In the Mailbag - December 2017

E. Jan Kounitz

JK Memorial Collage Update

The year was 1944, mid-December, with the worst winter of record raging in Europe, the Allies were under attack in what was to become known as the Battle-of-the-Bulge.  Years later it would be calculated that this was the 4th most deadly military disaster the USA would ever have, almost 20, 000 men were killed.  

The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945.

Staff Sargent Jerome “Jerry” Kounitz and his squad of men were caught in the thick of combat in Ardennes, Belgium ... they found themselves cut off from the command & control units surrounded by hostile forces.   Telegrams were sent out to the families of these presumably “lost” men that they were MIA (missing in action) and presumed dead.   Fortunately, the information was proven incorrect when in Mid-January S/S Kounitz and his men reemerged having been sheltered by valiant Belgium families that hid and fed them for the duration of their ordeal.

That was then .. this is now ... almost exactly 73 years later to the day that my father was considered ‘lost-in-action’ ...

today, a representative of the Mercer County Community College’s Holocaust Museum, picked up for future display at the museum, a memorial collage based on my father’s life and his WWII involvement that I made from his personal memorabilia, collected personal papers, correspondence, citations and awards.   This collage was completed in 2011 and will be put on display in 2018 ... 7 years after its creation, coincidently my father served in General George Patton’s Seventh Armored Division.

I’m proud and pleased that my work and particularly my father’s life will be acknowledged and honored by the displaying of this collage.  I specifically want to thank those folks that were instrumental in getting this collage placed with the museum .... Thank you Naomi and Arthur.

An official presentation ceremony will be held at the Museum in the early part of 2018, a date and time to be determined.   Yours truly will be on hand to explain the exhibition.

Best wishes to all for a healthy, safe and joyful new year.

Larry Greenfield <noreply-comment@blogger.com>	Dec 17 (1 day ago)
to me

Larry Greenfield has left a new comment on your post "YMHA Photos 1920's":

I was very happy to have found the photo of my father, Morris Greenfield. I assume it's of the YMHA basketball team.



Posted by Larry Greenfield to TrentonJewishHS at December 17, 2017 at 4:54 AM

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Bernice Abramovich

Arthur,

Thank you for working on this; I enjoy reading it. Happy Hanukah and New Year to you, Linda, and family.

Bernice Siskowitz Abramovich