Irving Becker was born in 1921 in Vienna, Austria and grew up there. He was an only child. His father was a shoe repairman and his mother stayed at home. Life was not too bad for him until Hitler [Annotator's Note: German dictator Adolf Hitler] came to power following the annexation of Austria in March or April 1938. Becker had previously moved to the United States in anticipation of Germany taking over his country. The family could see what was going on in Germany with the Jews before it started happening in Austria. Jews began to be excluded from many aspects of life including education. Many parents had the foresight to remove their children from the risk ahead of time. Becker was sent to live with relatives in the United States. The rigid immigration system prevented Becker's parents from accompanying him. The quota for Romanians like his father did not allow him to enter America with his son. Becker's Polish mother could have done so but she would not leave her husband. Becker left in August 1938. He was one of the first Jewish boys in the area who could leave. He lived in fear before leaving Austria that members of Nazi youth groups would attack him. When he left, he was bitter. His parents did not know if they would see their son again. Becker finds it hard to believe that a refined and educated people like the Germans could treat the Jews with such viciousness. Becker does realize that anti-Semitism goes back for centuries in the world. Hitler wanted to exterminate the entire race of Jews. Becker always hoped he would find his parents again. His relatives in the United States tried to at least get Becker's mother to leave Austria. After hesitating, she finally decided to go to Shanghai [Annotator's Note: Shanghai, China] but was removed from the ship at the last minute. That was the end for her as well as her father. Both of them were killed in Auschwitz concentration camp [Annotator's Note: Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp complex in German occupied Oswiecim, Poland] in Poland. Becker had a difficult adjustment in America. His relatives were kind, but Becker was angry at Roosevelt [Annotator's Note: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States] because refugee boats were turned away [Annotator's Note: MS St. Louis, German ocean liner carrying Jewish refugees; turned away from the United States in May 1939]. Roosevelt could have done wonderful things for the country by accepting those people. The circumstance brings bitterness to Becker. Education in Europe was tougher than he found in America. He did not speak English at first. He learned the new language after a while as well as some French. That helped him later. Becker attempted to find out about his parents through the Red Cross but was not successful. They were not very helpful at all except when he was overseas, and they gave him a donut and coffee. Becker had been in the United States for over three years when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. He remembers little of the event. He had moved to Brooklyn [Annotator's Note: Brooklyn is one of the five boroughs in New York, New York] and was living with an aunt in a large apartment. He had previously lived in Forest Hills, New York when he first arrived as an immigrant.

Irving Becker wanted to volunteer for the military after arriving in the United States, but his former German citizenship resulted in him being labeled as an enemy alien. He had to report periodically as such. It angered him to be characterized as an enemy alien. He had nothing to do with a German background. Becker's former girlfriend came in a children transport to America. Becker got in touch with her and then eventually were married in January 1943. He received his induction letter the next month. He was drafted and began his Army career. He was sent to North Carolina for infantry basic training at Fort Bragg. Basic training was not too bad, but he was assigned to 105mm howitzers [Annotator's Note: M2A1 105mm howitzer; standard light field howitzer] afterward. He did not like it. His helmet was too large. It was laughable. He caught the ejected spent 105mm shells without gloves. He had to clean the artillery piece. He was treated harshly by the other men in his outfit because of his Jewish-German background. He volunteered to leave the outfit and join the 1st Special Service Force. He was sent for training at Butte, Montana. There was skiing and mountain training as well as airborne instructions. He was deployed to Kiska, Alaska in the Aleutian Islands afterward to fight the Japs [Annotator's Note: a period derogatory term for Japanese] but there were none there. The place was miserable and cold. He did manage to win a large amount of money while gambling. His quick relocation resulted in him leaving the money behind. Becker tried to stay steadfast while in the military despite some of the prejudice shown toward him. Some of those activities were physically risky and hurtful to him as "the Jew boy" [Annotator's Note: Becker's words]. With the outset of combat, that all changed because Becker as well as the enemy may have shot at some of his antagonists. The picture changed completely overseas.

Irving Becker was assigned to Headquarters Detachment, 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment, 1st Special Service Force. A book about the Force even contains his name. He was a PFC [Annotator's Note: private first class] rifleman. He spent time in the Aleutian Islands [Annotator's Note: Aleutian Islands, Alaska] not knowing much about them other than the weather was cold and nasty and required warm clothes. From Alaska, the Force was sent by Liberty ship [Annotator's Note: a class of quickly produced cargo ship] to Bizerte, Africa [Annotator's Note: Bizerte, Tunisia]. There was a training center there where he was issued new clothing. The Italian campaign had started, and the 2nd [Annotator's Note: 2nd Ranger Battalion] or 3rd Rangers [Annotator's Note: 3rd Ranger Battalion] took a beating and were incorporated into the 1st Special Service Force. When Becker entered Italy, the nightly patrols were his baptism of fire. He became an interpreter for the German prisoners. It was no bargain for him. He had lost some of his German language skills after being away [Annotator's Note: he left Austria in August 1938 after Germany annexed that country the previous March]. He was encouraged to speak only English when he immigrated to the United States. Becker's first combat was near a river close to Borgo Piave in Italy. Italy was a tough country with fierce fighting. The bulk of the SS [Annotator's Note: Schutzstaffel; German paramilitary organization; abbreviated SS] were there as was the Hermann Goering [Annotator's Note: German Reichsmarschall Hermann Wilhelm Göring, or Goering, commanded the German Air Force and was second only to Adolf Hitler in the Nazi chain of command] panzer division. The German forces seemingly refused to surrender. Battles against them went back and forth over terrible landscape. The Americans lacked equipment except for sleeping bags. At night there was a risk of the zipper freezing, resulting in the sleeper being trapped inside making him defenseless and easily killed by the enemy as a result. The casualties were terrible when the 1st Special Service Force entered combat. Becker was wounded after Anzio [Annotator's Note: Battle of Anzio, 22 January 1944 to 5 June 1944, Anzio, Italy]. His impression of combat was that it was scary. He was neither Sergeant York [Annotator's Note: World War 1 Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant Alvin York] or Audie Murphy [Annotator's Note: Audie Leon Murphy; one of the most decorated American soldiers of World War 2]. Enemy fire was scary, and he prayed while he was frightened. He tried to stay alive during those times. He hoped he would come home in one piece for his wife. He was no different than any other soldier. He did not talk of his war experiences for years. It was only recently that he opened up to his son for the benefit of his grandchildren.

Irving Becker never talks much about his combat experiences, unlike some people who talk about their battlefield or Holocaust [Annotator's Note: also called the Shoah; the genocide of European Jews during World War 2] experiences. He has a friend who was a child saved by the Dutch underground who talks with students about her past. Becker is not comfortable in doing so with his experiences. He was wounded while his outfit [Annotator's Note: Headquarters Detachment, 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment, 1st Special Service Force] was pushing toward Rome [Annotator's Note: Rome, Italy]. A shell exploded close by hitting him with shrapnel. He thought he was blinded. He was treated by the medics then taken to the rear for a few weeks. Afterward, he was sent back up front. Anzio [Annotator's Note: Battle of Anzio; 22 January 1944 to 5 June 1944; Anzio, Italy] was a tough amphibious invasion. Many ships were being sunk. Becker does not like war pictures that are unrealistic, but he does like Spielberg [Annotator's Note: Steven Allen Spielberg; American film director, producer, and screenwriter]. Blood in the water during amphibious attacks actually occurred. At Anzio, food could not be unloaded from supply ships because of heavy German artillery fire. When the Rangers [Annotator's Note: United States Army Ranger Infantry Battalion] were dissolved and united with Becker's outfit, their armored vehicle was used to transport rations. The Germans used a nebelwerfer [Annotator's Note: nebelwerfer; German multiple rocket launcher] or Screaming Mimi to fire at the Americans. That weapon struck fear into the troops on the beach. It was demoralizing. Becker was used as an interpreter with German prisoners of war. Most of the interrogation was done by others in the rear. Becker did not know much more to ask of the enemy soldiers other than their unit and position. The most memorable event at Anzio for Becker was when some of the guys in his outfit were killed in their sleeping bags. [Annotator's Note: Becker pauses at the memory.] After the Anzio breakout, Becker did not make it as far as Rome.

Irving Becker had left Anzio [Annotator's Note: Anzio, Italy] and was headed for Rome [Annotator's Note: Rome, Italy] when he was wounded. After recovering, he rejoined his unit [Annotator's Note: Headquarters Detachment, 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment, 1st Special Service Force] in Southern France. After entering Germany, his outfit transferred to Norway. The Force was disbanded at the end of 1944 while it was in Norway. From there, he returned to the United States. He had mixed emotions when the Canadian-American elite 1st Special Service Force was disbanded. The Americans became the 474th Infantry Regiment [Annotator's Note: 474th Infantry Regiment (Separate)]. Serving with the Canadians was not bad. Becker had been a replacement in the 1st Special Service Force. William Holden [Annotator's Note: born William Franklin Beredle, Jr.; American actor], portrayed very well the role of an officer in the 1st Special Service Force in the movie "The Devil's Brigade" [Annotator's Note: American film, 1968]. Becker was proud to serve in the elite unit. The troops were beyond the average infantry unit. They received a lanyard for their recognition with a Presidential Citation [Annotator's Note: Presidential Unit Citation or PUC; originally called Distinguished Unit Citation; awarded to military units for extraordinary heroism on or after 7 December 1941]. The people of Norway were nice and treated the American soldiers well. Becker returned to Norway years after the war. He appreciated how he was treated by the population, unlike in France and Germany. He served on occupation duty while in Norway. Becker learned of the concentration camps when he entered the camp at Buchenwald [Annotator's Note: Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar, Germany]. He realized what had been done to his parents after first reaching the United States. They had initially been sheltered by a Christian family, but his mother was taken away and his father never returned from forced labor duty. The Germans kept detailed records. Becker's son attempted to find the information regarding the death of his grandparents. He could not locate the details. Later, Becker found from another source that his parents had died at Auschwitz [Annotator's Note: Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp complex in German occupied Oswiecim, Poland] in about 1944. Becker had more to fight for than the average American boy. His Jewish faith had caused significant prejudice during his youth. Bad things always seemed to be the Jews' fault. [Annotator's Note: Becker discusses his frustration with his inability to remember some details that he wants to discuss in the interview.]

Irving Becker worked about 20 years for the Postal Service [Annotator's Note: the United States Postal Service]. He had a good memory at that time. Becker returned to the United States in 1945. Before then, he doubted he would return to the country in one piece. He saw too many combat casualties up close. He was grateful to be back unharmed. He was discharged in 1945 at Fort Dix [Annotator's Note: Fort Dix, New Jersey] as a sergeant. Becker regrets that he did not sign up for reserve duty. He had some difficulties obtaining decent work after he was discharged. His educational background did not aid him. He took menial work in the meantime. He returned to school on the G.I. Bill [Annotator's Note: the G.I. Bill, or Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was enacted by the United States Congress to aid United States veterans of World War 2 in transitioning back to civilian life and included financial aid for education, mortgages, business starts and unemployment]. He attended classes in Brooklyn [Annotator's Note: Brooklyn is one of the five boroughs in New York, New York]. When he entered the United States [Annotator's Note: Becker had immigrated to the United States from Austria in 1938 when he was 17 years old], he had no paperwork about his prior education. After his postwar high school equivalency, he went to work because he was married with a child on the way. Becker suffered with night sweats, stress, anxiety attacks, and disorientation resulting from his combat experiences. He dealt with it for years. Doctors were not very helpful. While fighting the Germans, he feared being captured [Annotator's Note: as a Jew]. His dog tags were changed from "H" to "0" to prevent harsh treatment by his German captors. [Annotator's Note: United States military identification tags, also known as dog tags, were stamped with a letter indicating the religious affiliation of the holder. "H" indicated Hebrew or Jew.]

Irving Becker remembers a funny incident as his most memorable event of the war. It involved some comrades and women at a Bizerte [Annotator's Note: Bizerte, Tunisia] brothel. Becker fought in the war because he was drafted even though he was not an American citizen [Annotator's Note: Becker had immigrated to the United States from Austria in 1938 when he was 17 years old]. He had to fight Hitler [Annotator's Note: German dictator Adolf Hitler] but had no choice because he was drafted. The war did not change him much. He started from scratch and struggled like a lot of families after the war. Money was scarce. Parents could not help their children, similar to how they do today. Becker is discouraged that not as much was accomplished by the war intended to end discrimination and hostilities. He asks if things did get better and mentions the current election [Annotator's Note: the interview was conducted in January 2017]. It is a horrible thing for children to witness. People are still fighting for 50 years in Israel. Tolerance is lacking in the world. Some agreements have to be found to reach a solution all can live with. World War 2 was fought to make the world better but there are too many disagreements today. People should respect and get along with each other. Every soldier who served wanted to come home like a Sergeant York [Annotator's Note: World War 1 Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant Alvin York] or Audie [Annotator's Note: Audie Leon Murphy was one of the most decorated American soldiers in World War 2]. Becker was frustrated with people in his hospital who were awarded a Purple Heart [Annotator's Note: the Purple Heart Medal is award bestowed upon a United States service member who has been wounded as a result of combat actions against an armed enemy] for venereal disease or minor injuries while a man who lost his leg in combat received the same decoration. At Fort Dix [Annotator's Note: Fort Dix, New Jersey], decorations were not controlled with any documentation requirement for the recipient. It is important for people to know about what wars are all about. The same is true of the Holocaust [Annotator's Note: also called the Shoah; the genocide of European Jews during World War 2]. The stories of people who served should be heard. Veterans must give their story.