Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell gave a posthumous award for 'constructive dissent' to Hiram (or Harry) Bingham IV. For over fifty years, the State Department resisted any attempt to honor Bingham. For them he was an insubordinate member of the US diplomatic service, a dangerous maverick who was eventually demoted. Now, after his death, he has been officially recognized as a hero.
Man Who Saved Rebbe from Nazi France Honored
Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell gave a posthumous award for ‘constructive dissent’ to Hiram (or Harry) Bingham IV. For over fifty years, the State Department resisted any attempt to honor Bingham. For them he was an insubordinate member of the US diplomatic service, a dangerous maverick who was eventually demoted. Now, after his death, he has been officially recognized as a hero.
Bingham came from an illustrious family. His father (upon whom the fictional character Indiana Jones was based) was the archeologist who unearthed the Inca City of Machu Picchu, Peru, in 1911. Harry entered the US diplomatic service and, in 1939, was posted to Marseilles, France as American Vice-Consul.
The US was neutral during the first two years of World War II and, not wishing to annoy Marshal Petain‘s puppet Vichy regime, President Roosevelt‘s government ordered its representatives in Marseilles not to grant visas to any Jews. Bingham found this policy immoral and, risking his career, did all in his power to undermine it.
In defiance of his bosses in Washington, he granted over 2,500 US visas to Jewish (and other) refugees, two of whom were the future Lubavitcher Rebbe and his wife.
Other recipients of his lifesaving kindness included the artists Marc Chagall and Max Ernst, and the family of writer Thomas Mann.
He also sheltered Jews in his Marseilles home, and obtained forged identity papers to help Jews in their dangerous journeys across Europe. He worked with the French underground to smuggle Jews out of France into Francisco Franco’s Spain, or across the Mediterranean, and even contributed to their expenses out of his own pocket. In 1941, Washington lost patience with him. He was sent to Argentina, where he later continued to annoy his superiors by reporting on the movements of Nazi war criminals.
Eventually, he was forced out of the American diplomatic service completely.
Bingham died almost penniless in 1988. Little was known of his extraordinary activities until his son found some letters in his belongings after his death. He has since been honored by many groups and organizations, including the United Nations and the State of Israel.
Gershon beck
Chasdei hashem for sending us the righteous Gentiles of the world.
Baruch hashem for
the saving of ourRebbe and rebbitizin amongst
all the yiddin who were saved .
Great news just in time for the 12 of Tammuz.
Zen zich mitn Rebn da lamata masara tefachim – Vhu Yigalaanu!!
Disaffected
Bingham died almost penniless in 1988
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Shameful. Chabad had plenty of funds to support this man in 1988. Why didn’t the Rebbe insist on helping his benefactor? The funds needed would not have even made a dent in Chabad’s other activities.
Beautiful
He had a big share that was waiting for him.
DeClasse- Intellectual
You must remember that the state department under F. R. R. was very anti-Semitic and F. D. R. (may he rot) did everything to prevent jews from immigrating into the United States and to keep them in Europe for the Nazi death machine. Even attempts to save children were blocked by Roosevelt. And, Jews like Schlesinger of the NEW YORK TIMES and Rabbi Wise looked the other way. For documentation start with ALL THE NEWS NOT FIT TO PRINT, WHILE SIX MILLION DIED, THE FUGUI PLAN amongst others. And, to top it all off, there are still liberal Jews who still love Roosevelt inspite of all his ati-Semitic acts including attacking and defaiming the Schlesinger pkosher butchers brothers.
Qualified Historian
There is more information available about Bingham that makes it unclear whether he really did issue visas to the Rebbe and Rebbetzin, Marc Chagall or anyone else, or whether he just passed out visas approved by others. It is also unclear whether he really defied orders, and the reason for his job loss is also unclear.
The contacts with the resistance are probably exaggerated. Yad Vashem did not want to recognize him, and although they are biased at times regarding Jews, their information is usually accurate regarding non-Jews.
So, chances are the Rebbe and Chabad owed him nothing. It was probably the work of people with connections in the US itself that got the Rebbe and Rebbetzin the visas they needed.
Ad Masai!
If the Rebbe was destined to be the Melech Hamoshiach, then he wouldn’t have died anyway, right? And you expect lubavs to honor a goy with saving the Rebbe’s life?