Maj. Gen. Sidney Shachnow, a survivor of the Holocaust, veteran of the Vietnam War, and one of the top Army officers in Berlin during the Cold War, died Friday at the age of 83, the Fayetteville Observer reported.
Shachnow lived in Southern Pines, North Carolina, with his wife, Arlene, according to the Observer. He is survived by his wife, four daughters and more than a dozen grandchildren.
The memorial service for Shachnow will be held Oct. 13 at Boles Funeral Home in Southern Pines.
Shachnow retired from the Army in 1994, after 40 years of active-duty service.
Born in Kaunas, Lithuania, he witnessed the horrors of World War II from the confines of a forced labor camp.
Shachnow was only 7 years old when he was imprisoned. Though laborers often starved or were beaten to death, he somehow survived until the end of World War II, according to a 1992 New York Times profile of Holocaust survivors.
His father escaped German detention and fought out the rest of the war against the Nazis with a partisan resistance group. His mother, though, was sent to a concentration camp.
The three would eventually reunite and move to the United States, where Shachnow eventually enlisted in the U.S. Army, according to his biography with the Jewish Institute for National Security of America.
He later entered Officer Candidate School at the rank of sergeant first class and was commissioned as an infantry officer.
Shachnow would eventually serve more than 32 years in the Special Forces community, including two deployments to Vietnam, the Observer reported.
Throughout his career, Shachnow served as a commander or staff officer with infantry, mechanized infantry, airborne and Special Forces units.
Among his top assignments were stints commanding the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, U.S. Army Special Forces Command at Fort Bragg, and U.S. Army-Berlin in Germany.
Shachnow was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Silver Star with Oak Leaf Clusters, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Clusters and “V” device, the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf clusters, the Air Medal with the numeral “12”, the Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf clusters and “V” device, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Ranger Tab, and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross.
Comments
35 responses to “Green Beret legend, Holocaust survivor, Vietnam veteran and retired two-star dies”
An honest to God BAMF. Fair winds and following seas, Maj. Gen. Shachnow.
Well done Sir….rest well.
How did he ever walk around with brass ones that big?
Sheer will.
I think they were Kevlar reinforced Armox steel
“40 years of active-duty service”
At ease General
Life of service. God Speed General, rest easy on the other side, you definitely earned it.
Tough as a two dollar steak! Rest in peace sir.
Tougher than the $1.00 Top Sirloin sold at some Dollar General Stores.
In the 70’s he was Commander of SF Detachment A in Berlin. The detachment was never seen but was spoken of in hushed tones. Comprised of fluent Russian and German speakers, they blended freely with the locals on both sides of the wall.
He was CG, Berlin, when the wall came down.
I heard about over the years. They always wore civies off base and looked like German civilians & spoke fluent German.
From private to major general…There is nothing anyone here or elsewhere can write that can adequately convey what he overcame and what he accomplished. A soldier’s soldier and a man’s man. Goodbye, sir.
Rest In Peace, General, and thank you for giving forty years of everything you got in defense of this great and grateful nation…
I knew the General when I was stationed at Ft. Bragg and he was the real deal. God bless you General Sachnow.
Rest in Peace Sir.
My God! Do they make them like that anymore! He has earned his rest!
Wow, what a steel-balled badass! Rest In Peace General, you’ve earned your place in History and Valhalla.
Oh, he’ll be back… to fight another day.
May the road rise to meet you and the wind be always at your back!
Rest in peace Sir. God be with your family.
Rest in peace Gen. Shachnow.
Men like this, make me feel very small.
In the shadow of giants, indeed.
Curious if Jonn ever met him. Perhaps a Berlin connection?
Probly sippin whiskey together now.
Rest easy, Dear General.
You’ve earned it, many fold.
Break out the cigars and the Single Malt, Jonn, the General is headed your way. RIP, Sir!
I read about his death yesterday and immediately ordered a used hard copy of his book from a seller on Amazon. I can’t wait to read it, and I think it will be an excellent book to just have “laying around” my farmhouse for my bored teenage men-in-training to accidentally pick up and read. BTW, I spoke to my sixteen-year-old last weekend who is away at military boarding school. He informed me that he is now PSG of his platoon. I wish Jonn was around to offer him advice and counsel, if needed.
RIP MG Shachnow. You are not forgotten Sir.
RIP sir.
Rest in Peace.
Hardcore.
Rest well, Sir.
Coincidentally, I was surfing Netflix last night when my eye caught what was probably the most intense Holocaust documentary I have ever seen about the mass murder of Jews, Romani and Soviet prisoners in Eastern Europe at the beginning of WWII–including film footage shot in Kaunas, Lithuania, the “forge” where Major General Schachnow’s gigantic brass balls were cast. Watch it–if you can.
https://www.netflix.com/title/80134093
God speed, Maj. Gen. Shachnow
RIP Sir
You are the dictionary definition of a hero
Don’t even feel worthy of writing anything here other than a simple, “Thank You, Sir!”
No matter how often I read the article above, it takes my breath away. I am in total awe.
Men like this is why I dont usually say much about my service outside of saying i did.
RIP
Salute to you, Sir!!!
Salute to you, Sir
RIP and thank you for your service.