Irving Abramowitz

Irving Abramowitz was born in Ansonia, Connecticut, in 1917, the son of Celia and Avraham Moshe Abramowitz, who emigrated to the United States from Lithuania in the early 1900s. He was raised on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and later in Brooklyn in a traditional Jewish home and studied at the RJJ Yeshiva (Rabbi Jacob Joseph School).

Having a last name beginning with “Ab,” Irving was required to register for the draft on the very first day of WWII Selective Service, October 16, 1940. He waited to be called up and enlisted on July 23, 1942. He was accepted for pilot training and although he “washed out,” he still wanted to be an airman so he learned to be an airborne radio operator.

On April 11, 1944, he wrote home, “Last Friday eve they had me leading the services again (at Sedalia, Mo.) and Oh, Boy! Did I give ’em one! When I got thru, all pumped my hand madly.”

He took a train to Bergstrom Field in Austin, Texas, for advanced training on C-47 aircraft. Finding no Jewish service on his post, he drove 40 miles with the base chaplain to another base to get approval from a rabbi to begin to hold his own services, “coming away with a hundred prayer books.” He wrote “I have lost no opportunity in speaking to whatever Jewish boys I could find” and he “came away with the promise that they all would attend.” He even went to the WAC barracks to speak to the Jewish girls.

On November 2, 1944, he sailed on the USS Admiralty Islands from San Francisco and reached Finschhafen, New Guinea, on November 21. On December 7, 1944, he was assigned to the 13^th Troop Carrier Squadron (“13^th TCS), nicknamed “The Thirsty 13^th,” which flew cargo planes. They were based on Biak as part of the 403^rd Troop Carrier Group in the 13^th Air Force. The Thirsty 13^th, which is perhaps the most well-researched unit in World War II, served in seven campaigns.

In addition to one-day missions, for which records have not been found, from February 23 to May 25, 1945, Irving flew seven long, multiday missions to and throughout the Philippines including to Leyte, Palawan, and Mindoro. These were in support of the Southern Philippines Campaign, providing supplies and handling evacuations for the Eighth Army as well as carrying out low-level drop missions.

Irving recalled swapping canned beef for vegetables with his squadron buddies to keep kosher. Having a very good voice, he led services on Passover and holidays wherever he was stationed.

On June 10, 1945, Sgt. Abramowitz was transferred to the 13^th Air Force headquarters at Clark Field in Luzon. He left the Philippines on October 24, 1945, and arrived in the United States on December 20, 1945.

Even In his eighties, Irving could still tap out Morse code to the delight of his grandchildren. He is buried on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.