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Irving Aronson Irving Aronson Irving Aronson
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Life Story for Irving Aronson

Irving  Aronson
Irving Aronson was born to Jacob and Hella Aronson in Rostok, Germany on January 19, 1921. His family immigrated to America several years later where they settled in Brooklyn. Irv grew up in the tough streets of Sheepshead Bay during the Depression. There he honed his independent spirit, fighting skills and love of adventure.

At the age of 12, without informing his parents, Irv and a friend decided to hop a freight and spent the summer working at a summer camp. At the age of 15, Irv enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corps. There, he worked as a lumberjack and also built roads and bridges in Jackson Hole and the Yellowstone area in Wyoming.

In 1940, at the age of 19, Irv enlisted in the Navy. There, he flew blimps in New Jersey, and later saw action in the South Pacific. His numerous acts of heroism earned him 9 medals from the Navy. On one occasion, Irv pounced on a Japanese bomb dropped on his ship where he immediately disarmed it, saving many lives.

After an honorable discharge from the Navy, Irv was enlisted to help the new state of Israel. He was among 3,000 volunteer veterans from America, South Africa, Australia, England and other countries who were asked to assist the new Israeli army against the attacking Arab states. During Israel's 1948 War of Independence, Irv served as a bomb expert, soldier and aviations engineer. This group of foreign fighters in Israel later came to be known as "Machal". Irv maintained his connections with Machal throughout his life.

During the War of Independence, Irv met Agatha Katzburg, a Holocaust refugee from Hungary. Neither spoke the other's language, but between Irv's German and Agatha's Yiddish, they came to know each other and were married in Israel in 1949 by the Chief Rabbi.

Irv and Agatha moved back to New York in 1950, where Irv finished school on the GI Bill. In 1953, they moved to Coronado. There they raised 2 sons, Robert and Arthur. Irv continued as an engineer with the military by working for the United States Civil Service. There he worked on weapons systems for aircraft. During his time with Civil Service, Irv also became a real estate investor and developer.

After retirement, Irv and Agatha embarked on a new enterprise, Oriental Art. This lead them to the collection of Chinese snuff bottles and other artifacts. Irv and Agatha were among the few Americans visiting and doing business with the Chinese government in the 1980's. Irv's genial nature there earned him the nickname "Laughing Buddha".

Irv continued his love for travel and adventure later in life by taking numerous cruises and excursions throughout the world. Irv is survived by his brother Nat, his sons Robert and Arthur and grandchildren Elizabeth and Zachary Aronson.

Affiliations


US Navy

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