|
|
For those who came to America, World War II was much less traumatic, but some of the sons of the Bezbrozh family did help the war effort. Ralph Bernstein, Murray Bernstein (later Murray Doberne) and Sam Chilkov all served in the United States Navy, and, completely coincidentally, all ended up in the same radar technician program because they scored highly on the Navy's aptitude tests. Ralph and Murray ended up as radar instructors at Treasure Island in San Francisco. Sam Chilkov was shipped overseas, luckily after hostilities had ceased. Robert Bernstein, the son of Morris and Bessie Bernstein, was in the U.S. Army, serving as an M.P. in the European Theater. |
Cousins Ralph Bernstein, Sam Chilkov and Murray Bernstein |
Zus Bezbrozh, Zhan's brother, had a different and rather unusual story. Zus was in the Underground working against the Nazis when he was captured and put in a detainment camp. He knew that as a Jew he would be murdered. But then one of his fellow inmates, a man named Yakov Pavlenko who was not Jewish, died in the camp. Zus assumed the man's identity and became Yakov Pavlenko for the duration of the war. Since they did not think he was Jewish, the Nazis spared his life. After the war, Zus, now Yakov, went to the Soviet officials and explained that Yakov Pavlenko was not his real name. The officials encouraged him to keep the name Pavlenko since it wasn't Jewish. They thought it would make his life |
Yakov Pavlenko (born Zus Bezbrozh) |
easier in the anti-Semitic environment of the Soviet Union. So Zus Bezbrozh stayed Yakov Pavlenko for the rest of his life. |
World War II (page 3) |
Page 32 |
Bill Bernstein, the son of Joe and Rachel Bernstein, was in the U.S Army Aircorps in World War II. He was in the 2nd combat cargo squadron in Burma and Chungking, serving as both an airplane mechanic and an aerial gunner. He earned the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal and a Sharpshooter Medal. |
Click here to see Ralph Bernstein's honorable discharge certificate from the U.S. Navy. |
