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Sam Dreben, “The Fighting Jew”

A formal portrait of Sam Dreben, wearing his American and Frenchmedals shortly before his final days in the Army, April, 1919. Sometimelater, the Belgian and Italian governments decorated him, too.The full story of Sam Dreben, “The Fighting Jew,” begins on page 4.

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This last July15th, the Boardof the TexasJewish HistoricalSociety met inFort Worth atthe magnificentnew TempleBeth-El for ourannual Summermeeting. The

meeting was attended by some 40members along with a number ofvisitors and potential new membersthat were not aware of our mission topreserve our Jewish history (See photosat right).

The morning session wascomprised of reports by chairman ofthe various committees and withoutexception every facet of the societyhas had positive results. Leon and FayBrachman were assigned membershipresponsibility and have designed acomputer program to better keep trackof dues payments and mailing lists. Forthose of you who were either billedtwice or not billed at all in the past, weapologize and hope we have solvedthese problems. If you have not paidyour dues for 2001, or for previousyears, we have no other option then tocancel your membership, as dues arethe lifeblood of the society that keepour research and newsletters viable.As all of you know postage andprinting costs keep going up.

The afternoon session wasfilled with presentations by an oralhistorian, our own Hollace Weiner,

(author, historian, & President-elect ofthe Southern Jewish Historical Soci-ety) and by individuals reporting onnewly found historical information anddocuments. As was reported in the lastnewsletter, the new book project is stillin committee and was discussed as tothe type of format by Rabbi JimmyKessler. In my opinion, it was aspirited fact filled meeting in whicheveryone participated. The next fallboard meeting will be held sometime inOctober with location and dates to beannounced. As has been pointed outpreviously, board meetings are open toall members of the society.

In this newsletter, you will find

From the TJHS Presidenta story about a Texan named SamDreben, who fought in more militaryengagements than any other soldierand was know as the “fighting Jew.”We have had communications fromFlorida to Arizona with people wonder-ing why he was never decorated to theextent of some of his comrades-in-arms. I think you will enjoy the story!!

Ima Joy Gandler, Waco; Yetta Leshin, Corpus Christi; Marvin Leshin, Corpus Christi; Susan Gross and and Carol Ginsberg, Shreveport.

Fay Brachman, Fort Worth; Jack Gerrick,Fort Worth; Frank Kasman, Midland.

Jack Gerrick, President, and AllanLivingston, Houston

Mike Jacobs, Dallas (Hall ofRemembrance – Temple Beth-El)

Joyce Gerrick, Fort Worth; Monica Faber,Bells; Sandra Freed, Fort Worth

so. My oldest daughter and my wifespend time researching our familiesand their results have been mostgratifying. Sandra found previouslyunknown relatives living in Israel.Monica located cousins from Russialiving in Brooklyn, only a short distancefrom where another of our daughterslives. How exciting it was to meetmishpucha we did not know existedand to compare family notes and oldpictures!

And a special thanks toNorma Albert for her report on theTJHS tour to New Mexico; and thepicture of Don Teter and his harem.

All Jews are related, one toanother. All Jews are responsible, onefor the other.

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Letter From the Editor(Or Freedian Slips)

The Texas Jewish Historical Society Newsletteris a publication of the Texas Jewish Historical Society, P.O. Box 10193, Austin, Texas 78766

Jack Gerrick (Fort Worth).......................................................................PresidentBuddy Freed (Fort Worth)......................................................Managing EditorWalter Fein (San Antonio)..............................................................ProofreaderSandra Freed (Fort Worth)..............................................................ProofreaderHelen Wilk (Corpus Christi)..............................................................ProofreaderGeri Gregory (San Antonio)......................................Layout and Typesetting

If it is in myprovince asEditor, I amdedicating thisissue to thememory ofSamuel Dreben.When you readhis incredible

story, you will understand why andwhy it is so important that he beremembered. Sam Dreben waspresented with both France’s andBelgium’s highest awards for braveryin the defense of their countries at thesame time as another American Hero,Sergeant Alvin York. Their devotionto their country was equal. What wasnot equal was that York was a draftedChristian soldier; Dreben was a Jewishvolunteer! York was awarded hiscountry’s highest citation, The Con-gressional Medal of Honor. Dreben(to this date) was not. Mr. GerardMeister of Florida has worked longand hard to correct this appalling error.I thank him for bringing the story ofthis great Texan to us.

In past Newsletters, I havestressed the importance of writing andsubmitting the history of your familyand their experiences in coming toAmerica. It is not my aim to bore thereaders of this column with the sameexhortation, but this is a very importantaspect of the Society’s purpose. Wedo call ourselves the “Texas JewishHistorical Society. Many of yougood readers have said how much youenjoy reading the various stories wehave printed. It is up to you to con-tinue the contributions. If you don’t,who will?

And if you have a computerand have not given the genealogicalresources a go, let me urge you to do

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(817) 926-0455.

Please Note:The Texas Jewish Histori-

cal Society and the editorial staff ofthis newsletter cannot guarantee theaccuracy or authenticity of anyarticle. This is the responsibility ofeach contributor, so please directyour questions, comments and/orcorrections to each author directly.

Has your addresschanged? What about your AreaCode or phone number? Hasyour name changed? Do you wantyour name to appear differentlyon the TJHS mailing label? Pleaselet us know. We’d really appre-ciate your help. Please send newinformation to:

Fay Brachman3720 Autumn Dr.Fort Worth, TX 76109phone: 817-924-9207email: leonhb@flash.net

Has YourAddress

Changed?

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Prologue: Peering from thehotel window as the spectatorsbegan to thicken along the paraderoute on that cold, blustery Armi-stice Day morning of November 11,1921, Samuel Dreben, former firstsergeant U.S. Army infantry, knew itwas time to go. He walked from hishotel to the staging area and fellinto formation. As he stood theresilently, proudly — his mind flashedback to his boyhood in Kiev. Itseemed like another life. Then theparade master gave his signal.Ahead of him, outlined against aslate-gray, rainswept sky, a livingblack ribbon of American historysurged forward, marching slowly upPennsylvania Avenue towards theNational Cemetery at Arlington.Never before was there such aroster of pallbearers. Past Presi-dents Woodrow Wilson andTheodore Roosevelt side by sidewith then President Harding andfuture president Calvin Coolidge.

Fixed in Sammy’s gaze washis former commanding officer,General John J. “Black Jack”Pershing, who had asked Dreben, amember of the Texas Delegation tothe ceremony, to be an honorarypallbearer escorting the horsedrawn catafalque of the UnknownSoldier on its solemn journey toeternity. Obeying Pershing’s ordersand marching in cadence to themournful drumbeat the formerdoughboy, little Sammy Dreben, hadcome a long way from his shtetl inRussia to the plains of Texas. Thisis his story…

To the Golden Land

It was never easy being a Jewin Russia, but for Samuel Dreben, bornin Russia (now the Ukraine) on June 1,1878, life only worsened as he crossedfrom youth to manhood. The few

opportunities open to Jews were beingchoked off by recent anti- Semiticrestrictions flowing from the adminis-tration of the newly crowned Czar,Nicholas II. The Dreben familymoved to Kiev, hoping that life in a bigcity would open some doors for theirson. Secretly, his mother longed forhim to become a rabbi, but his fatherapprenticed him to a tailor instead.

Hunched over his workbetween stitches, Sammy dreamt oflife without a Czar. Twice he ran offto Germany, a step ahead of theCzar’s press gangs ferreting out youngJewish boys for that life-numbingtwenty-year conscription term in theRussian Army. (Part of the servicewas active duty, the rest being in thereserves, but once a Jew entered thearmy he seldom returned to hisfamily.) Young Dreben knew he wouldnot be hard to spot: short and stockywith an important nose on a round,pudgy face – his heritage camethrough loud and clear – and thatfleeing Russia was his only out.

His tearful parents under-stood. Sammy left home and made hisway to Odessa, where in 1898 heshipped out to Liverpool, England.Working on the docks there for a fewmonths, he saved enough money forsteerage passage to America, wherehe was quickly processed throughU.S. Immigration and routed to hissponsor, an aunt in Philadelphia, whopromptly apprenticed him to a tailor.But the immigrant Sammy was notdestined to make pants too long or tooshort, or even to make pants at all.The stuff of Sammy’s dreams was cutfrom different cloth.

You’re in the Army Now

The curtain rose on Sammy’snew life when the U.S. Army openeda recruiting campaign for the Spanish-American War. Sammy was stunned;“What a country,” he thought. “When

the United States needs an army, notonly do they pay fifteen dollars amonth and give you three square mealsa day, they ask if you’d like to join. InRussia they just come and grab youaway!” Now he knew why Americawas called “The Golden Land.”Sammy wanted to enlist, but wonderedwhether the Army was any place for aJewish boy. Would he have time forhis daily prayers, morning and night?What would he eat, when everythingwould be trayf? Sammy prayed hardthat night, but couldn’t get the lure ofadventure out of his mind. The God ofAbraham, young Sammy was sure,would understand and forgive. Thenext morning Sammy walked into theenlistment office with God in his heart,but his yarmulke in a back pocket. Hewas accepted and sworn in on June 27,1899. By September of that year thearmy fulfilled its recruitment pledge,shipping Sammy to Cavite Viejo,outside Manila on Luzon, just acrossthe bay from the Bataan Peninsula inthe Philippines.

The new enlistee’s baptism offire came hot and quick. TheAguinaldo Insurrection against theAmerican occupation forces was at itsfull fury. The Filipinos were enraged,feeling that we had only replaced theSpanish colonialists with ones made inAmerica and were fighting hard fortheir independence. Sammy’s com-pany commander ordered an attackagainst a fortified bridge held by nativepatriots. Sammy’s heart pounded as hefixed his bayonet and fell in fourabreast, prepared to charge. “Double-quick time,” the officer shouted as heled the way. After fifty yards, all thetroopers were panting in the tropicalsun; no time to think, just follow orders.Then, as Sammy and his comradesclosed in on the enemy trench, anartillery round landed in their midst.Eleven troopers, including the captain,lay dead or wounded. The rest tookcover; well, almost all the rest. But

Forgotten HeroThe remarkable true-life adventures of Samuel Dreben, the fighting Jew.

By Gerard Meister

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Continued on page 6

better to hear the story from aneyewitness, then trooper, later writer/reporter and distinguished editor of theSan Antonio Daily Light, EdwardS.“Tex” O’Reilly, as he recounted theincident years later:

“ As I lay watching thisslaughter only a few yards away, Isuddenly saw one soldier emerge fromthe smoke, still trotting forward towardthe bridge. He was the loneliest figureI have ever seen, jogging along like aboy running anerrand. Therewere severalthousandinsurrectos inthose trenchesand the bulletswere snappingaround him, buthe didn’t seemto notice.Down the roadhe went, overthe bridge, andinto thetrenches as ifhe were takingpart in a drill onthe paradeground. Othertroops camesweeping up tous, and thecommand cameto charge thetrench. Over we went. The nativesbroke and stampeded. In the trenchwe found the lone soldier who hadtried to win the battle single-handed.He was still fighting. Who is this littlewildcat? I asked someone. ‘Oh, that’slittle Sammie Dreben, the fightingJew,’ he said. The name stuck.”

Sammy’s Next Two Wars

By the summer of 1900, thewar in the Philippines cooled down,while the Boxer Rebellion in Chinaheated up. Sammy’s outfit, theFourteenth Infantry was shipped toChina, landing in time to play a majorrole in the relief of the siege of Peking.In time the city was freed and theChinese forced to a sign a humiliatingtreaty, ending a dismal chapter in the

history of imperialism, but opening anew one for Sammy. The Americancontingent, part of a multinationalforce, put Sammy in contact withBritish, French, German, Russian andJapanese troops in their joint maneu-vers. This experience helped shapehim, a scant two years out of the Paleof Settlement, into a seasoned veteranby his twenty-second birthday.

When his outfit was finallyshipped back to Manila, the fighting

there was just about over and Pvt.Dreben had to settle down to thedreary monotony of garrison duty.Peacetime soldiering held little appealto the trooper from Kiev. To Sammy, itwas now the din of battle that soundedthe siren song. His taste for adventurewould not go unrequited.

In the southern islands(Mindanao, mainly) the Moros, a tribeof Muslim converts, were on thewarpath. It was a particularly nastykind of warfare, what we today wouldcall terrorism. Manila newspaperswere full of tales of the new war. Ayoung captain, John J.Pershing, wasmaking a name for himself in thesavage jungle encounters. Drebenlonged for a new challenge. Histransfer application was finally grantedearly in 1901, when he was shipped to

Misamis, a fortified outpost onMindanao.

This time, instead of forma-tions of ragtag troops, religious fanaticswho had sworn an oath to kill infidelsin the name of Allah confronted Sam.If this meant forfeiting their lives in thejihad so much the better; they be-lieved that a place in the SeventhHeaven was reserved for such Islamicmartyrs. The fanatic Moro (called ajuramentado) would fast, chant his

final prayers,bind his extremi-ties (arms, legs,and genitals) toslow blood losswhen wounded,don his whiteburial shroudand carrying akris (a type oflong, wavydagger) in eachhand, stalk forthto his morbiddestiny.

One night,while Sam wasstanding aloneon sentry dutyone of the holykillers charged.Sam got off asingle shot,hitting the whiteapparition in the

leg, but not stopping his rush. Samwas still trying to slam another car-tridge into the breech, when a passingtrooper put a round into thejuramentado’s head, dropping him inhis tracks.

Because the struggle againstthe Moros never seemed to end (theWar Department did not close thebooks on the campaign until 1913), theArmy was forced to rotate troops inand out in an effort to keep morale upand fresh recruits on the field. That’swhy Sammy had to shed his uniform inthe summer of 1902, when he pickedup an honorable discharge and donnedcivilian clothes.

Sam at the cannon: Sam was not only prolific with machine guns,he also dabbled in artillery, shown here with a 3-inch field gun.

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Texas Jewish Historical SocietyWebsite

Texas Jewish Historical Society • P.O Box 10193 Austin, TX 78766Telephone - (281) 276-9693

E-Mail address - txjhs@yahoo.comWeb Site address: http://www.txjhs.org

The Texas Jewish Historical Society draws its membership fromacross the State of Texas, bordering states and across our great nation.TJHS supports a wide-ranging agenda. Quarterly Board Meetings areheld at points of particular interest, an extensive newsletter is publishedregularly, and a speakers bureau is maintained. A variety of researchprojects are facilitated through the Jewish Archives in the Barker Library,or supported directly such as “Virtual Restoration of Small-Town Syna-gogues in Texas.”

We are very proud of our organization and ask you to look us upand celebrate the joys of Texas history.

Continued from page 5

Of Russians and Potatoes

For the next couple of years,Sammy tried the life of a civilian. Asuccession of odd jobs: streetcarconductor, lumber-camp laborer, andteamster helper all ended the sameway, a square Sammy in a roundworld. In danger of becoming adrifter, he reluctantly fell back ontailoring, this time in Los Angeles. ButSammy’s destiny always seemed to bethere, marking time, waiting for him tograb the magic ring. Now it was theincreasing beat of pogroms in Russiathat got to Sammy. The one inKishiniev in 1903 was a particularhorror. Sammy read the reports andseethed. Innocent blood was beingspilled and he ached for revenge. If hecould only get to Japan, he’d showthose Russkies a thing or two.

His opportunity came whenthe Russo-Japanese War broke out inFebruary, 1904. He found an armytanker, the USS Thomas, bound forManila with a stop in Nagasaki.Dreben signed on as a waiter to workoff his passage. His waitering proveda disaster, so he peeled potatoes forthe thirty-two day voyage to Japan,where he slipped ashore. The Japa-

nese, displaying their customarydegree of paranoia with foreigners,thought he might be a Russian TrojanHorse and turned down his services.He bounced around Nagasaki, literallystarving, when he landed a job in theNagasaki Hotel, again peeling pota-toes. Eventually, he shipped back tothe states on a tramp steamer, payingfor part of the passage with hisnewfound skill, peeling potatoes.

Back in the States by mid-summer of 1904, and not seeinganything in his future, he re-enlistedand was shipped to Fort Bliss, near ElPaso, Texas. There he spent threeyears coming to peace with himself,making friends in El Paso and learninghow to work those newfangledmachine guns, which would, in theyears to come, have an impact on thecourse of history in the Americas.

When his Army hitch ended in1907, Dreben once again facedmaking a life as a civilian. The usualseries of odd jobs came and went,including one disastrous day as theMunicipal Rat Catcher for SanFrancisco. But destiny never keepsone of its fated few waiting for long.This time it was the eradication ofyellow fever in Panama that opened anew American frontier. With thedeadly scourge conquered, work on

the canal began to make progress.Each blow of the pick-ax unearthednew opportunities and adventures. Theex-trooper shipped out on the firstavailable freighter.

Landing in the Canal Zone, hefound that his honorable dischargeafter six years of Army service was apowerful resume in an environmentthat fast resembled a wild-west themepark. Before the day was out he washired as a security guard. Of coursethe Gods of Fate were just toying withSammy when he won fifty dollars inthe Panama Lottery and, through along, lucky roll at a crap game, par-layed it into a half ownership of TheBlue Eagle Saloon. Sammy thought hewas on his way, but destiny had otherplans. His partner disappeared with amonth’s receipts and Dreben, whonever could refuse a drink to a tapped-out buddy, soon found himself bank-rupt.

Now thirty, the adventurousimmigrant took stock; he felt he oughtto try a more traditional way of life,something in keeping with his roots.One day he would have to settle down,make a living, marry and have children.All Jewish boys do. Yes, his motherwould really like that. Dreben then hada capital idea: everyone in the CanalZone would need a clean new shirtwhen the Canal finally opened, andhe’d be there to sell it to them. Afterall, selling on the run out of a pushcartor a suitcase was high on the list ofthose prosaic occupations that forgenerations shaped the Jewish immi-grant experience. It was commonplaceto see a black-frocked, bearded Son ofAbraham wandering the hinterlandshawking everything from pots and pansto piece goods. Still, the sight of aRussian Jew traipsing through anequatorial jungle in a blue serge suit,peddling shirts from a mill in Massa-chusetts, must have been startling.

But the yoke of commercehung heavy on Sam’s neck. Soon, hewas again beset with qualms, not thatthey returned, but that they had neverleft. Just as with every other timeSammy tried to fit himself into aconventional mold, the cast shattered.Instead of finding Sam married andsettled down somewhere, the next

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Continued on page 8

record of him is in the mountainuplands of central Guatemala, fightingalongside native Indians in their revoltagainst a repressive dictator, GeneralEstrada Cabrera. What was the springboard forthis quantum leap? Did Sammy’syearning to breathe free echo thesame voice Emma Lazarus heardwhen she inscribed that emotion on thebase of The Statue of Liberty? Ap-parently so, for he marched only tofreedom’s drummer from this point on.

Wounded in Action

The revolution in Guatemalafailed; not the first time a battle waslost to the forces of darkness, andsurely, not the last. Stung by defeat,and unaware that redemption wasalready waiting in the wings, Drebenslipped back into Panama, a stepahead of the firing squad.

May 1910 found the CanalZone looking like a Grade B movie anda bad one at that. The local cantinas(saloons) were half-filled with agents-provocateurs plotting the overthrowof one dictator or another, while theother half of the saloon held spies forthe same dictators working to keeptheir benefactors in power. Intriguewas everywhere.

One night, while Dreben wasin his favorite bar trying to wash awaythe bitter aftertaste of Guatemala, anargument boiled over. A gang oftoughs set upon a tall American in awhite linen suit. Sam, on his feet in aheartbeat, charged into the knot ofthugs and bowled over enough of themto help the white suit make it out thedoor. Once they were safe, Sammyasked what the hell was going on inthere. The stranger explained that hewas General Victor Gordon, recruitingtroops to fight for the freedom ofNicaragua and the gang of cutthroatswas on the payroll of General Zelaya,the strongman in power there. “Myfriend,” the General said, “our armycould sure use a guy like you! Anytime you need a job, you got one.”

Sam paused for a moment.After the failure in Guatemala, he’dbeen thinking of getting back into hisblue serge suit and selling shirts again.

“It’s just not for me,” Sammy admittedto himself as the moment passed andthe shirts and suit were put back in thecloset and the battle joined. So wellwas the battle joined that Drebensuffered his one wound in twentyyears of warfare. As he turned awayto light a cigarette, Sammy was shot inthe seat of the pants. But this was nolaughing matter. In the days beforesulfa and antibiotics such wounds wereserious indeed, but not to Sam. “[t]hesons-of-guns dassent kill me,” he said,laughingly. “ There ain’t a Jewishcemetery in this country!”

The success of the revolutionin Nicaragua was a milestone inDreben’s career. Not only did therevolutionary committee award him$2000 in gold as gratificacion for hisrole in the cause of freedom, but theaccounts of his newfound prowesswith the machine gun, and bravery inthe line of fire, grew to heroic propor-tions.

Banana Split

In 1911, Honduras was caughtin a tug-of-war between two rivalbanana moguls. One of them, SamZemurray of Cuyamel Fruit, and likeSam, an immigrant, felt that he wasn’tgetting an even split of the bananabusiness from the regime in power,which favored his rival, the VaccaroBros. of Standard Fruit. Zemurraycalled on General Lee Christmas, mostnoted of the Central American soldiersof fortune, to overthrow the govern-ment. In turn, Christmas askedDreben, who was in New Orleanslooking for a cause, to accept the rankof Colonel in the rebel army and manthe lone machine gun the General hadin his arsenal. Dreben agreed.Zemurray purchased a small, decom-missioned U.S. naval ship, the Hornet,and the invasion of Honduras was on.

After being put ashore, thesmall band of adventurers marched upthe coastal plain from Trujillo to theport city of La Ceiba. They had topass through several villages wherefederal sharpshooters, barricaded highup in the local church steeple werefiring freely, slowing the advance.Whenever the column got pinned the

call went out for Dreben and hismachine gun. Sam’s pinpoint strafingwould soon roust the federalistasfrom their perch, allowing the parishpriest to come out of hiding and blessSammy for his good deed. The regi-ment then resumed its march.

The campaign nearly endedwhen General Christmas, tricked by anambush, was captured and thrown intoa local prison to await execution. Hisstaff, instead of ordering a frontalassault with its potential for casualties,called in Dreben who quickly shot thedoor off the stucco jailhouse freeinghis commander. But Sam’s heroicswere not all fire and bluster. When afellow officer fell seriously ill withdengue fever, it was Sammy whotrekked eight miles through the jungleto bring his comrade a pot of chickensoup.

It was a short campaign. Afterbarely four months of conflict, acompromise treaty was signed inTegucigalpa. Sammy pocketed his finalmonth’s pay of $600 and was out of ajob once more. But not for long.

Commuting to Work

In Mexico the long reign ofPorfirio Diaz, the dictator since 1877,was on its last legs, challenged by ademocratic movement led by theyoung lawyer Francisco I. Madero.Inevitably, Madero and Dreben foundeach other. Before the year 1911 wasout, Sam and his machine gun were onthe payroll, spearheading a successfuldrive to Mexico City, where Maderowas installed as President.

But Mexico quickly became atextbook case of the corruptibility ofpower. No sooner was an idealistseated in the presidential palace, thanhe himself became a tyrant. So beforeSammy had finished coating hisweapon with Cosmoline and packed itaway, the next revolution broke out.And the next and the next one afterthat. Dreben was so busy fighting forHuerta, Orozco, Carranza, Salazar andPancho Villa (among others) on theirway to the palace and then fightingagainst them once they got there, that

asking for a hardship discharge.Apparently, duty to his adoptedcountry won out over all else. Thusbegan Samuel Dreben’s short, butremarkable tour of duty in the war toend all wars.

In early October 1918 theadvance of the American and Frencharmies was stalemated at St. Etiennein France. One nest of four Germanmachine guns was raisingparticular hell. Sam knew those gunshad to be put out of action. Accordingto the official citation describingDreben’s heroism, “He discovered aparty of German troops going to thesupport of a machine gun nest situatedin a pocket near where the French andAmerican lines joined. He called forvolunteers and with the aid of about 30men rushed the German positions,captured four machine guns, killed 40of the enemy, captured two andreturned to our lines without the loss ofa man.” For this action Sgt. Drebenwas awarded the DistinguishedService Cross, with the Croix deGuerre and the Medaille Militaireadded by the French (their highesthonor). Later the Italian and Belgiangovernments decorated him similarly.

As singular as this honor was,what happened next far surpasses anysuch decoration. The event unfoldedon a rainy day when the lead columnof his regiment arrived at the post thatmarked the boundary between Franceand Alsace. At last they were to setfoot on German soil. The officer incommand of the regiment halted thecolumn and ordered up the band. Thebandsmen drew up beside the muddyroad. An order echoed down the line:“Sergeant Dreben, front and center!”Through the mud the muffled littlesergeant came plodding, wonderingwhat it was all about. “SergeantDreben, we are entering Germanterritory. You’ve earned the right toset the first foot on enemy soil. Takethe point.” Then the regimental band(inexplicably) struck up, “My OldKentucky Home” as Sam marchedacross the line and onto the scroll ofhistory.

When the armistice followedshortly thereafter, General Pershingpersonally granted Sergeant Dreben

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Continued from page 7

he took up residence in El Paso,Texas. The first place he called homesince he left Russia, and an easycommute to whichever revolution wascurrently playing across the RioGrande.

His feats with the machinegun were now almost mythic. Drebenwould enter a battle with a wheelbar-row or two – a harbinger of mecha-nized warfare, one might say –and acouple of helpers, then race from flankto flank, his helpers trundling along,pushing the wheelbarrow heaped withammunition, tripod and gun, ready toset up shop wherever the maestrodirected.

By 1913, it was Pancho Villa’sturn to head the next revolution.Sammy believed that Villa, the charis-matic, illiterate peasant would finallybring democracy to the Mexicanpeople. Dreben became Villa’spurchasing agent in El Paso, smugglingarms across the Rio Grande, helpingthe cause however he could. Thestruggle dragged on for years. De-feats and victories ran into one anotheras Villa rode his white charger fromone battle to another. Then Villa madea terrible error. Stung by a few recentdefeats, his followers raided Columbus,New Mexico on March 10, 1916,killing seventeen innocent Americansand wounding a score of others. Thisinexplicable, unprovoked sneak attack,America’s first taste of infamy, was asincomprehensible as it was unforgiv-able. President Woodrow Wilson didnot hesitate. He summoned the cavalryand asked General John J. “BlackJack” Pershing to lead a punitiveexpedition against Villa. Pershingdidn’t hesitate either. Short of scoutsfor the type campaign he planned,Pershing called for volunteers. Drebenanswered the call, never to serve Villaagain..

With Pershing Here

Once at Pershing’s sideDreben was often the General’spersonal chauffeur, at other times ascout, still others a spy. When he wassent out as a squad leader to reconnoi-

ter, his troopers were calledDrebeneers. Perhaps it was aroundthe campfire one night that a younglieutenant with the expedition, GeorgeS. Patton, heard a few tales of thelegendary Dreben.

By mid-February 1917, ourentry into WWI was fast approachingand the chase for Villa had to bebroken off. Pershing had more impor-tant things ahead of him. So did Sam,now 39 years old and tired of fightingone war or another for the last eigh-teen years. He decided it was finallytime to settle down, marry and havechildren. In the early spring of 1917,after a whirlwind courtship Sammarried Helen Spence, a stunningnineteen year old, and bought a housein El Paso. By late April, his youngwife was expecting.

And Over There

President Wilson called forvolunteers on April 6, 1917, the dayCongress declared war on Germany.Sam, now retired from the Army tenyears, was torn between his country’sneeds and obligations to a wife andexpected child. For the first time since1899, Sam did not answer the call. Hestayed home. Yet inexplicably, tenmonths later on February 12, 1918, lessthan a month after his daughter wasborn, Dreben was in the recruitmentoffice of the Texas National Guardputting on an Army uniform for thethird and last time. He turned down acommission to enlist as a First Ser-geant with Company A commanded byhis friend Captain William F. Burges,an attorney and member of a promi-nent El Paso family. Company A waseventually assigned to the 141stInfantry, also an El Paso outfit, andshipped “Over There,” by mid-summerof 1917. Once in uniform, Sammyitched for action, but before he sawany, there was devastating news. Aletter from his wife finally caught upwith him and the first-time fatherlearned that his baby had died while hewas en route to France. WhetherDreben could have done anythingabout getting back to his wife in Texas,we will never know. What we doknow is that there is no record of his

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Continued on page 10

leave in Paris. No doubt Sammy couldhave asked for an early discharge,which almost certainly would havebeen granted, but, again, did not. WasSammy ashamed to go home and facehis wife? Was he drowning his guilt inthe excesses of Paris? For whateverreason, Samuel Dreben, husband andfather-in-mourning, stuck with thearmy until April 17, 1919, when he washonorably discharged for the third andfinal time. Buthis last battlewas still to befought.

Home at Last

WhenDreben finallygot back to ElPaso he hopedhis wife wouldforgive him,that they wouldshare in thegrief of losing achild. But sheseemedstrangely aloof,almost discon-nected fromhim. Perhaps,he thought, awoman oncescorned, as she must have felt whenhe left her with a three week-oldinfant, would never be the same. Thenhe began to hear whispers that she hadbeen unfaithful while he was overseas.When Sam confronted Helen with therumors, her silence confirmed hissuspicions. He filed for and wasgranted a divorce on June 19, 1919.Sam had been home in Texas just sixtydays. Faced with the age-old di-lemma of the cuckold: whether to stayput and suffer the knowing smirks orto start fresh in some other place,brought the curse of sleepless nights toSam for the first time in his life. Oncehe realized it was not in him to run,that he had to stay, had to hang tough,his self-esteem returned on the samewings as his sleep. He knew thingswould work out. As 1919 drew to a close, Sam,

no longer forlorn, met life more thanhalfway. He dabbled in oil and insur-ance and joined the Kiwanis Club andall the veteran’s organizations. Itseemed that El Paso couldn’t getenough of its hometown hero. Seizingthe moment the citizen-soldier openedan insurance office and success camequickly. In a couple of years he wasmaking a comfortable living.

In May, 1921 yet another

honor arrived: an invitation fromGeneral Pershing to serve as honorarypallbearer for the Unknown Soldierbeing entombed in Arlington NationalCemetery that November. Glowingwith pride, the veteran trooperchecked his boots first – it was a longmarch down Pennsylvania Avenue toArlington – then took out all hismedals, arranged and rearranged theway he would wear them a dozentimes before he tried on his old uni-form. He’d go on a diet, lose a fewpounds and spit-shine his boots. Hewas going to look spiffy for the trip toWashington, ready for anything.

But instead of a cause or abattle, the anything this time came inthe form of Louis D. Oaks, Chief ofthe Los Angeles Police Departmentand the most improbable posse everassembled, even for Texas. Indeed,the old newspaper accounts of this

incident read as if the fate of Drebenand the L.A.P.D. were in the hands ofan accomplished novelist as theprotagonists are drawn together bysome immutable force, linking up at thecritical juncture, thickening the plot,making it work. This is what happened:while Sam was checking his medalsand uniform in Texas, California’s castof characters came to center stage.Walking Scot-free out of California’s

high securityprison was three-time loser “LittlePhil” Alguin,discharged fortime served, onetime too many.Little Phil, aviolence pronethug, had a rapsheet as thick as aphone book: dopepusher, addict,fence, burglar,armed robber andnow about tobecome a cop-killer.

Alguin wasnot out of jail amonth when heshot and killedL.A.P.D. Detec-tive John J.

Fitzgerald in the course of a blownstake-out on June 18, 1921. Nowwanted as a cold-blooded cop-killer,the American born, Hispanic looking,fluent-in-Spanish gangster fled to hisancestral home in Mexico, which atthat time, was feuding with the UnitedStates, and refused to extradite LittlePhil or anyone else. Emboldened bythis stroke of luck Alguin left the dryhills of Chihuahua for the comforts ofCiudad Juarez, where he managed tostay hidden for several months. Itwasn’t long before Little Phil learnedthat his hideout was a poor choice.Juarez lies just across the river from ElPaso. Dreben territory.

By mid-September, wordreached Chief Oaks at the L.A.P.D.that Little Phil was holed up in Juarez,thumbing his nose with impunity at the

Pershing in staff car: General Pershing, back seat, left,with staff officials in his command car, a rented Dodge Touring sedan.

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police in El Paso. Oaks called hiscounterpart there, Chief PeytonEdwards, to ask for help. Oaks wastold that El Paso stood ready to do itspart to nab a cop killer, come on down.The Los Angeles Chief spent the restof the week tying up loose ends at theoffice, took the Pullman sleeper out ofUnion Station on Sunday night, Sep-tember 24th, and got to El Paso earlythe next afternoon. He went directlyfrom the train station to police head-quarters to meet with his counterpart.The word “kidnap” was never spoken,but Oaks and Edwards knew that’swhere they were heading. A strategymeeting was set for the next morning,leaving it to Edwards to invite some“good old boys,” boys with the rightkind of stuff. Edwards called Drebenthat night. (The El Paso police chief,sensing the extent of the problemwhen he first spoke to Los Angeles,had briefed Sam the week before.)

It was an informal council ofwar; a round of introductions, theneveryone grabbed a chair. BesidesDreben, Edwards invited his FirstDeputy, Captain W.ASimpson, and Chief of Detectives,Claude Smith. When Chief Oaksbegan to clear his throat, Drebenshifted in his seat, “ I have a plan,” hesaid. All eyes turned to Sam. The ex-sergeant explained that after ChiefEdwards first briefed him, he slippedinto Juarez for a few days to get thelay of the land. He learned that LittlePhil was extremely sensitive about adead give-a-way tattoo on his rightforearm, a flower superimposed withanother of his sobriquets “ArizonaPhil,” and had asked a few localdoctors if it could be removed, whichin pre-laser days was next to impos-sible.

All we have to do, Samreasoned, is open a doctor’s office inJuarez, advertise that a new Americanspecialist has arrived and his specialtywas removing tattoos. Sam reasonedthat Little Phil couldn’t resist checkingout a new doctor. Then, when thekiller drops into the office, we’ll knockhim out with a mickey or somethingput him in a waiting car and scoot

across the International Bridge back toEl Paso. Sam, cocksure of himself,already had enlisted another Texan,San Antonio detective J. H. Kelly, whohad fought alongside Sam a couple ofMexican revolutions ago, to act as theAmerican doctor and had gotten a realM.D., Dr. R.H. Ellis, an El Pasophysician, to agree to be a “technical”advisor. (Sam had an easy timerecruiting his posse, because ChiefOaks had posted a $5,000.00 rewardwhen he came to El Paso.) Dr. Ellis, astickler for details, gave detectiveKelly a short course on hypodermics,supplied a couple of syringes, theanesthetic (chloroform), some medicalaccouterments to throw around theoffice and a phony diploma to hang onthe wall. The power of Dreben’spersona was such that six grown men,including a physician and two policechiefs, all nodded in approval. Sam leftfor Juarez to rent something appropri-ate.

Tuesday, Sam put a couple ofads in local papers and printed upsome handbills. Wednesday, the‘doctor’ and his ‘nurse’ (a brillianttouch by Kelly) opened the office andbegan their wait. Nurse and doctorwere astonished when Little Phil, as ifon cue, walked through the door onFriday. After the doctor examined theoffending tattoo, an appointment wasmade to perform the procedure nextMonday in Little Phil’s house, the onlyplace where the wary con would agreeto undergo anesthesia. The canny “Dr.Kelly” got a deposit out of Little Philbefore he left.

That night the posse met anddecided they would need two cars forthe stakeout and getaway. Chief Oakswould drive one (no chance of hisgetting recognized), the others wouldpile into a cab, which, they reasoned,would make them invisible; after all,who takes a cab to a kidnapping?Everything was in motion: Detective/Dr. Kelly walked into Little Phil’shouse carrying a telltale doctor’s bag,ordered his patient to lie down andadministered the chloroform, while thestakeout cars (one hailed from the ElPaso Public Livery stand!) got intoposition. All that had to happen nowwas for Kelly to spit through an open

window, the agreed signal that thefelon was out cold. As with all thebest-laid plans, this one didn’t workeither. Little Phil was groggy, but notcompletely out. Dreben decided tomake a run for it anyway, he wouldstuff the fugitive on the floor of the carand race across the bridge to El Paso.

By the time Little Phil wasdragged from the house to the car, hewas wide awake, kicking and scream-ing in Spanish that he was beingkidnapped by gringos. A mob quicklygathered, blocking the car. Police werecalled. Sam, Detective Claude Smithand the hapless cab driver werearrested, and Alguin set free. Kelly,who had melted into the crowd, madeit back to El Paso, as did Chief Oakswho drove off when the troublestarted.

The situation grew uglier bythe hour. A lynch mob surrounded thejail. Only the timely intervention of oneof Sam’s legion of friends in Mexico,General J.J. Mendez, commandant ofthe local garrison, who ordered troopsinto the melee with fixed bayonets,saved the Americans. The Juarezpress screamed for the prisoners’execution.

When El Paso learned ofDreben’s predicament the city camerunning. El Paso Mayor Charlie Davisled the charge. He appealed to Con-gress, the governor’s office, the StateDepartment and Army Chief of Staff,General John J. Hines (who, in a greatpiece of luck for Sam, was passingthrough El Paso at the time). Pressuremounted on Mexico to release theprisoners. American troops massed atthe border. Mexico blinked. Sam andhis cohorts were released after threedays in jail. (Little Phil Alguin waseventually extradited and tried for themurder of the Los Angeles detective.Convicted in 1923 and given a lifesentence, Little Phil was paroled in1953. He disappeared into Mexicoand was never heard from again.)

Sam’s stint in jail made him ahero all over again. He couldn’t walk ablock in any direction without someonestopping to applaud or salute him. Thenduring the march in Washington,where a million bystanders stoodsilently in the rain to honor their

Continued from page 9

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nation’s heroes, a new feeling stirredin Sam. He felt vindicated, that finallyeveryone understood that duty andhonor came before all else, and that hewas, at least in his mind, forgiven forabandoning his wife, for not beingthere when their baby lay dying. Forthe first time Sam knew he had nothingmore to prove in El Paso, that therewas more to life than business andparades. Once he made his mind up,Sam charged ahead as if he wasattacking an enemy trench: stepping upvisits to old Army buddies, speakingout for Veteran’s causes and, for thefirst time in years, dating. In 1923, hemet and married Meada Andrews abeautiful young widow from Dallas.His new wife, sensing the baggagethat came along with life in El Paso,urged Sam to forget Texas and get afresh start in California. Sam agreed.By year’s end he closed his mainstreet office in El Paso, packed hisbags, shook everyone’s hand, kissedno one good-bye and was on a trainheading west, eager to start a new lifein California.

California Again,But For the Last TIme

Sam hit the ground runningwhen he got to the coast. Somehow hesensed that L.A. was his last chanceto lead a ‘normal’ life. In double-quicktime the affable war hero became aspecial agent for the West Coast LifeInsurance Company, joined the usualassortment of Veterans’ groups andmade a score of new friends. By 1925,he was so totally immersed in the hereand now lifestyle of California that thememory of past battles and roads nottaken soon dimmed. Samuel Drebenwas finally just a regular, every daykind of guy.

On March 14, whenthe sweet scent of spring was alreadyin the air, Sammy had an appointmentfor a routine visit to his doctor, whowas a personal friend. Doctor, nurseand patient were all making small talk,when the nurse, possibly distracted bythe banter, accidentally filled a hypo-dermic with a toxic substance in placeof the prescribed medicine and gentlyeased the needle into Sammy’s vein.Mortally stricken, he was rushed to the

Good Samaritan Hospital, where heexpired quietly the next morning whenhis brave heart finally stopped beating.

The Last Battle

The Coroner’s Office decreedthat an autopsy must be performed andtook charge of Dreben’s remains. Thewar veterans argued that their heroshould be interred in The NationalCemetery at Arlington under a fullpanoply of military honors. CaptainBurges, Sam’s comrade-in-arms,asked for permission to bury hisformer First Sergeant in the Burgesfamily plot in El Paso. Sam’s widow,Meada, along with the rest of hisfamily, felt besieged. The sacrilege ofan autopsy on an observant Jew wasbad enough, but not to be buried inconsecrated ground was unthinkable.

By the next afternoon, theCoroner ruled the accident in thedoctor’s office to be the cause ofdeath. The American Legion sprunginto action, whisking Sam’s remains tothe Grand View Memorial Park inGlendale, where they kept a number ofgrave sites, and which, they felt, was alivable compromise to Arlington or ElPaso. Final services and the stillcontested interment were scheduledfor 3:30 P.M. the following day, eventhough the family, still confused bySam’s status as military hero, Texanand observant Jew, had not agreed tothe Legionnaires’ terms.

Nevertheless, the casket waswheeled into the cemetery chapel atthe appointed hour. The assemblageparted along the lines of its opposingburial rites, stoking the acrimony thathad flared up between the AmericanLegion chaplain and the family’s rabbi,who began to rail at one anotheracross the aisle. Being pushed to thewall seemed to stiffen the family’sresolve: in these circumstances youcannot serve God and country at thesame time. The impasse filled theroom, choking off any hope of acompromise, until the rabbi, MeyerWinkler of Temple Sinai, proposed aSolomon-like solution: Carl De Mott,the Legion’s chaplain, would presideover full military honors in the chapel,then lead the Legionnaires’ cortege tothe graveside where a bugler’s taps

would sound its plaintive farewell. Atthis point, with the Corps standing atparade rest, the family would comeforward to chant the kadish as therabbi leads them through the finalservice, consecrating the burial inaccordance with the laws of Mosesand of Zion.

His last battle had beenfought. Now Samuel Dreben, thefighting Jew, could rest in peace.

Epilogue

Samuel Dreben fought in moreof our nation’s wars than GeneralDouglas MacArthur. Newspapersfrom coast to coast — including TheNew York Times — carried hisobituary. Nationally syndicatedcolumnist, Damon Runyon, eulogizedhim with a poem, The New Yorkermagazine with a two-page profile. TheTexas State Legislature, upon learningof his death, lowered its flag to half-staff and recessed for the day.

In what has to be a tributewithout parallel, General Pershing,commander of over a million Ameri-can fighting men in World War I,wrote to Sam’s widow: “Yourhusband was the finest soldier andone of the bravest men I ever met.”

As the sands of time shiftinto the new millenium, it is rare tofind a living soul who ever heard ofSamuel Dreben, America’s “Forgot-ten Hero.” Until now.

Author Gerard Meister

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The TJHS had a trip to NewMexico led by Don and Gertrude TeterJune 17-24. The group met in Albu-querque where Don rented a 15passenger van and drove his harem topoints of interest in Albuquerque,Santa Fe, Los Alamos and Taos. Hisharem included hiswife, Gertrude, ImaJoy Gandler andHilda Ruttenberg ofWaco, Selma andMelissa Mantel ofHouston and BertaSchlesinger andNorma Albert ofMcAllen.

Whilespending two days inAlbuquerque we hada guided tour, includ-ing visits to TempleAlbert, which cel-ebrated its 100thanniversary twoyears ago, Congrega-tion B’nai Israel andthe Jewish Commu-nity Center. Alsovisited were theUniversity of NewMexico, the Albu-querque Museum, historic Old Townand the tram ride to Sandia Peak. Wealso toured up and down Route 66which runs through Albuquerque. Theyare celebrating the 75th anniversary ofthis famous highway in July of thisyear.

We then traveled to Santa Fe-where we visited the New Mexicocapitol, the exhibit on the history of theJews in New Mexico at theGovernor’s Palace Museum, theMuseum of Fine Arts, the InternationalMuseum of Folk Art, and the Museumof Indian Arts and Culture. Alsovisited were several art galleries and

the Georgia O’Keefe Museum. Wespent an enjoyable evening withmembers of the New Mexico JewishHistorical Society at the home of itspresident. We viewed a video presen-tation about the Crypto-Jews, given bya Santa Fe couple who have studied

this subject for many years.In Los Alamos we visited the

Jewish Center and learned that theyhave about 50-60 members, a Temple-Community Center, a Rabbi (whoseday job is as a scientist at the LosAlamos lab), Hebrew classes, religiousschool and study groups. . We vieweda video about the development of LosAlamos at the Bradbury ScienceMuseum. During the war the area wasso secret that everyone had the sameaddress, a P.O. Box in Santa Fe. Allthe children born there during that timealso had the same P.O. Box addressas their place of birth. This is the area

TJHS Tour to New Mexico,the Land of Enchantment

where the atom bomb was developed,and the community is still made up ofmany of the scientists who participatedin that achievement. We were informedthat the Jewish congregation did nothave any lawyers and only one M.D.

Taos gave us an opportunity toview and purchasemany of the Indianworks and products.Due to very strongwinds we were unableto visit the Pueblo butwe enjoyed the town ofTaos. On the way backfrom Taos we stoppedat the Camel RockCasino where we had adelicious meal andcould indulge in somecasino activities.

We spent our final dayand night in Santa Feand Albuquerque. Wevisited art galleries,famous Canyon Roadlined with art galleriesand shops, historicalBishop’s Lodge and theShidoni foundry wherewe watched the bronzecasting of sculptures that

will be featured in many of the galleries.Don and Gertrude led us on a

wonderful tour. They had made all thearrangements, tour guides, appoint-ments, etc. This was the fourth tripthat they had planned for the TJHSand everyone who took advantage oftheir leadership had nothing but praisefor the trips. Not only did we see andlearn a lot about the area, but we hadfun and lots of laughs. Thank you Donand Gertrude. We also gained a newmember for the Society. Welcome toHilda Ruttenberg of Waco.

Norma Albert

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To order books or schedule an authorvisit, contact:

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Texas Jewish Historical Society 2001 - 2002

Board Members 2001 - 2003

OfficersJack Gerrick (Fort Worth)......................................................................PresidentCharles Hart (Temple)................................................................. Vice-PresidentMitzi Milstein (Longview).............................................................Vice-PresidentCynthia Wolf (Beaumont)............................................................ Vice-PresidentBen Pfeffer (Houston)...............................................................................TreasurerVickie Vogel (La Grange)....................................................Recording SecretaryBeverly Beck (Houston)..............................................Corresponding SecretaryMarvin Rich (Houston) .............................................................ParliamentarianBlanche Sheiness (Houston).......................................................................HistorianHoward Lackman (Arlington) ...............................................................Archivist

Elaine Albin (Rockport)Dorothy Borschow (El Paso)Roy Elsner (Odessa)Dorothy Harelik (Hamilton)Ruth Heidenheimer (Cisco)Leo Hoffman (Dallas)Rosalind Horwitz (Beaumont)Ed Katten (Waco)Sylvia Gayle Klein (McAllen)Sherman Kusin (Austin)

Annette Lackman (Fort Worth)Marvin Leshin (Corpus Christi)Selma Mantel (Houston)R.D. Moses (Fort Worth)Louis Pink (Houston)Nancy Polunsky (San Angelo)Ralph Robinowitz (Dallas)Don Schlossberg (The Woodlands)Merilee Weiner (Houston)Sherry Zander (Dallas)

Board Members 2000 - 2002

Norma Albert (McAllen)James Alexander (Dallas)Doris Epstein (Laredo)Walter Fein (San Antonio)Buddy Freed (Fort Worth)Ima Joy Gandler (Waco)Mickey Graubart (Houston)Kay Goldman (College Station)Dave Hoff (Midland)Goldye Levi (Dallas)

Patti Maltz (Austin)Rusty Milstein (Longview)Cynthia Mondell (Dallas)Herman Morris (Fort Worth)Berta Schlesinger (McAllen)Louis Sokol (Houston)Max Stool (Del Rio/San Antonio)Mimi Toubin (Brenham)Hollace Weiner (Fort Worth)Edward Winkler (Fort Stockton)

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Send Historical Texas Synagogues note cards when corresponding with friends or relatives.Each pack contains color prints, two each of five different synagogues - 10 cards and 10 envelopes.

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Only $10.85 per pack! Each pack of note-cards is cellophane wrapped. Give them to friends andfamily! It is a great gift at a great price! © 1998 Texas Jewish Historical Society.

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This 1999 narrative of theRosenwasser family history is basedon memories from Gladys Schaffer,the last surviving child of Morris andAnnie Rosenwasser, and informationfrom the Lockhart Cham-ber of Commerce, theLockhart Post-Register,Lockhart’s Dr. EugeneClark Library, the novel,Historical CaldwellCounty: Where RootsIntertwine, and the SanAntonio Express-News.

In 1890, myfather, MorrisRosenwasser, arrived inNew York on a ship aftertraveling alone all the wayfrom a small town inHungary. He was born in1874, so he must havebeen only about 16 yearsold He then set out byboat for Galveston, Texas.

For the next 10years, he worked as apack peddler, selling hiswares throughout SouthTexas before settling inCentral Texas and open-ing what would be an 80-year successful family-runbusiness.

In 1900, heopened a small dry goodsstore on the public squarein Lockhart, Texas, asmall cotton farmingvillage with a population of2,500.

Despite farmers’predictions of a poor cotton crop thatyear, my father optimistically unloadedpacking cases of merchandise at hisRed Front Store, which later waschanged to the name ofRosenwasser’s. Opening day was anexciting event to the crowds of skepti-

cal onlookers. As it turned out, farmshad the greatest acre yield of cottonever produced A good sign, a goodbeginning.

My father’s wagon was a

welcome sight at farm houses. Hisfluency in Polish and German stoodhim in good stead with CaldwellCounty farmers. On a typical visit, thefarmer came in from the field, whilehis wife and children examined myfather’s clothing. Then they would

feed and water the mules, talk of thenews of the day, news of the countyseat, or news from the state capital.

I recall a funny story aboutone particular visit my father had with

a farm family. It beganto rain, and waterpoured down steadilyover the next few days,causing the two creeksaround the farm to risedangerously. As a result,my father was forced tospend the week with thefamily. And for sevendays they ate nothing buthominy. Needless to say,he never wanted to tasteanother bite of hominythe rest of his life!

On one of his earlybuying trips to NewYork, my father met mymother, Miss AnnieFreedman, in the homeof a mutual friend. Shehad been on a pleasuretrip to New York City.Born in York, Pennsyl-vania in 1883, she wasthe daughter of Isaacand Rosa JosephFreedman. My fatherand mother married inHouston, Texas onAugust 18,1901 andreturned to Lockhart toset up house.

They raised fivechildren: my fourbrothers Gershon,Isadore, Jesse, Marcus,

and me. I was the youngest and onlydaughter. We all attended the Univer-sity of Texas, earning college degrees.

My high school years werehappy. I had lots of friends and wasinto all sorts of activities, from actingin plays to competing in declamations,

History of the Rosenwasser Family, Lockhartby Gladys Rosenwasser Schaffer, Corpus Christi

Our family in our home on Pecan Street in Lockhart.My brothers Gershon, Isadore, Jesse, Marcus,

and my Mother, I, and my Father.

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winning city and county competitions.My college years were

wonderful. I met Henry Schaffer, mylove and husband, the first weekend atthe University of Texas. About amonth later, we were going steady.

I was a true sorority girl,serving as president of Alpha EpsilonPhi. My brothers all had been in theSigma Alpha Mu fraternity. I gradu-ated summa cum laude with a B.A.degree in education. I still have manyclose friends frommy college days.

My motherwas active in thestore and in thecommunity ofLockhart, includingbeing a chartermember of the localOrder of the EasternStar. Her home wasalways open to thepeople she loved.She liked to garden,cook, can, pickle, andshare recipes withothers. Neighborsremarked on hergraciousness.

Home, Iunderstand, wasalways open tofriends and relativesfrom my father’shome town. Theymust have been astrange bunch to Lockhart - they wereforeigners, didn’t speak English, andwere very religious. My mother wasAmericanized, but she welcomed theminto her home. They bought merchan-dise from my father and peddled goodsin wagons around Lockhart.

Incidentally, these same menlater opened big department stores inAustin, Houston, and San Antonio. Butmy father preferred to stay inLockhart, believing that it was going togrow and become a big city one day.

Over the years, theRosenwasser name became synony-mous with progress in Lockhart. Our

family grew as did Lockhart. Ourhistories were intertwined. On thehistoric occasion of Texas’ 100thbirthday in 1936, my father suddenlydied.

The Centennial Edition of theLockhart Post-Register memorializedhim. His compassion and businessethics were known to all the citizens ofCaldwell County. His business philoso-phy to stay abreast of the times hadserved him well. He had built a

reputation for fairness and goodwill.The newspaper article,

“Thirty-Six Years of Fair Dealing InGood Merchandise Has Built AReputation For Local Establish-ment,” talks about my father’s adapt-ability as a merchant in the LockhartTrading Territory and his generosity toits residents. When the boll weevildevastated Lockhart during the early1900s, he opened his business doors,much the same way my mother hadopened her home.

The article said:“It was in this time of dis-

tress that people learned the gener-

ous nature of Morris Rosenwasser.Not only did he give of his merchan-dise to cover those suffering fromthe rain and cold but without moneyto buy, contributed of his means topurchase food for the hungry andgave freely of his time ....”

In the same newspaper, ourfamily described their dedication toLockhart: “As Texas celebrates itsone hundredth anniversary,

Rosenwasser’sis proud of its36-year recordof service.Sharing theprosperity anddepressions ofLockhart, thisbusiness hasstriven touphold thetradition ofhonesty andintegrity whichwas implantedinto that firstsmall store in1900.”

During mylast year incollege, myfather diedunexpectedly atthe age of 62,and the businesswas handed on

to my brothers Gershon and Isadore torun. And they did, conducting them-selves honorably in our father’sfootsteps. They continued our family’sinvolvement in organizations such asthe Kiwanis Club, Lockhart Chamberof Commerce, Masonic Lodge, andBen Hur Shrine Temple. My motheralso remained active until her death atthe age of 94 in 1977.

The importance of our store’scontributions to early Texas manufac-turers was noted in an article in 1970

On closing day, Rosenwasser’s Store was mobbedby people crying and reminiscing.

Continued on page 18

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in the San Antonio Express-News.The article credited my father withgiving the Williamson-Dickie company,one of the state’s work and sportsclothing makers, its first sale. In“Texans Can Almost Live Offthe Land,” the reporter wrote:

“Typical of the difficulties ofearly Texas manufacturers isthe story of the very first salemade by Williamson-Dickie.-The company’s first salesmanstarted out with the first samplegarments to come off thesewing machines in the littleplant in Fort Worth. He drovesouthward, stopping at suchplaces as as Cleburne,Hillsboro, Waco, Temple,Georgetown, Austin - and notone merchant would give himeven a trial order. Some re-fused to even look at hissamples. At Lockhart, he visitedMorris Rosenwasser’s smalldepartment store and Mr.Rosenwasser, a gentle, warmand friendly person, gave thediscouraged salesman his veryfirst order - the first order forthe new factory.. .”

After almost eightdecades of business,Rosenwasser’s made its final saleand closed in 1979. It had experi-enced the ups and downs of changingtimes. A passage from the 1984 book,Historical Caldwell County: WhereRoots Intertwine, chronicled thosechanging times:

“The business survived leanyears of boll weevil infestation,prosperity, long hours of the oilboom days, depression and wars,adjusting to suit the times.”

The Rosenwasser family’sdevotion to the people of Lockhart washeartfelt. On closing day, the storewas mobbed by people crying andreminiscing. Some recalled how they

had bought their first pair of shoes orpants from our store; others thematerial for a wedding dress. Weloved Lockhart and Lockhart loved ourfamily.

My husband, Henry Schaffer,and I had a beautiful life. A veryhappy one, filled with love and devo-

tion We shared 50 wonderful yearstogether. Our children were our life.They brought us so much joy. Weloved to travel and took our childrenfor yearly family vacations that Marciaand Rick still remember.

Henry worked as a pharma-cist. Affectionately called “Doc”Schaffer by many, he owned theSchaffer Modern Pharmacy in Gas-light Square, Corpus Christi. With itsold-fashioned soda fountain, thepharmacy was a gathering place in thecity for many years. Henry was agraduate of Rice University and the U.T. Pharmacy School and was active in

Temple Beth ElI was a very busy person from

the first year we moved to CorpusChristi. I was one of 50 womenappointed as a Friend of the Court toadvise the new corporate court judge.I also served as president of manyorganizations, including the first

Abused Women’s Shelter atCabaniss Field, the Temple BethEl Sisterhood, the SettlementHouse, and Menger PTA. I alsoserved as treasurer of theParent-Child Guidance Clinic runby Dr. Christopher Morris andwas a charter member of theLittle Theatre.

Real estate was a big part ofmy life. I enjoyed my associationwith the people I worked withand the lovely people I soldproperty to.

Today; In addition to myterrific son-in-law Russell, I havefour handsome grandsons, Ito,Lance, Richard and Tad, andtwo beautiful granddaughters bymarriage, Robin and Michelle,who are the love of my life now.

I’d like to share one of myfavorite songs written by OscarHammerstein:

“A bell’s not a bell till youring it; A song’s not a song tillyou sing it; Love in your heartwasn’t put there to stay; Loveisn’t love till you give it

away!”

Those lyrics best express howI feel about my wonderful life whichhas been full of love over the years.

Gladys Rosenwasser Schaffertoday, in Corpus Christi.

Continued from page 17

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Do You Recognize Anyone in This Photo?

This photo came from Gladys Rosenwasser Schaffer of Corpus Christi. She was an undergraduate of UT inAustin from 1932-1936 and this is her Sorority, AEPhi. Can you help identify any of these gals? Here are the names ofthe gals Gladys was able to recall:

Row 1, on walk, left to right: #1?, #2 is Teresa Burgauer, #3, 4?Row 2, sitting on stoop #1 is Pauline ___? , Standing #2, 3?, #4 is Myra Caplan (Ravel), #5? and #6 on right stoop is JaneStone (Sanger).Rows 3 and 4: No IDs.Row 5 (top row): #1 is Ruth Blaugran, #2?, #3 is Jean Nussbaum, #4 is Frances Levy (Kahn), #5 is Gladys Rosenwasser,#6?

If you have any information on any of the missing gals, please email Helen Wilk at lhwilk@earthlink.net, or writeto her at 260 Cape Aron, Corpus Christi, TX 78412.

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Welcome New Members!May 2, 2001 – July 25, 2001

Steve and Helen G. Breen5165 Swallow Dr.; Beaumont, 77707

George Cohen

Carl Dawson and Peggy Snofsky6909 Shenandoah; Fort Worth,76140

Gertrude Denn (Rosenzweig)2600 Bellefontaine #B-11; Houston,77025

Michael Dunn1226 W. Northgate Dr.; Irving,75062

Relda Hoffer2727 Essex Terrace; Houston, 77027

Dr. Alex and Sandy Hoffman4201 Hildring Dr. East; Fort Worth,76109

Lenny and Lynn Krasnow16131 Amberwood Rd.; Dallas,75248

Jason Kristall

Nora A. Laufman3627 North Braeswood Blvd.;Houston, 77025

Dr. Marc and Michelle Lefkowitz212 Center Street; Deer Park, 77536

Robert Markman12107 Nova Dr.; Houston, 77077

Gary Mann

Dr. A. Aaron and Jo Mintz252 Sugarberry Circle; Houston,77024

Regina Rogers2030 Thomas Rd.; Beaumont, 77706

Roz and Manny Rosenthal3950 Sarita Park #11; Fort Worth,76109

Alan and Norma Sampson1740 THomas Rd.; Beaumont,77706

Gloria Schwartz524 N. Post Oak Lane; Houston,77024

David and Dolly Seligman3766 Steck Ave.; Austin, 78759

Muriel Shaw4625 N. Braeswood Blvd. #306-C;Houston, 77096

Patsy Williamson6346 Mercer Street; Houston, 77005

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Your membership enables us toaccomplish our goals of collecting anddisseminating the valuable informationabout the interesting heritage of theJews of Texas.

For a non-recorded message on thefurther benefits of TJHS membership,call 817-924-9207.

In MemoriamRabbi Richard Dryer

(San Antonio)

Audrey Given (El Paso)

Max Stiefel(Laguna Woods, California)

TJHS extends condolencesto their families.

We apologize for any incorrect listings,as we are in the process of installing a new computer program.

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Have Exhibit, Will TravelThe Texas Jewish Historical Society, in cooperation with the Institute of Texan Cultures in San Antonio, has

designed an exhibit to be used as an educational tool for schools, Sunday Schools, Jewish Community Centers,Synagogues, Temples, and Special Events in any town or city in Texas.

The exhibit depicts the journey of Jews in tiny villages and schtetls in Europe to America and their eventualsettlement in the communities of Texas. It showsfamilies, businesses, homes, children, religion,and holidays.

The exhibit is designed to be either hungon walls or set up on tables on foam board withan easel stand. The entire exhibit comes in twoboxes, weighs 40 lbs., and can be shipped veryeasily via UPS. There is no charge for theexhibit and the only cost is the return charges viaUPS.

To reserve the exhibit, along with aspeaker, contact Jack Gerrick at (817) 927-8765.

This card is available foranyone wishing to honor ormemorialize an individualthrough our endowment fund.Upon receipt of your gift, theSociety will respond with thisacknowledgement. To the mem-bers who have sent in funds inthe past, thank you on behalf ofTJHS. To all those who willsend funds in the future, pleasesend your gift to:

Texas Jewish Historical SocietyP.O. Box 10193Austin, Texas 78766-0193

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Texas Jewish Historical Society Donor Cards

NOTE: If you know of any TJHS members who have passed away or married, requiring achange in membership status, please notify:

Fay Brachman; 3720 Autumn Dr.; Fort Worth, TX 76109Phone: 817-924-9207; Email: leonhb@flash.net

Thank you!

������������� ������ ����P.O. Box 10193Austin, Texas 78766-0193

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

PRESORT STD

AUTOU.S. POSTAGE PAIDSAN ANTONIO, TXPERMIT NO. 1868

Texas Jewish Historical Society Annual Membership� YES! I am enclosing my dues payment to the Texas Jewish Historical Society for the 2001 membershipyear. I am a � New Member � Renewing Member.

� $36 – Annual Member � $50 – Supporting Member � $100 – Sponsor� $250 – Sustaining Member � $500 – Benefactor � $1,000 – Patron

Name: _____________________________________________________________________________

Name of Spouse: ______________________________ Maiden Name: __________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________________________

City: _________________________________________ State: ___________ Zip: _________________

Home tel. #: ________________________________________Fax #: ____________________________

E-mail address(es):_____________________________________________________________________

Contributions to the Texas Jewish Historical Society are tax deductible within the limits of the law.Please clip and send with your check to TJHS, P.O. Box 10193, Austin, TX 78766-0193.