Oz: Chronicles of Courage by Howard Leavitt

“There are probably thousands of books written by Jews and about Jews. Jewish novelists and historians are overrepresented in the world of literature. They have written on virtually every subject in the itinerary of the knowledge of Man: even in the field of the military. But literature of Jews in the military are in woefully short supply. The Holocaust is well documented. There are dozens of books and documentaries on this subject. But other than Holocaust literature, Jews in the armed forces of our country (and those of others) are rarely described. One would think that professional writers, historians, or researchers might have filled this gap. But only a few have taken on this most important task. Jewish-Americans have defended our country since the inception of the Republic, fighting, in some cases, in respectable numbers, in all of our conflicts. Not a few individuals have emerged as true heroes of the nation. OZ – Chronicles of Courage (as well as my other three books) attempts to correct this slight to our recognition and represents a frail effort to set the record straight In the book, untold stories of bravery and sacrifice are related of heroes of various conflicts, highlighting some that have been awarded our country’s decorations for heroism beyond that expected of all our fighting personnel. They deserve recognition. In OZ – Chronicles of Courage, I try to explain why. The last section is devoted to our personnel now fighting (or have returned) in Iraq and Afghanistan. Conventional wisdom seems to convey the impression that Jews are not at all involved. Nothing could be further from the truth. Although numbers are impossible to ascertain, it is clear that Jewish-Americans have fought – and died – in the conflict, and not a few have emerged with honor and recognition.”