Veteran’s Day in Danbury Honoring Those Who Have Served Our Great Nation

Retired NYPD Detective Ralph Friedman standing with retired Danbury Police Officer Lee Teicholz who is the Project Organizer for the Veterans Walkway of Honor at the Danbury War Memorial. Friedman is holding the brick that he purchased to honor his father, David Friedman, who fought in World War II. The brick will be installed in the walkway for Veteran’s Day.

Besides being retired police officers, Ralph Friedman and Lee Teicholz also share a bond knowing that their fathers both served during the European Theater of Operations and were one of the approximately 550,000 Jewish soldiers who fought in the US Armed Forces during World War II. They served on all fronts in Europe and in the Pacific. Some 10,000 were killed in combat and more than 52,000 received U.S. military awards. Many Jewish soldiers took part in liberating the concentration camps. Most were not prepared for the horrors that they witnessed.

Teicholz’s father, William, was a Sergeant with the 3^rd Armored Division, 36^th Armored Infantry Regiment and Friedman’s father, David, was a Technician 4^th Grade with Headquarters Company of the ETOUSA which was responsible for directing US Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945.

“My father was a very quiet man and didn’t talk about the war much, but I’m quite sure Jewish soldiers during that time period not only fought the Nazis; they had to battle the anti-Semitic prejudice of many of their fellow soldiers,” Lee Teicholz said. Many American soldierswere indeed shunned by their fellow soldiers just because they were Jewish.

Teicholz fought under the command of Major General Maurice Rose who was born in Middletown, Connecticut. The son and grandson of rabbis, Major General Rose was at the time the highest-ranking Jew in the U.S. Army. Major General Rose was also the highest-ranking American killed by enemy fire in the European Theater of Operations during the war. When the 3^rd Armored Division swept on to Paderborn, it was at a road junction near Paderborn that Major General Rose was killed while attempting to surrender to a German tank commander.

Ralph Friedman, the most decorated detective in NYPD’s history, said that his father had no problems being a Jewish soldier because he could take care of himself. He stated that his father taught boxing to other soldiers.

“During the war, my father was shot in the calf and was afraid to go to the medics and doctors because doctors were very quick to amputate soldiers who were shot in the limbs. So he dug the bullet out himself with his knife. To this day, I still have the knife that he used in a display,” Friedman said.

Lee Teicholz stated that his father was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor during the German winter offensive. When pinned down by a heavy concentration of machinegun and rifle fire from a German machinegun nest, his father crept and crawled forward on the right flank to the slope of a hill. Approaching within a few yards of the position, and while continuously exposed to enemy fire, he hurled one grenade into the nest, destroyed the gun and killed three Germans. His actions permitted his platoon to take its objective.

Both Teicholz and Friedman stated they are both very proud of their father’s service in the military and ask that on November 11^th, as we celebrate Veteran’s Day and honor those who have served our great nation, to remember the courage, sacrifice, and dedication of all those who have served our country.