American Jewish Flier Downs Three German Fighters; Holds Ten Awards

Lt. Harvey D. Kaufman, of Springfield, Mass., a veteran of fifty operational flights, is the recipient of ten air medals in recognition of his achievements on various fronts, it was reported today by the National Jewish Welfare Board. As flight leader he guided a squadron of American planes in daylight assaults on enemy positions in Europe. On one flight he downed three German fighter planes. Lt. Kaufman is only 23 years old.

Lt. Jerome S. Victor, 24, of Chicago, an Army bombardier, is a nine-medal flier, holding the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, and seven Oak Leaf Clusters, the JWB discloses. One of three brothers is service, Lieutenant Victor has been on combat duty in the Mediterranean area and flew in the lead ship on crucial missions over Ploesti, Rome and Foggia.

Lt. Charles. A. Blumenfeld, 25, of Jamaica, N. Y., navigator of a Flying Fortress, holds the Distinguished Flying Cross, an Oak Leaf Cluster to the D.F.C., the Air Medal, and three Oak Leaf Clusters, according to another JWB report. Lieutenant Blumenfeld, with twenty-five bombing attacks to his credit, has participated in the Schweinfurt, Gdynia, Bremen, and Stuttgart assaults, as well as the Regensburg-North Africa “shuttle” bombing.

CORRECTION: Citing a National Jewish Welfare Board report, this 1944 article from the JTA Jewish Daily Bulletin reports that Lt. Harvey Kaufman, then 23, downed three German fighter planes in a single flight. “I did not participate in shooting down three planes attributed to me,” Kaufman told JTA in a phone interview on Jun. 13, 2013. “The one who wrote that article obviously put it in the wrong place,” said the former bombardier, suggesting the honor might belong to some other decorated pilot. To read more about Harvey Kaufman’s service, visit 301bg.com.

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