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Ritchie Boys Jewish war veteran celebrates 99th birthday

South Florida Sun Sentinel - 6/25/2021

Jewish war veteran Paul Weitzenkorn of Lauderhill was grateful to be able to celebrate his 99th birthday with members of his family.

Aside from being able to so far live close to a century and have the family he has, Weitzenkorn’s gratitude for life also includes the fact that he was able to escape Nazi Germany and move to the United States at 17 years old while also serving this country.

Weitzenkorn and his family came to the U.S. in 1939 two months after Kristallnacht, referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, which was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany from Nov. 9-10, 1938, and signaled the beginning of the Holocaust.

After arriving in this country, Weitzenkorn enlisted in the Army and was brought into the Ritchie Boys, the U.S. special German-Austrian unit of Military Intelligence Service officers and enlisted men of World War II who were trained at Camp Ritchie in Maryland. Many of them were German-speaking immigrants to the United States, often Jews who fled Nazi persecution.

“It was a good thing that we could help our liberators,” Weitzenkorn said about serving with the Ritchie Boys.

Weitzenkorn said that serving this country in any position was an honor.

“It felt good that I could do something positive for America, the country that gave me freedom,” he said.

Weitzenkorn explained the advice he gives when addressing young people.

“If it’s a jewish audience, I tell them to never forget what the Nazis did to us, and to never forget what the other Europeans did for us,” he said.

Weitzenkorn’s advice to non-Jewish young people is, “Don’t hate yourself, and don’t hate people who have different beliefs than your own.”

Bonnie Bernstein, Weitzenkorn’s daughter who lives in Mandeville, LA, said, “I’m very proud to be his daughter.”

“He has been an exceptional role model for me in terms of optimism, integrity, honesty, hard work and valuing family,” she continued.

Another of Weitzenkorn’s daughter, Judy Miller of Fort Lauderdale, praised her father and his family for escaping Nazi Germany for the U.S.

“They are are a remarkable and resilient family for being able to do that and beginning a new life in the United States,” Miller said. “They now have four generations of this family still living here in this country, they are Jews, they are free to make money and they are free to have lives that we want to live. All that would’ve ended under the Nazi regime.”

Miller said her father was super happy at his birthday celebration, which took place in Fort Lauderdale.

“Everything went as well as we could’ve expected it,” she said. “Everybody seemed to have a good time. My father was able to visit with all of his immediate family members for the first time in well over a year and a half.”

Leslie Golay Sheffield of Fort Lauderdale, who considers Weitzenkorn a longtime family friend, said he “epitomizes our World War II humble heroes.”

“He is truly one of the Greatest Generation who faced evil and helped make how we live today possible,” she said. “I join his family in celebrating the 99th birthday of this remarkable man.”

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