active member of his local synagogue and has been commander of Post 512, Jewish War Veterans of the United States, for several years. Working out regularly at the neighborhood sports club, he tries, with accompanying frustration, to stay in the shape he was as a gung-ho Marine in the early '50s.He is a member of the Semper Fi Marine Honor Detail, which renders military honors to veterans interred at Riverside National Cemetery, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Marine Corps Association and the 1st Marine Division Association. He is also an associate member of the 5th Marine Division Association

Edition details

• Publisher: 1st Book Library
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0759694486
• ISBN 13: 9780759694484
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 608