From School to Sky: Joseph's Tale of War

Weeks after the outbreak of World War II Joseph Halperns Polish town Vladimir Volynsky in what is now part of Ukraine was annexed by the Russians. Because of his high intelligence mechanical prowess and athletic ability he was soon hand-picked to be an air cadet. On June 22 1941 Hitler broke his pact with Stalin and launched Operation Barbarossa an all-out attack on Russia. Halpern became a fighter pilot for the Russian Air Force serving the Allies in trying to bring down the Nazi regime. Later on Halpern became a special forces commando; trained in martial arts to withstand torture see in the dark hear whispers disappear in a crowd and kill with his hands. He was shot down four times and after cheating death on many occasions (and receiving many military honours) following World War II he founded the Herzl Orphanage and helped create the Israeli Air Force. He finally came to Canada and was reunited with his parents he had presumed were dead. He went on to a distinguished career with RCA Victor and the University of Ottawa. Joseph Israel Halpern played a crucial role in NASAs Apollo missions. His initials JIH remain carved onto a battery that is still on the moon.