A Scout’s Good Turn for Jewish Veterans

Amid a sea of white crosses on Monday, Memorial Day, stars of David will be placed for the first time on the graves of seven Jewish soldiers buried in Brea, thanks to an enterprising Catholic Boy Scout.

James McDaniel, 15, made the symbols of Judaism after hearing that Jewish graves remain bare on Memorial Day while crosses and red papier-mache poppies decorate the graves of the other 375 veterans buried at Memory Garden Memorial Park.

Until three years ago, crosses were placed at all the graves of veterans in the cemetery. Then Lillian Appleman, the widow of a Jewish World War II veteran, complained to cemetery officials.

“I knew there were Jewish soldiers buried there,” the Brea resident said. “It bothered me.”

Memory Garden officials found seven veterans’ grave markers that included a star of David and stopped placing crosses--or anything else--on them the past two Memorial Days.

But on Monday, those graves will be honored with six-pointed stars made by James and poppies made by disabled veterans.

“I’d like to meet him and give him a big kiss,” said Appleman, whose husband is buried at another cemetery. “Too bad some of our Jewish Boy Scouts didn’t do that.”

The Magen David (shield of David) is the Hebrew term for the star of David. The symbol, which can be traced to the 14th century, was thought to represent King David’s shield.

James, who attends Sunday Mass “whenever I can,” heard about the cemetery’s dilemma from Brea City Councilman Steve Vargas. A submarine veteran of the Libya and Grenada conflicts, Vargas also serves as a Boy Scout advisor to James’ scout troop.

“The Jewish graves were just left blank,” Vargas said. “We wanted to do justice to the Jewish war veterans.”

Sensing the potential for a Boy Scout service project--a precursor to becoming an Eagle Scout--James immediately got to work.

He researched the Star of David on the Internet and, working in his garage with his father, discovered through trial and many errors how to construct a sturdy wooden star.

He also made sure the stars and crosses were the same size, “so one wouldn’t be better than the other.”

The project took 30 days from idea to prototype. This week James is putting the last touches of white paint on seven stars. He plans to make 23 more for replacements and for additional Jewish graves.

“I was really impressed with his work,” said Mike Joslin, a Vietnam War veteran who chairs the Memorial Day festivities at Memory Garden. This year, Joslin made a large Star of David to accompany the traditional cross during the main ceremony, “but mine is a piece of junk next to his.”

James has been asked to make the large star for next year’s ceremony. In the meantime, the Boy Scout looks forward to Memorial Day and seeing the seven stars take their places among the hundreds of crosses.

“I think it’s, like, really cool,” said James, a sophomore at Brea High School who plays the clarinet in the school band. “It’s, like, an honor for everyone who died, so I think it’s really awesome.”