Jewish War Veterans Honor Century Mark

The Jewish War Veterans Assn., the nation’s oldest active veterans organization, celebrated its centennial anniversary Monday afternoon amid pomp and ceremony at the Sepulveda VA Medical Center.

A standing-room-only crowd sang patriotic songs, offered solemn salutes to the flag and listened intently as U.S. Rep. Howard Berman (D-Van Nuys) and other speakers thanked the veterans for their military service and for their ongoing volunteer work in Los Angeles and around the country.

“I take particular pride in being here for the 100th anniversary celebration,” Berman said, “as a congressman, as an American and as a Jewish American.”

One veteran singled out for special recognition by Berman was Frederick M. Smead, of Chatsworth, who was a 25-year-old Army infantryman pursuing retreating Germans in early 1945 when he was paralyzed by falling debris in the French village of Torignysur Vire.

“I was sitting in the right front seat of our vehicle when a gutted building fell down right on top of us. I never felt a thing, but when I woke up I had three crushed vertebrae,” said Smead, who has spent the last 52 years confined to a wheelchair.

“I’m just thankful to be alive and to be here,” Smead said. “I lost a lot of good friends over there.”

Al Fliegel of Van Nuys, a World War II Navy veteran and currently the commander of the Jewish War Veteran’s Post No. 138, drew laughs when he described the motivation behind the establishment of the organization 100 years ago.

“I want to thank the anti-Semites of the late 19th century for compelling us to form this organization,” Fliegel said, referring to claims in several magazines of the day that Jews were unpatriotic and that none had served in the Civil War. In fact, more than 8,000 Jews fought for the Union Army during the Civil War and many others for the Confederacy.

Fliegel, whose son and grandson both followed in his footsteps by joining the Navy, said he was pleased by Monday’s celebration.

“For all of us who served it changed our lives forever. I was proud to do it, and now it’s nice to get this recognition.”