True to My God and Country: How Jewish Americans Fought in World War II

by Françoise S. Ouzan

True to My God and Country explores the role of the more than half a million Jewish American men and women who served in the military in the Second World War. Patriotic Americans determined to fight, they served in every branch of the military and every theater of the war.

Drawing on letters, diaries, interviews, and memoirs, True to My God and Country offers an intimate account of the soul-searching carried out by young Jewish men and women in uniform. Ouzan highlights, in particular, the selflessness of servicewomen who risked their lives in dangerous assignments. Many GIs encountered antisemitism in the American military even as they fought the evils of Nazi Germany and its allies.

True to My God and Country examines how they coped with anti-Jewish hostility and reveals how their interactions with Jewish communities overseas reinforced and bolstered connections to their own American Jewish identities.

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 6, 2024

Reviews

[Susan Klieman · Rating 5 out of 5]

True To My God and Country, How Jewish Americans Fought in WW II, meticulously researched and written by Francoise Ouzan, captures the history and personal stories through interviews, memoirs, and letters from the more than 600,000 Jewish Servicemen and Women who served in WW II. Ouzan's new book is beautifully and poignantly written. I read it more than once, turning the pages from one story to the next. The intersection of military, Jewish identity, and personal history provides the apex of every element within the book. Ouzan received her PhD in history from the Sorbonne University in Paris and is currently a Senior Research Associate at the Goldstein-Goren Diaspora Research Center of Tel Aviv University.

The stories start with Ouzan's personal history. Her family came from Oran and she recalls their stories of Hope being the overarching feeling when American troops arrived in Algeria in November, 1942. Anyone reading this book will have their own memories of family members, friends, or stories as told by those who were there, or knew of those who were there. And finally she brings the stories up to the present, stating that "war is hell." The book is dedicated to a family friend who was captured in 2014 by Hamas and remains among the missing to this day.

One reads of both life in the military and life as a Jew. Celebrating Passover on German soil became symbolic of Nazi defeat and Allied Victory. Receiving prayer books from the Army, invitations to have dinner in the homes of local Jews to celebrate the Sabbath, and attending a local synagogue are just a few of the lifelong memories recalled by the soldiers. Ouzan weaves together the fascinating stories of both the men and women soldiers. She argues that servicewomen did some of the groundbreaking and dangerous work and gives them elevated historical recognition and visibility they earned and deserve. Providing nursing skills, piloting planes, instituting medical air evacuation procedures still utilized to this day are just a few of the stories shared by the women.

All the theaters of the war are covered in this brilliantly written book: North Africa, Europe, the Pacific, India and Japan. In all cases, the servicemen and women fought as proud Jews, fighting antisemitism, fighting the prejudice that they were not military material, and fighting for their self-respect. These were Americans ready to sacrifice their lives for freedom and democracy.


Susan Klieman

[Mike Lano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Françoise Ouzan takes us on a captivating journey across the Pacific, India, and other territories that are not familiar to American soldiers. The encounters of Jewish soldiers with Jewish communities and families in French North Africa had a profound and lasting impact on these young people, as the author demonstrates very convincingly (Chapter 5). These unexpected encounters often reinforced their tested Jewish identities, far from their familiar surroundings. Through personal stories, interviews, and memoirs, this book offers an intimate perspective on the experiences of these young men and women, often facing antisemitism for the first time, in the ranks of the U.S. military.

This thrilling book explores the war experiences of young Jewish soldiers in the U.S. Army during one of the most significant conflicts in history. This book goes beyond traditional war stories because it highlights not only the military service of these soldiers, pilots, sailors, nurses, and courageous women who encountered danger near combat zones or in hostile territories, but also the unique challenges they faced. More than half a million of them participated in the global conflict, according to the estimates put forward by the author.

I particularly liked the nuanced analysis of the diversity of Jewish religious experiences in the army, even in the middle of the jungle on Guadalcanal, for the celebration of Rosh Hashana, the new year, between two battles (Chapter 6). Françoise Ouzan challenges the idea of monolithic Jewish identification by highlighting how anti-Jewish hostility led to a spiritual awakening among some soldiers and among some women for the first time in a military setting.

I also enjoyed the use of first-person testimonies and stories that give the book a touching authenticity. Many letters from young Japanese prisoners sent to their mothers are heartbreaking. The author succeeds in capturing the essence of the challenges and triumphs of these soldiers and women in a military setting, facing antisemitism in the ranks of the American military. Recall that many volunteered to fight Hitler in Europe. This book is a must for those interested in military history, Jewish studies, and understanding identity transformations during wartime.

[Raphael]

This isn't just another World War II book – it's a profound exploration of identity, courage, and resilience that sheds light on a often-overlooked facet of American history.

Francoise Ouzan's meticulous research brings to life the experiences of over half a million Jewish Americans who served in WWII. Through a rich tapestry of personal narratives, letters, and interviews, she paints a vivid picture of their internal struggles and triumphs. What struck me most was the complex balancing act these servicemen and women faced – fighting against Nazi Germany while simultaneously battling antisemitism within their own ranks.

The book is filled with fascinating details I'd never encountered before. For instance, I was amazed to learn about the Ritchie Boys, a group of mostly Jewish refugees who used their language skills to gather crucial intelligence for the Allies. Or the story of Mimi Rivkin, one of 10,000 Jewish women who enlisted, serving as a lab technician in the China-Burma-India theater.

The book doesn't shy away from difficult topics, presenting them with empathy and nuance. She explores how encounters with Jewish communities overseas often strengthened these soldiers' connections to their heritage, despite the challenges they faced. The story of infantryman Ernest Stock, advocating for Jewish pride in a hostile environment, particularly resonated with me.

While it's a scholarly work, Ouzan's writing is accessible and engaging. She seamlessly weaves individual stories into a larger narrative about identity, belonging, and the fight against prejudice. It's both heartbreaking and inspiring to read how these service members navigated their dual identities as Americans and Jews.

This book opened my eyes to a facet of the war I'd never considered before, and left me with a deep appreciation for the bravery and resilience of these unsung heroes.

[Emmanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating encounters in India and French North Africa!

I learned a lot with True to My God and Country. Who could have imagined that Jewish soldiers suffering from homesickness or rejection based on prejudice in the American military would find comfort in the homes of local Jews in India or North Africa during their furloughs? Two of the chapters of this book are devoted to those unexpected and moving encounters that boosted their morale to continue the war. Who could have imagined that Jewish prisoners of war (POWs) under the Japanese could respect the improvised Yom Kippur service under the nose of the Japanese guards? Based on first-person accounts, letters, interviews, and memoirs, this amazing book gives hope and shows how a strong Jewish identity helped many soldiers fight prejudice. I also discovered that many young Jewish women volunteered in the American military, even in dangerous assignments as flying nurses carrying a weapon on their shoulders when they flew over combat zones in New Guinea and the Philipines. The scope of this book is global. However, what is laudable is that we feel the emotions of young men and women throughout the text.

[Daniel Seymour · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read Francoise Ouzan's book--"How Young Holocaust Survivors Rebuilt their Lives." It filled for me the gap beyond the many, and good, "based upon a real story" books around the Holocaust. The research--both secondary and primary--was first rate.

Well, she has done it again. First, it a topic that I did not know much about--How Jewish American Fought in World War II. And second, her interviews along with diaires, memoirs and letters on the subject make the book both personal as well as a deep dive into the material.

I highly recommend this book, especially those who are interested in research-based manuscripts.

[Eden K · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating work that retraces the involvement of more than 500,000 American Jews during World War II. Through letters, diaries, and testimonies, Françoise S. Ouzan highlights their strong sense of both patriotism and Jewish identity, the discrimination they faced within the army, as well as the often overlooked role of Jewish women.
I also learned how they met Jewish refugees fleeing Hitler as far as North Africa!!
A book that is both brillantly documented and deeply human.