Some men are born purebred warriors and live a life of military discipline and combat. Samuel Dreben, known as “The Fighting Jew,” was such a man. Born on June 1, 1878, in Russia, he lived a life of combat, which he would often volunteer for and actively seek out.
While the nickname “The Fighting Jew” may not be considered politically correct, it was given to Dreben due to his accomplishments and he would have worn it with pride. Reflecting on his life, you will come to understand that this nickname was not just a moniker but an apt description of the man.
The youngest of five boys Sam Dreben grew up hard. During his early life, there was an uptick in violence against Jews in Russia, and he lost friends and family due to pogroms.
Because of conscription, Sam was enlisted into the Russian military at age 14 and would have to serve for 20 years.
The Russian military at the end of the 19th century wasn’t a nice place to be. As a Jew, Sam was completely excluded from becoming an officer and couldn’t serve in leadership positions. So, he fled more than once, eventually making it to the United States. There, an Army recruiter promised him three meals, a roof over his head, and 15 dollars a month salary. For a poor Russian Jew, that was the promise of a lifetime, and Sam enlisted. According to the Texas Jewish Historical Society, Samuel Dreben raised his right hand only an hour after meeting the recruiter.
To war
By 1899, Samuel Dreben was in the Philippines with the 14th Infantry to quell an insurrection. It was there that the young man first distinguished himself. As his troop crossed a bridge, an enemy cannon fired at them. The cacophony of noise and wizz of shrapnel caused the Soldiers to dive to the ground and take cover – except Samuel Dreben, who, according to his fellow Soldiers, charged at the enemy and lept into their trenches.
Dreben would later go to China and fight in the Boxer Rebellion. We are scant on details of Dreben’s service there, but we know the 14th Infantry acted as the spearhead in the victory over the Chinese at the Battle of Yangcun.
Sam briefly left the U.S. Army to try and join the Japanese in the Russo-Japanese War, but he soon re-upped for another enlistment of three years with the Army. In this stint, he was sent to Fort Bliss, where he learned how to use a machine gun – in fact, he became well known for his talent behind a machine gun, which was a very new weapon in warfare.
After three uneventful years, he mustered out once more. This time he and two friends (Emil Holmdahl and Tracy Richardson, who deserve their own articles) went to Central America. There, they met General Leon “Lee” Christmas. Known as the “The Incredible Yanqui” General Christmas was a kindred spirit. Sam joined him and fought in various rebellions, liberation movements, and coups in Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. During these engagements, he received his first and only wound when he was shot in the butt.
Related: Josef Mencik – History’s last knight stood against the Nazis
To Mexico
Dreben eventually joined the Mexican Revolution where he served as a machine gunner with Francisco Madero and taught revolutionaries machine gun tactics. After Madero’s death, Dreben fought with several other generals, including Venustiano Carranza, and became well-known for his skill and tactics. He reportedly smuggled weapons for Pancho Villa, but when Villa broke his alliance with Carranza, Dreben remained loyal to the latter.
At one point, Dreben and Villa found themselves facing each other. Dreben and his allies were outflanked by Villa’s army and were losing. Yet, Dreben reportedly kept his machine guns going and covered the retreat of his allies. He fought until darkness set in and he could escape.
When Pancho Villa raided Columbus, New Mexico, Dreben was infuriated. He went to General John Pershing and volunteered to join the Punitive Expedition, where he served as a scout.
The Great War
When the U.S. entered WWI, fate didn’t want Samuel Dreben to stay idle, and he re-enlisted in the Army as a private but quickly rose to the rank of first sergeant and was back working for the now-Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Expeditionary Forces General Pershing. In 1918, in Saint-Étienne, he proved himself once more earning the Distinguished Service Cross, a Croix de Guerre, and a Médaille Militaire for his actions.
According to his Distinguished Service Cross citation, “Sergeant Dreben discovered a party of German troops going to the support of a machine-gun nest situated in a pocket near where the French and American lines joined. Sergeant Dreben called for volunteers and, with the aid of about 30 men, rushed the German positions, captured four machine-guns, killed more than 40 of the enemy, captured two, and returned to our lines without the loss of a man.”
Praising him, journalist Damon Runyon wrote a poem called The Fighting Jew, which became his nickname across the country.
General Pershing would describe him as “the finest soldier and one of the bravest men I ever knew.” Pershing later selected him to be one of the honorary pallbearers for the burial of the unknown soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
A quiet life
Dreben eventually settled down in El Paso and became successful in insurance and real estate. His fights were over. He joined the American Legion where he instantly began fighting against the Ku Klux Klan and successfully introduced a resolution barring KKK members from joining the Legion.
About the KKK, Dreben said, “These men, oath bound to secrecy, hide behind their masks and say that because I am a foreign-born Jew I am not good enough to be an American. Every time America has called for volunteers, I have put on the uniform. They did not ask me at the recruiting office if I was a Jew, and they did not ask me on the battlefield what my race or religion was. The soldiers didn’t wear masks in France, other than gas masks, and they don’t need them now.”
Dreben left this world in 1925 due to medical malpractice – a seemingly odd way for a man who fought in so many wars to go. In response, the Texas Capitol flew its flag at half-staff and the legislature adjourned for the day. His death became news across the country.
Sam Dreben was a man made for war, an American hero, and he should not be forgotten.
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