ByMICHAEL STARR
Updated:

A bill to facilitate the replacement of Latin Cross grave markers with Stars of David for Jewish American military service members passed in the House on Monday, with its counterpart being placed for consideration before the Senate with bipartisan support.

The Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act would sanction the American Battle Monuments Commission to create a program to identify Jewish service members buried in foreign American military cemeteries under crosses and contact their descendants and surviving family.

The five-year program resulting from the act would budget $500,000 and contract a nonprofit to replace the headstones of the estimated 900 American Jews who fell in battle during World Wars I and II.

The bill asserts that while these servicepeople were mistakenly buried under a symbol not representative of their heritage, it is the US government's responsibility to ensure that every fallen American military member is properly honored.

OPERATION BENJAMIN’S co-founder and chief historian, Shalom Lamm, estimates that between 600 and 900 American Jewish soldiers from both World Wars are mistakenly buried under crosses. Here, late US serviceman Howard Feldman receives a Jewish headstone.
OPERATION BENJAMIN’S co-founder and chief historian, Shalom Lamm, estimates that between 600 and 900 American Jewish soldiers from both World Wars are mistakenly buried under crosses. Here, late US serviceman Howard Feldman receives a Jewish headstone. (credit: Courtesy Operation Benjamin)

Bill to rebury Jewish soldiers under Star of David enjoys bipartisan support 

Reps. Debbi Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida, 25th District) and Max Miller (R-Ohio, 7th District) introduced the bill, with the former stating that the legislation was "an important step to allow for the research necessary to correct these errors and ensure there are resources for that work.

“This will make it possible for these brave Jewish servicemembers’ descendants to know that their loved one’s military service, life, and religious heritage are properly honored," Wasserman Schultz said in a Monday statement.

The companion bill is being led by Democrat Sen. Jacky Rosen from Nevada and Republican Sen. Jerry Moran from Kansas.

The bill was reportedly backed by the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Gold Star Spouses of America, Jewish War Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Aleph Institute, the Non Commissioned Officers Association, Vietnam Veterans of America, the American Legion, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, and the Jewish Federations of North America.

The Jewish Federations applauded the passage of the house bill in a Tuesday statement, and called on the Senate to adopt the companion legislation.