“I always wanted to become a citizen of the United States and when I became a citizen it was one of the happiest days in my life. I think about the United States and I am a lucky person to live here. When I came to America, it was the first time I was free. It was one of the reasons I joined the U.S. Army because I wanted to show my appreciation.” — Corporal Tibor Rubin
Hungarian-born Holocaust survivor as a child, Tibor “Ted” Rubin came to the United States in 1948, and settled in New York where he worked as shoemaker and butcher.
In 1950 he joined the army, fulfilling his promise to himself to become a “GI Joe.” He shipped out and fought in the Korean War.
Rubin distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism during the period from July 23, 1950, to April 20, 1953, while serving as a rifleman with Company I, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. While vastly out-numbered, he helped to fight off Chinese soldiers but his group was overwhelmed, he was captured and sent to a prisoner camp. There he would again save the lives of his comrades by using what he had learned as a child in a Nazi concentration camp during a 2 year ordeal.
An extraordinary story that I saw on the Military Channel tonight, which is becoming a favorite of mine above some other channels.
