Reminiscing about Jewish military life

 On Veterans Day, as we remember and salute those who serve, I want to relate my experiences, along with those of my lifelong friend Murray Gereboff, and my son-in-law Jack Cleff. As Jews in the military, not everyone had the same experiences. Here are our stories:

I entered basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, in June 1967. There was very little Jewishness in basic training. Teamwork was important. Two Jewish events stand out. At the onset of basic, I was presented with a Siddur given by the National Jewish Welfare Board. I used this Siddur then and still use it now. On the last Sunday of basic, The JCC of San Antonio sponsored a brunch and invited all Jewish personnel.

I then went to Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois, for technical training to become a weather observer.

At Chanute, there was a Jewish chaplain or lay leader who led Shabbat services. Personnel permanently at Chanute also attended. This was important because they owned vehicles and were able to provide transportation to High Holy Day services and meals at the University of Illinois Hillel.

It was at Chanute that I met Frank Gorleski. Frank was from Cohoes, New York. Maybe, I thought, he was Jewish. Frank was Polish, but he was very aware of Jewish tradition and customs. He had attended the State University of New York, which had a large Jewish population. One evening in the barracks another airman used a derogatory word to describe Jews. Frank ran to this airman and had to be restrained – the rest of us learned a lesson in tolerance.

From January 1968 to December 1969, I was at Kinchloe AFB near Sault Saint Marie, Michigan. There was little Jewish presence on the base. There was a synagogue in Sault Saint Marie, Ontario, but I never attended because crossing into Canada was a hassle. Luckily the Base Exchange stocked some Kosher products, and care packages from home helped in the observance of Passover.

I was on leave during the High Holy Days in 1968 and 1969. Since the military operates 24/7/365, I worked 12-hour shifts at Christmas time.

In February 1970 I was sent to a small base at Quang Nai, Vietnam. There was no Jewishness there and I did my best to keep the faith. Passover arrived in April as well as care packages from home. I was given a pass to attend seders at DaNang Air Base. The seders were traditional with all the foods.

The High Holy Days saw a return to DaNang for Rosh Hashanah. I was unable to attend Yom Kippur services because the monsoon season was approaching, making transportation difficult.

I was discharged in February 2001 and awarded the Air Force Accommodation Medal.

Murray Gereboff was drafted and served two years in the Army. His experience was far different from mine.

He completed basic training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. A Jewish chaplain assistant  was on post. Services were held and some Kosher food was available.

Upon completion of basic, Gereboff was assigned to Fort Polk, Louisiana, for advanced training. He arrived at Fort Polk just before Yom Kippur and recalls staying with a Jewish family for two days, but he does not recall whether a chaplain was on post.

After advanced training, he was then ordered to report to the Oakland, California, embarkation facility to await transportation to Vietnam. Suddenly, as he awaited final orders, he was pulled from line and told that he was being assigned to The Presidio in San Francisco. There, Gereboff was to serve as Jewish chaplain assistant reporting to Rabbi William Dalin. Letterman General Hospital was located on the post and his duties included visits to wounded soldiers.

Murray had all the attributes of Jewish life due to his position and the location of the post. Among his accomplishments he worked to send a Torah to Vietnam. This Torah was used at either DaNang or Ton San Naut in Saigon. He helped organize services and seders on base and at Travis Air Force. He was honored to meet with Rabbi Shlomo Goren who was then a Major General and chief chaplain for the Israeli Defense Force. Rabbi Goren later became Chief Rabbi of Israel.

Gereboff met his future wife Rosalyn, a dietician, at Letterman. They were married in San Francisco by Rabbi Dalin. Rosalyn, who worked with returning troops, had joined the Army so she could better her skills and perform her internship.     

Jack Cleff, a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, resident, attended a Hebrew day school through grade 8. He graduated from Harrisburg High School and enlisted in the Army six days after graduation in June 1994.

Cleff completed basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Very little Jewishness existed in basic training. Then he was assigned to Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, where he completed advanced training in human resources. Services were available.

Cleff was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas, the largest Army post in the country. A Jewish chaplain and services were available and there were other Jewish soldiers on the post. When he took a Primary Leadership Development Course in February 1997, Kosher, halal and vegetarian MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) were introduced. They are still available today.

He deployed to Kuwait in the summer of 1997, six years after Operation Desert Storm. 

Americans were treated as heroes. Kosher-style food was available.

In May of 1998, Cleff was assigned to Heidelberg, Germany. Other Jewish troops were on post. He traveled in Europe. A trip to the oldest Jewish cemetery in Germany was the highlight of his stay; this visit was somber and awe-inspiring.

In May of 2001, he was assigned to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. A chaplain was based there and a Jewish Chapel was on post. Cleff was given the High Holy Days off, and was able to attend services year round. He worked on Easter and Christmas.

Cleff met my daughter, Marsha when she was  a student advisor at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. They were married in October 2003.  He spent three years recruiting in San Marcos, Texas. Although recruiting was  a great deal of work, requiring many long hours away from home, his supervisors made sure that he had time off for all the holidays.

Fort Stewart, Georgia was the next career stop. Fort Stewart is located near Savannah, Georgia. There was Jewishness on the post and at home.

Cleff deployed to Iraq in 2009. Services were conducted for Jewish troops; however, since Iraq was a war zone, no troops were allowed extra time off for religious observances. Jack received the Bronze Star upon completion of his tour of duty in Iraq.

From 2011 until October 2015 when he retired, Butte, Montana was home. Cleff was Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of a Military Entrance and Processing Station. In Butte, the Cleffs joined a small temple.

I asked my daughter Marsha about her feelings as an Army wife. She said that during Jack’s career, finding a synagogue was not always possible. She made sure that all the holidays were observed at home, including meals and candle-lighting. Since his retirement, they now reside in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Gerald Sherman is 2nd Vice Commander and Quartermaster of JWV Post 23 and a member of Vietnam Veterans of America. Parts of this article were presented Nov. 9 during an assembly the Providence Hebrew Day School.