3 minute read
JWV Post 400 news
By Michael Hirsh
More than 30 veterans and guests attending the November meeting of Jewish War Veterans Post 400 participated in a phone call with IDF Master Sergeant Matt “Motti” Charter in northern Israel.
The 46-year-old son of Fort Myers Post Commander Harvey Charter is part of a communication unit attached to a reserve commando division.
Motti told the group at Federation HQ that his unit has been training for deployment wherever they may be needed, adding that their primary concern is the northern border with Lebanon. “Hezbollah is bigger and better equipped than Hamas,” he said, adding that the IDF’s leadership is prepared to cope with whatever comes.
During the phone call, Matt thanked his father and members of the JWV for raising money so his unit could buy equipment like bulletproof ceramic plates for their vests, knee pads and gloves on the civilian market. Apparently, these items are in short supply in the IDF.
In civilian life, Matt has his doctorate in ornithology, which is why the photo of him armed with an assault rifle is more than a bit disconcerting to his parents. “Who would have thought our 46-yearold-son would be going into combat — or that Israel would be attacked this way?” asked Commander Charter.
If that weren’t enough to concern a parent, consider that his granddaughter, Matt’s oldest daughter, 19-year-old Eliya, will start active duty in the IDF next month.
Less than two weeks after the phone call to the JWV, Matt’s unit was deployed. Instead of heading north as he’d expected, they’re now in Gaza.
In other Post 400 news, the fundraising project to restore and preserve the Nordhausen Flag is an unqualified success. The unique flag made by inmates of the Mittelbau-Dora Concentration Camp — its stars are six-pointed Magen Davids — was presented to liberating American soldiers in the waning days of the war. It is now being preserved by conservators in Miami.
When the painstaking process is complete, the flag will be housed in a specially built case and displayed at the Naples Holocaust Museum, where it will be on permanent loan from the Fort Myers American Legion Post. A dedication event will be scheduled when the flag is returned to Fort Myers.
If you know any Jewish veterans of our recent wars, please put them in touch with JWV Post 400 Commander Harvey Charter at 239-246-3151. We welcome younger vets. Consider doing so a mitzvah. Veterans need other veterans.
