World War II Honoree

Israel 'Eyo' Grossman

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

FIRST TRIED TO JOIN THE NAVY SO HE COULD ENTER OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL, BUT A ROUTINE PHYSICAL REVEALED THAT HE HAD A HERNIA. THE NAVY REJECTED HIM ON THAT BASIS. HE UNDERWENT SURGERY TO REPAIR THE DEFECT. SOON AFTER HE HEALED, THE ARMY DRAFTED HIM AND HE HIT THE FRONT LINES. ONE OF EIGHT BROTHERS WHO SERVED IN THE MILITARY DURING WWII, AND WHOSE MILITARY SERVICE WAS CHRONICLED IN THREE DAILY NEWSPAPERS WHEN DRAFT BOARD WORKERS WROTE TO PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT IN OCTOBER 1943, AFTER THE EIGHTH BROTHER JOINED THE ARMY. SERVED AS A PRIVATE FIRST CLASS IN THE INFANTRY AND WAS THE ONLY ONE TO BE SERIOUSLY WOUNDED. ON A BATTLEFIELD IN BELGIUM ON NOVEMBER 22, 1944, A GERMAN GRENADE EXPLODED AND MANGLED HIS RIGHT ARM. DOCTORS WANTED TO AMPUTATE HIS ARM. HE ARGUED AGAINST IT AND THE DOCTORS RELENTED. TO STRENGTHEN HIS GNARLED FINGERS AND CRUSHED FOREARM, HE BEGAN PLAYING THE PIANO. AMONG HIS AWARDS IS THE PURPLE HEART. ALL EIGHT BROTHERS SURVIVED THE WAR.