s we approach the 80th anniversary of America’s entry into World War II, it can sometimes seem as if we know all the stories that there are to know about the conflict. But this assumption underestimates the scope and complexity of one of the most destructive episodes in human history. New details are emerging all the time, as declassified files come to light and remaining survivors come forward to share their memories—and their secrets.
One of the greatest untold stories has to do with the countless heroic Jews who served in the U.S., British and Russian militaries during the war. These soldiers’ vital contributions to the Allied war effort remain buried partly due to a generally accepted myth that Jews were overwhelmingly victims during the Holocaust, and that in Israel alone were there tough, strong, fighting Jews. But there are other, more nuanced and occasionally nefarious reasons that these stories have not yet come to light. The tale of an extraordinary, little-known unit known as X Troop is a case in point.
