World War II Honoree

Mort Epstein

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

New York

Honored By

An Indebted American

SERVED AS A MODEL-MAKER FOR THE ARMY. IN 1941, WORKED AT THE RARITAN ARSENAL IN NEW JERSEY, WHERE HE MADE DRAWINGS OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT FOR USE IN ARMY INSTRUCTION MANUALS. HELPED THE ARMY DESIGN NEW CAMOUFLAGE PATTERNS FOR ITS VEHICLES, WEAPONS, AND EQUIPMENT. IN 1942, HE ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AND SPENT THE NEXT THREE YEARS WORKING ON A VARIETY OF MODELING PROJECTS. CRAFTED VISUAL AIDS USED FOR TRAINING TROOPS AND FIGHTING BATTLES. THE MODELS HELPED RECRUITS LEARN HOW TO OPERATE MILITARY EQUIPMENT RANGING FROM SMALL ARMS TO BOMB SIGHTS. TOPOGRAPHIC REPLICAS OF CITIES AND TERRAIN WERE EMPLOYED TO PLAN BOMBING RAIDS AND MASSIVE INVASIONS INCLUDING THE D-DAY ASSAULT ON FRANCE. CREATED MODELS USING A VARIETY OF MATERIALS INCLUDING WOOD, PLASTIC, AND METAL. LATE IN THE WAR, HE WORKED FOR THE OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES (OSS) ON DETAILED MAPS OF MANCHURIA, WHERE THE RUSSIANS WERE EXPECTED TO BE BATTLING THE JAPANESE. HE CREATED DETAILED, SCALED-DOWN REPLICAS OF THREE JAPANESE CITIES, SHOWING BUILDINGS AND ROADS.