Tucson Honors Jewish World War II Veterans

[Kiwi]

A voice of veterans you don't always hear about this time of year. This Veterans Day, Tucsonans are paying tribute to Jewish veterans of World War II.

The Jewish Community Center showed a film about Jewish American solders. One Tucson veteran can relate. He spoke with us about his top secret mission to defeat the Nazis. 

Hans Spear can trace his family roots hundreds of years in Germany, the place he called home until he was 19.

"I came with two suitcases and $40, I had to leave everything behind."

Hans was a German refugee who came to the U.S. to start over. But that journey led him back to the enemy. Hans joined the Army Medical Corp during World War II.

"I wanted to help defeat the Nazis, simple as that."

But Hans's ability to speak German led him to the Army Counter Intelligence Corp. That's where he trained to become a special agent in an elite group. The mission was dangerous. Hans had to interrogate thousands of German prisoners and identify Nazis.

"We were all afraid to be taken prisoner because you can imagine what they would've done to me, born in Germany of the Jewish faith, now serving the American intelligence."

During his missions, Hans never stopped looking for his only brother. Jacob was a rabbi in charge of an orphanage. But after years of searching, Hans believes his brother may have fallen victim to the Nazis.

"Through the war, I did not fire one shot in anger. My job was to protect the people in front of me that were shooting and that's what we did and we did it with great success, we saved thousands of American Lives."

But his most precious memory is told in a medal he was awarded for collecting milk rations from American soldiers to feed starving children in a Dutch village.

"I call it my milk medal and I wouldn't change it for the congressional medal of honor. Because during the war I did something decent, I gave milk to kids."

Hans also fought in the Battle of the Bulge where thousands of Americans died. Next month, he'll turn 89. Hans was featured in a film called The Ritchie Boys.

http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=7350548&nav=14RT