Honoring a World War Two Veteran, Leonard Herman: Why I'm Running the Teton Pass

Leonard Herman, far left front, was one of the very first 95th Bomb Group airmen to receive an Air Medal as a bombardier for the 95th Bomb Group in early 1943. He got it for shooting down a German FW-190 on May 21, 1943 on a mission to Emden. He shot down a second FW-190 on October 8, 1944, on a mission to Bremen.

Leonard and me in July 2008 at his home in Columbus, GA. He passed away a few months later at the age of 92.

Why is a 50-year-old man who's had three knee surgeries planning to take on one of America's toughest mountain passes in two months? It's all because of a veteran by the name of Leonard Herman, who flew two tours of duty over Europe during World War Two, first as a B-17 bombardier with the 95th Bomb Group in 1943 and then as a B-26 bombardier with the 9th Air Force.
Leonard was my brother and my friend. He wasn't my actual brother, but he might as well have been. He helped me immeasurably on my writing projects, and he helped me to become a better human being just by knowing him. A kind, sweet and gentle man, Leonard never the less became a bomber crewman in the early days of World War Two. It fitted his character. He was always trying to help others, and as an American of Jewish heritage, he believed strongly that America must defeat the Nazis. He served with great distinction and valor. Nominated for the Medal of Honor, he has a United States post office named in his honor in Boca Rotan, Florida, a book to his credit, and nearly every Air Force medal possible, including the Purple Heart, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and Air Medal.
I have run Teton Pass three times in the past in honor of World War Two veterans. It's a tough climb. Five miles straight up, from Wilson, Wyoming to the summit of the pass, which is situated at an oxygen-deprived 8,220 feet. One year, my friend Lyle Shafer, a B-17 pilot and POW, met me at the summit as we raised money for the as-yet-built World War Two Memorial in Washington, DC.
A few years ago, I decided not to run the pass any more. I had another knee surgery that year, and decided my days of mountain and trail running were about over. But this past October, my best friend Leonard passed away, and despite the fact that he had been a successful businessman and provider all his life, he died in debt. There was no way for his family to pay for his headstone on his grave at the Mt. Sharon Cemetery in Philadelphia, PA.
All money raised from this year's run will go to purchasing a headstone for Lenny's grave that will serve as an everlasting tribute to this great man. I envision the stone as having an engraved B-17 Flying Fortress with the markings of the 95th Bomb Group on it. Leonard was not honored as he should have been at his funeral. The Jewish-American War Veterans and the American Legion both said they would send an honor guard---neither showed up. The VA has since denied the paltry sum of $200 for Leonard's headstone, which I am appealing. I made the trip to Philly from Idaho for his funeral, and gave a eulogy for this dear friend, but it was sad that he seems to be forgotten already by a country that he served so well and gave so much for.
I have set up an account at the A+ Teacher's Credit Union in Idaho Falls, Idaho named the Teton Pass Run account, in my name, in order to raise pledges for this run on June 6. All those who donate will be recognized on this blog by name, or anonymously if they prefer. The address is:
Teton Pass Run Account
Robert Morris
A+ Credit Union
525 Sunnyside Road
Idaho Falls, ID 83403
USA
Let's send Leonard Herman on his final mission with a stone fit for an American hero. Join me.
I'll be posting regularly on my training for this run. Today I did six miles, coming off a case of tendonitus in my lateral collateral ligament. Anyone in the area who would like to run this with me, please contact me. You may raise pledges as well. Anyone who runs with me will get a Leonard Herman Teton Pass Run T-shirt designed by me, as well as the good feeling of helping to honor a great American.

Leonard Herman Photos

Len's 9th Air Force B-26 Marauder. Len flew a second tour of duty over Europe with the 9th Air Force after being one of the first to complete 25 missions in the 95th with the 8th.

Len in 1943 and circa 1985.

Below, Leonard and me, July 2008 in Columbus, GA. I flew down to visit my great friend for a few days. Len passed away in early October 2008.

Below: Famous Eighth Air Force photo of Leonard's B-17 limping back from the Trondheim Mission to Norway to bomb the heavy water plants there. Len is in the nose, praying.

Len's crewmates on the Johnny Johnson crew, 95th Bomb Group, Horham, England, in front of their plane, 'Ten Nights in a Bar Room/The Brass Rail" before the Kiel Mission. Len is center, chin on hand. His pilot, Johnny Johnson, is to the right in the overseas cap. Bill Crossley, the top gunner of the U.S. 8th Air Force, is in rear at left. A few missions later, pilot Johnson was killed and Leonard wounded on the second Kiel mission.

Len looks down from the astrodome in this early US Air Corps publicity photo shot in England in early 1943.

Theater-made cartoon of 'The Brass Rail' under heavy attack.

Len's bomb-arming pins that he saved, one from each mission.

Leonard and me, July 2008 in Columbus, GA. I flew down to visit my great friend for a few days. Len passed away in early October 2008.

A photo tribute of Leonard Herman by a friend of mine. Photo shows Leonard as an Air Corps officer.

Leonard's 9th Air Force uniform, theater-made in London, England. Now in a private collection back east.

Leonard's funeral, Mt. Sharon Cemetery, Philly. Left-center are Len's two brothers. Center is his daughter, Linda. I attended this funeral in October 2008.

Leonard's ashes were interned in this small plot. Today, six months later, the grave has no stone.

Len's nephew Murray Blank (R) at Mt. Sharon Cemetery, Philly after Len's funeral.

Facts about Teton Pass

Sign at Teton Pass looking towards Jackson Hole

Teton Pass
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Teton Pass
Sign at Teton Pass looking towards Jackson Hole
Elevation
8431 ft./2570 m.
Location
Idaho/Wyoming, United States
Range
Rocky Mountains
Coordinates
43°29.9′N 110°57.3′W / 43.4983°N 110.955°W / 43.4983; -110.955
Traversed by
Wyoming Highway 22/Idaho State Highway 33
Teton Pass (el. 8431 ft./2570 m.), is a high mountain pass located in the Teton Range near the border between southeastern Idaho and northwestern Wyoming between the towns of Jackson, Wyoming and Victor, Idaho. The pass provides access from Jackson and the Jackson Hole valley to the Teton Basin and southeastern Idaho.
Wyoming Highway 22 crosses the pass and becomes Idaho State Highway 33 at the border. The pinnacle of the pass is 8,400 feet and located approximately 11 miles (18 km) west of Jackson, Wyoming. The maximum grade on the road is 10%. Several avalanche slide paths traverse the road along its length, including the famous Glory Bowl slide area. During the winter months, the road is often closed in the early mornings for avalanche control by the Wyoming Department of Transportation. The area is a popular backcountry skiing destination for both locals and visitors.
The pass is located in the Teton Range a few miles south of Grand Teton National Park. Parts of the pass are located in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Wilson a small town, sits at the base of the east side of the pass and Teton Village and the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ski area is nearby.
Elevation
8431 ft./2570 m.
Location
Idaho/Wyoming, United States
Range
Rocky Mountains
Coordinates
43°29.9′N 110°57.3′W / 43.4983°N 110.955°W / 43.4983; -110.955
Traversed by
Wyoming Highway 22/Idaho State Highway 33

Leonard Herman's Obituary from the Philadelphia Inquirer

Leonard W. Herman, 92, decorated veteran
By Sally A. Downey
Inquirer Staff Writer

Leonard W. Herman, 92, formerly of Wyncote, a retired company owner and a decorated World War II bombardier who assisted displaced persons after the war, died Oct. 5 at St. Francis Hospital in Columbus, Ga.

Mr. Herman, whose parents were Russian immigrants, grew up in West Philadelphia and graduated from Overbrook High School. When he was inducted into the Army in August 1941, he was assigned to serve in the Medical Corps. He told a reporter later that he wanted more excitement and transferred to the Army Air Corps, where he became a bombardier on B-17s.
By November 1943, Mr. Herman had flown 25 missions against the enemy and shot down two aircraft. He was wounded when his plane was hit over Germany and the pilot was killed. The crew made it back to base "with the plane looking like a sieve," Mr. Herman said. He feared being captured because he was a Jew dropping bombs on Germany, said his daughter, Linda Collins.

Mr. Herman was awarded a Purple Heart, an Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, and a Distinguished Flying Cross.

After Germany's surrender, Mr. Herman's brother Edward and another soldier, Robert Hilliard, were stationed at an Army base in Germany near the St. Ottilien monastery, which had been converted into a camp for Jews who survived the concentration camps. The soldiers discovered that the occupants of the camp were in desperate need of food, blankets, medical supplies, and clothing. The men mounted a letter-writing campaign to get help for the camp and enlisted Leonard Herman's help.

Mr. Herman, using his influence as a war hero, sought out government officials. Eventually the plight of the displaced persons at St. Ottilien and at other camps reached the White House, and President Harry S. Truman issued orders to provide the assistance.

In 2007, a post office in Boca Raton, Fla., was named after Mr. Herman in recognition of his service as a veteran and a humanitarian.

After the war, Mr. Herman married an Army nurse, Pauline Rubin, and established a textile firm, Seagull Manufacturing. He retired in the late 1980s.

He and his wife moved to Georgia in the mid-1990s to be near their daughter. In 2006 he coauthored with Rob Morris a book, Combat Bombardier, about his war experience.
In addition to his daughter, Mr. Herman is survived by two brothers; a sister; and a grandson. His wife died in 2001 and his brother Edward died in 2007.

A graveside service will be at 11 a.m. tomorrow at Mount Sharon Cemetery, 502 E. Springfield Rd., Springfield, Delaware County.