Hall of Heroes:American Jewish Recipients of The Medal of Honor

PFC. HERBERT GOLDMAN

Distinguished Service Cross

Private Herbert Goldman of Brooklyn was killed in action in Italy and was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism in combat with the Fifth Army. In a single-handed attack against a fortified building, Private Goldman slew three German soldiers.

His company had run into machine-gun and rifle fire, originating in a farmhouse about 200 yards from them. Goldman, on his own initiative, advanced down a shallow ditch. Moving out of the ditch, he was caught by a burst of enemy machine-gun fire, and wounded slightly. He fell back, then crawled ahead a few more yards, and emptied a magazine from his tommy gun at the building.

He was dashing for the house across open ground when an enemy slug got him. He staggered slightly, continued running. He pressed up against the house, poked his gun through a slit, and sprayed the interior of the house. Another slug, later to prove fatal, hit him. But before he died, he crept to the window and tossed in a number of hand grenades. He killed three Germans and seven others surrendered.

MAJOR SID GOLDSTEIN

Distinguished Service Cross

Major Goldstein was born in Glen Cove, NY. He enlisted in the Army at age 21 and served for 21 years until retirement.

He received his Distinguished Service Cross while an infantry platoon leader with Co. A, 133rd Inf. Regt., 34th Infantry Division in Italy on September 19, 1944. Then 2nd Lt. Goldstein attacked enemy-held hill in the Gothic Line with 24 men. They assaulted the enemy dugout and captured four German soldiers. Then Lt. Goldstein with two men assaulted a second enemy dugout, capturing a German officer and two enlisted men.

The German officer offered to surrender the remainder of his force upon the condition that only Lt. Goldstein accompany him. Two more German officers and approximately 40 enlisted men surrendered. Then the German officer volunteered to lead Lt. Goldstein to another German position and they returned with 16 more prisoners. Lt Goldstein's bravery and aggressiveness resulted in the capture of 67 Germans and affected a break-through in the strong enemy Gothic Line. Sid Goldstein had his Distinguished Service Cross personally pinned on by General George C. Marshall in February 1945.

LIEUTENANT HYMAN GOLDBERG

Distinguished Service Cross

Major General Carl Spaatz wrote this summary of the action which earned Lt. Hyman Goldberg a Distinguished Service Cross:

"On April 6, 1943, 2nd Lt. Hyman Goldberg,while engaging in high altitude bombardment mission against enemy shipping, distinguished himself above and beyond the call of duty.

"Just prior to beginning the bombing run on the target, Lt. Goldberg's B-17 was attacked by enemy fighters. During this attack, a 20mm cannon struck and exploded in Lt. Goldberg's back, blowing his parachute and inflicting critical wounds with such violence as to throw him from his bombardiers' seat to the floor of the aircraft. One hole four inches in diameter was ripped from the right lumbar region of his back, with two smaller wounds two inches in diameter adjacent. In addition, shell fragments pierced and lodged in the peritoneal cavity.

"Because of lacerated muscles, he was unable to move, but despite his acute pain, loss of vast quantities of blood, and the high altitude, Lt. Goldberg refused first aid offered by Lt. B. Aikens, a British officer who was present in the bombardiers compartment as an observer. Lt. Goldberg demanded to be lifted back to his bombsight, at the same time appealing to Lt. Aikens to man the nose machine guns. Mindful only of his responsibility as lead bombardier for his element, he proceeded to synchronize his sights on the target, drop his bombs, report "Bombs Away," and close the bomb bay doors. Throughout this time, he had to be held upright in his seat.

"His actions were not futile, since these and other bombs of the flight caused immense damage to the target. Furthermore, upon return to the base, the wounds had become so intensely painful that medical officers were unable to remove him from his seat at the bomb sight and had to administer an intravenous anesthetic before they could remove him to the ambulance.

"Through the whole of his action, Lt. Goldberg thought and acted with supreme devotion to his duty and responsibility and with no regard whatsoever for his own perilous position. He carried out a difficult task under extreme hazards in a manner of extraordinary heroism, which through his gallantry, endurance, courage and absolute devotion to duty, reflects the highest credit to himself and to the military."

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