us-005578-irn43787-irn106408
type: RecordSet
archival history: The medal was donated to the Hatikvah Holocaust Education Center in Springfield, MA, by Judge Sidney Cooley. It was transferred to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2011, following the closure of the Hatikvah Holocaust Education Center in 2010.
biographical history: Sidney Milton Cooley was born on December 21, 1913, in Springfield, Massachusetts, to a Jewish couple, Moses Louis and Sadie F. Cooley. Moses was born on March 24, 1873, in Kletsk, Belarus, to Jacob and Rivka Bearg Koolesh (later Cooley). He had two brothers and a sister. His family immigrated to the United States around 1900. Sadie was born on July 1, 1885, in Russia, to Itzik and Ruth Bearg Brodnitzky (later Broad). She had three sisters and three brothers. Her family immigrated to the United States around 1903. On October 27, 1908, Moses married Sadie in Springfield. Moses was a merchant and ran a dry goods store. Sidney had three older brothers. Philip (1909-1910) and Michael (1912), who both died young, and Edward (1911 -1998). On January 21, 1932, Sidney’s 58 year old father, Moses, died. Sidney graduated from high school and attended college. He worked as a manager in a tire shop, a piano player, and an orchestra conductor. In 1940, he earned a law degree from Northeastern University and was admitted to the bar. He and his brother Edward, also a lawyer, opened their own law practice, Cooley & Cooley. His mother married a family friend, Max Schreck (1883-1963.) Soon after the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States entered World War II. On June 8, 1942, Sidney was drafted into the US Army and sent to Officer Candidate School at Camp Lee in Virginia. On April 30, 1943, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and in June, he was assigned to the 63rd Infantry Division, nicknamed Blood and Fire. His Division spent more than a year training in Mississippi. On January 1, 1945, Sidney’s Division was deployed to Marseilles, France. The Division moved north to Sarreguemines and crossed the Saar River into Germany on February 17. The 63rd advanced across the Siegfried Line and through many cities, including Worms and Mannheim. By April, the Division was in Landsberg am Lech. Sidney was promoted and assigned to General Louis Hibb’s staff as a divis…
physical characteristics and technical requirements: Circular, gold colored metal medal with an attached grosgrain ribbon and enameled pin. Embossed on the red enameled center of the medal is a forward facing eagle with its head to the left, wings outspread, US on its chest, and talons clutching a bundle of arrows. It is ringed by a band of embossed English text. Beneath is a solid, 6 pointed Star of David with the short, raised rays at the center of each arm and outlined by a border of enamel paint, alternating white and light blue. The star is imposed over the open center of an embossed laurel wreath with a rectangular suspension loop at the top. Threaded through the loop is a folded ribbon with 9 vertical stripes: thick light blue center flanked by thick white, narrow red, narrow white, and blue. The top of the ribbon is attached to a rectangular bar with embossed text surrounded by blue enamel paint on the raised center with stepped decorative borders around it. On the flat back is a hinged pin with a c-clasp above a horizontal bar to support the ribbon, which has light brown stains on it.
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
date: after 1946-before 2014
has or had holder: us-005578
has or had identifier: 1
has or had some members with language: deu
has or had some members with language: eng
has record set type: Item
identifier: irn106408
is or was included in: us-005578-irn43787
record resource extent: overall: Height: 3.000 inches (7.62 cm) | Width: 1.625 inches (4.128 cm) | Depth: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm)
results or resulted from: 1
scope and content: Past Commander Medal awarded to Sidney Cooley by the Jewish War Veterans of the United States for his postwar service as a member of the organization. On January 1, 1945, Sidney’s Division was deployed to Marseilles, France, and quickly advanced north into Germany. The 63rd Infantry crossed the Siegfried Line and fought through central Germany, arriving in Landsberg am Lech by April. Sidney was promoted and assigned to General Louis Hibb’s staff. On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered. Sidney was promoted to Captain, assigned to the Third Army, and placed on occupational duty in the American zone. He was selected to serve as the deputy military governor in Bayreuth. He assisted with regional rebuilding efforts and with the de-Nazification program. Sidney, a lawyer by training, served as prosecutor for the U.S. military government in Bayreuth, as well as a judge, hearing approximately 1,800 cases involving civilian violations of military government. As a Yiddish speaking, Jewish American official, Sidney’s presence in Bayreuth attracted many displaced Holocaust survivors looking for a place to settle while waiting to emigrate. Among his efforts to help the community was the establishment of an agrarian training program to train more than 300 hopeful Palestinian settlers and prepare them for life as farmers. Sidney worked very closely with the Jewish community and when he left Bayreuth, they thanked him with an eloquent citation.
title: Jewish War Veterans Past Commander medal and ribbon issued to a US soldier