Fair Lawn News

Just six days after his father (a World War II veteran) passed away, the Mayor of Fair Lawn addressed the war veterans of Fair Lawn. Mayor Ganz quoted General Douglas MacArthur, “Old soldiers never die, they just fade away."

Then, reflecting upon the loss of his own father, he said "As I know personally, and sadly, old soldiers do die, but they do not fade away. The memories of how they fought for freedom and democracy are part of our culture. What your generation did to preserve our way of life will never be forgotten.”

The Story of One Fair Lawn WW II Veteran

An Army medic, Staff Sergeant Max Warshaw, was awarded 11 medals and a Combat Medic Badge in World War II.

He received his first Bronze Star medal in 1942, in the North African Campaign. His regiment was fighting the Germans in Algeria. He risked his life by exposing himself to the enemy to help his regiment's wounded lying in open areas.

Two days later, Warshaw was wounded by shrapnel. "An artillery shell blew up right near me," he recalled, "it didn't knock me out and I didn't require hospitalization. However, for many years I would still need to have artillery shrapnel removed."

In 1943, Warshaw received his first Silver Star medal for gallantry in action in Tunisia. The citation reads, "...when a heavy enemy artillery barrage had compelled two drivers to abandon their vehicles, Sergeant Warshaw fearlessly entered this area and removed the vehicles, thereby saving valuable equipment from destruction." On D-Day, he landed with his outfit in Normandy, where he was one of the first to hit Omaha Beach. It was for his heroism on June 14 and 15, 1944, that he received his second Bronze Star medal.

His division kept pushing the German Army back to its own country. It was in Aachen, Germany, on October 13, 1944, that Warshaw received his third Bronze Star medal. He constantly exposed himself to the enemy to administer first aid to the wounded. Three days later, he was again awarded the Silver Star medal for heroism and gallantry beyond the call of duty.

On November 25, 1944, Staff Sergeant Max Warshaw was captured by the Germans. They gave him a medical kit to care for the other prisoners of war. He was liberated five months later and sent to England for medical care.

Max Warshaw returned to civilian life after the war and he became active in many veterans' organizations. In 1956, he and his wife, Evelyn, moved to Fair Lawn where he held many positions in the Jewish War Veterans of the USA.

Thanks to the Florida Atlantic University Libraries for this information.