100 year-old German-born, Jewish, WWII USVeteran will share story

We did our job 
 
Boynton Beach resident Ed Wasserman is a World War II combat veteran who turns 100 in June, and while that alone makes him less than one percent his peers still alive, his story is even more rare and astounding. You see, the German-born Ed was sent to live in the United States when he was just ten years old because his parents could see that things in his homeland of Germany were becoming untenable and dangerous for Jews like Ed and his brother. The country was not yet at war, but Ed’s parents were wise beyond their years and felt that it was simply a matter of time, and with no other options, they sent their beloved sons to live with relatives in the US and stayed behind in Germany.  
 
At 18 years old, Ed and his brother joined the US Army and were sent to Germany, where they ended up just 15 kilometers from their hometown and in direct contact with German soldiers, many of whom would likely have been school chums had their parents not foreseen the awful future and saved their sons’ lives. Instead of being afraid of being persecuted for his religion or broken by the sadness of fighting on the opposing side in a war in their own homeland, Ed and his brother instead used their compassion and exceptional communication skills to convince German soldiers to put down their weapons and surrender, rather than see more bloodshed, horror, and loss of life.  
 
Ed is truly an American hero and one of the last of what has become known as The Greatest Generation. When asked about his contributions to WWII, Ed simply says, "We did our job."  
 
Ed’s story is compelling, and he is active, well-spoken, and a delightful presence. It won’t be long before even the one percent of veterans like Ed Wasserman who made up the Greatest Generation are no longer walking among us. If you’re interested in spotlighting Ed, who is one of our favorite Southeast Florida Honor Flight veterans, we would be more than happy to connect you with him and with his equally-delightful and interesting Honor Flight guardian-turned dear friend, Doug Glenn. But please don’t wait. Time is fickle and not often kind to our most fragile and beloved veterans, and Ed is slowing down a bit. We’d love for you to help make Ed Wasserman’s final paragraphs among his most memorable.  
 
We promise, meeting Ed Wasserman will be far more than a compelling human-interest story - it will be a genuine gift to you. Thank you for your time and consideration.