Jewish WWII hero who (single-handedly) 'killed 600 Japanese' dies

WND ^ | July 02, 2013 | Unattributed

[Perseverando]

Commanders thought anti-Semitism kept him from Medal of Honor

Did the American government refuse to honor a World War II veteran who was regarded as a war hero by the British Empire, because he was Jewish?

The question apparently still lingered in David Rubitsky’s mind when he died, penniless, June 28 at a nursing home in East Moline, Ill., the local Quad-City Times reported.

Rubitsky’s commanders claim he single-handedly killed 500 to 600 Japanese soldiers while guarding a military outpost in Papua New Guinea during the Battle of Buna in December 1942.

According to Rubitsky’s account, he defended the bunker with a 30-cal. machine gun, a .45-cal. pistol, a rifle and grenades.

In a WND column in 2001, WND CEO and Editor Joseph Farah told Rubitsky’s story when the veteran was still lobbying for a Medal of Honor:

Rubitsky spent a total of 21 hours in the bunker — including nine under heavy siege. The Japanese army attacked from three different directions — the north, south and west. His bunker had slits on all sides, making it possible for him to respond to an attack from any direction. He switched from gun to gun and threw grenades at the enemy, while the Japanese alternately charged his position and shelled it with light artillery.

[capt B]

“Dougout” Dug was also a military genius. “Island hopping”, Inchon, And “Never fight a land war in Asia”(which was not paid any attention, and gave us 35,00 deaths in Korea, 55,000 in Viet Nam)

[ArrogantBustard]

I have redacted his his name.

I'd rather know the name of a patriotic American Airman who gave his life for our country, than know the name of the murderous enemy who slaughtered him in cold blood.

[Oatka]

Saul has killed his thousands but David has killed his tens of thousands!

Samson claimed to have killed a thousand men with the jawbone of an ass. obama will claim he killed the U.S. with the same weapon.

[ek_hornbeck]

Is it me or has anyone else never heard of someone lobbying for the Medal of Honor for themself? You see CMH winner on documentarys and shows and they tend to be humble people who downplay their actions. Generally people push for the recogntion on their behalf. This gentleman seems to be the polar opposite.

Yes, there is something rather unseemly about it. Reminds me of an article I read 10-20 years ago about a chemist (I think) who wrote to the Nobel committee insisting that he was an unrecognized genius who deserved a Nobel Prize too!

[ncfool]

I agree but wanted to be semi-private.

He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal and Purple Heart.

[Justa]

It's a little confusing which action(s) he was involved in. The 126th was static on 2 December in the vicinity of Japanese outposts north of Soputa while on 1 - 2 December the 128th was attacking to the east at Buna.

The Japanese were defending their beach heads covering redeployment of their forces to Guadalcanal. Perhaps this is why a Japanese attack was discounted.

If his immediate superiors had nominated him it would be exceptional that their testimonies were not convincing even for a lesser award.

I tend to believe him as a south and easterly move by Japanese in the Soputa area on 2 December would provide relief to the defenders at Buna. Other than that a Japanese attack would make no sense.

[SJackson]

The Germans who executed an American POW because he was Jewish, should have been tried and executed as war criminals.

Minor issue, we didn't worry about those at the time. 350 American soldiers captured during the Battle of the Bulge chosen for Jewish sounding names were imprisoned at the labor camp of Berga, a subcamp of Buchenwald. Complete with a 200 mile plus death march when the camp was to be liberated. Death rate was around 20% in two months they were there. The government hushed it up. I believe the soldiers were sworn to secrecy, in any case it never came to light until the 1960s. The camp commandant, Erwin Metz, did 5 years.

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

[RJS1950]

The island hopping campaign was largely planned by the theatre commanders and approved/modified by Mac. He made most of the decisions based on his promise to return to the Phillipines. He campaigned with FDR to go forward with a number of invasions that were strategically and tactically wrong. One was the battle for Peleliu, an insignificant piece of the Palau chain and a campaign which Nimitz and the Marine and Army planners urged everyone not to take on. As a result, most of the First Marine Division was wiped out along with heavy toll in the 7th Marines and units of the 81st Army Division. It tied up resources for many months that would have been better used against other more useful islands and which cost many thousands of deaths. In the end, the island was never used as a bomber staging area. The house-to-house fighting for Manilla and the entire campaign to “retake” the island was also all a part of his “Returning” glory and it too cost thousands of lives needlessly. “His” Inchon invasion was a Navy/Marine plan and he let the planners know that he got the credit if it worked and they got the credit if it failed. If the Japanese had taken him captive on Corrigedor the Pacific Campaign might have been better executed and shorter under a more competent, real leader.

[celmak]

I should have been more clear; I meant who woul be a good contact to push for the injusted righted? How can we get him the medal he deserves?

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Rubitsky was in my father’s regiment, the 128th of the 32nd ID. My father joined the division as a replacement after the Buna campaign, but would have fought with Rubitsky on Leyte. He sounds like a good man to have next to you during a fight.

[0.E.O]

You are aware, are you not, that the Army conducted its last investigation on Sgt. Rubitsky almost 25 years ago? And that it concluded at that time, based on U.S. and Japanese records, that the evidence didn’t support the claim that the event occurred?

[ArrogantBustard]

Might I suggest that your best move would be to present evidence to support your case?

[RC one]

did he use an old jaw bone from an ass?

[Justa]

What’s strange is that he was supposedly in the 128th which fought around Buna however the photo shows a solder in Australian uniform and cover. There was a battalion of the 126th that was attached to the Australians which was positioned to the west of the 128th. The attached battalion was under “constant attack” in their area during December.

I wonder if he wasn’t first in the 126th then later the 128th during the reorganization after the campaign? This would explain the Austrailan uniform, awards and British recognition while also explaining the lack of recognition by the US. If he was attached to the Australians during this action I believe his award(s) would be Australian, not American.

[0.E.O]

Let me begin by saying that I found it odd, and still find it odd, that someone advocated for the medal themselves. I in no way meant to imply that it was because he was Jewish, and if I left that impression on anyone then I apologize.

Google has an account of the Army's last investigation. It said, among other things, that there is no evidence that Sgt. Rubitsky was ever put in for the Medal of Honor. That could be explained by the reaction he said the CO at the time had to the recommendation; that he said he wasn't going to put a Jewish soldier up for a CMH. There is no way of proving or disproving that, so no reason do doubt Sgt. Rubitsky's claim in that regard. But the investigation by the Army also failed to find any reports of a Japanese attack on or around the date stated. Japanese records say that due to malaria and dysentery their ranks had been so depleated that there were fewer than 500 effectives in the area when the attack is supposed to have took place. The sheer number also caused doubts among the investigators given the weapons he had on hand. The largest number of enemy killed by a single individual in a single action that has been documented was 75, during the fighting on Iwo Jima.

Now, in fairness to Sgt. Rubitsky there have been people who have also come forward and supported his account; his company commander and his division commander for example. But at the end of the day I have to believe that the Army conducted a fair investigation and that their findings were impartial. And they determined that there were enough inconsitencies that the medal wasn't justified.

[ArrogantBustard]

Thank you.

[0.E.O]

At the risk of unintentionally kicking up yet another sh*t storm, I have to ask another question; why did WND use the picture of an Australian soldier to head up the story? Look at the hat, the chevrons and the rifle - a Lee-Enfield if I’m not mistaken.

[fish hawk]

No, but American Jews are more than stupid when it comes to politics. No I'm not antisemitic, I love Netanyahu and would vote for him to be OUR president if possible. Just sick of American Jews always voting left wing.

[Verginius Rufus]

The 1884 election between Grover Cleveland and James Blaine was very close--Cleveland won because he carried New York (very narrowly). A few days before the election a Protestant minister, with Blaine present, had denounced the Democrats as "the party of rum, Romanism, and rebellion." Supposedly that offended enough Catholic voters in New York to tip the election to Cleveland.

After the election someone said Cleveland had defeated his opponent with the jawbone of an ass.