The JWV is the oldest veterans organization in the US and celebrated it's 125th anniversary in 2021.


JWV Post 320
was founded in 1945, and named for Savannah's Martin E. Kirschbaum, who was killed in combat during WWII.

In honor of Savannahian serviceman Martin E. Kirschbaum, who was killed while serving as a US Marine on Guadalcanal Island during WWII, Savannah’s JWV Post 320 was founded shortly after WWII. JWV Post 320 has been in constant operation for over seven decades, providing service to the Savannah community by promoting patriotism, honoring our deceased Jewish veterans, and performing various different services to the community. Annualy we honor our deceased veterans by placing flags on their graves in Bonaventure Cemetery and march in the Savannah Veteran’s Day parade.

“You had the personal element and that was the worst. All the young men were drafted and taken out of the city. The town was denuded of men, young men in the prime of their lives, some were killed, some injured, but none were left here. The town just functioned without young people at all. It was a real dark time. There was one Jewish boy killed, named Martin Kirshbaum, who was in the Marines. His mother and father were friends of my mother and father. Mr. and Mrs. Kirshbaum really had nothing in life but hard luck. This man was about 21 years old and was their pride and joy and and only child. Situations like that caused real grief and hardship. Like any parent losing a child, or wife losing a husband, children losing fathers, that was the sad part of it. It was on a big scale. They had these long casualty lists, and they would send telegrams. Everybody was afraid of a rap at the door. A Western Union man might be there."

Transciption from tape recordings made by Edwin J. Feiler during the 1970's

For more information on Jewish War Veterans Post 320 send us an email