These two pictures of a gravestone in the New Montefiore cemetery (on Wellwood Avenue in Long Island) were posted in our family’s WhatsApp group. They are pictures of the gravestone of a Bernard Haller, Baruch son of Zev, born in 1919 and passed away in 2009. He was a father, grandfather and great-grandfather. What makes this so gravestone so distinctive (and inspiring!) is the inscription written just above the US Marines Seal:
“I served in the U.S. Marine Corp. in WWII as a Staff Sgt. I managed to put on Tefillin every day even during combat in the Pacific and refrained from eating meat the entire time. The Almighty helped me to survive”
Semper Fi or Semper Fidelis is the Marines’ famous motto. It means always faithful, forever loyal. Staff Seargeant Bernard Haller (was probably called Bernie back in the day) lived Semper Fi in more than one way. He was always faithful to his country, and he was always faithful to his G-d.
We never met Mr. Haller, and don’t know his family. But what an amazing personal testament, and what a lesson and inspiration for us all!
