Herbert I. Stern

Herbert I. Stern
Stern in 1941, during his time at West Point.
Born (1918-12-24) December 24, 1918 (age 105)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branchUnited States Army
Years of service1941–1968
RankColonel
Unit325th Field Artillery Battalion
Commands325th and 909th Field Artillery Battalions
Battles / warsWorld War II
Awards
Other workStern's Furniture in Rockville

Herbert I. Stern (born December 24, 1918) was an American World War II battalion commander during World War II who is the oldest living graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. His journey to West Point began in the summer of 1937, when he secured an appointment to the academy as a member of the Class of 1941. Stern's ambition to attend West Point was evident from a young age, and he graduated from high school at 16 before attending a preparatory school for a year. Initially promised an appointment by Maryland Senator Radcliffe, Stern ultimately received his through a competitive exam after the promise was retracted.[1] As a battalion commander during World War II, Stern was awarded a Silver Star Medal during the Battle of the Bulge for his actions. In late April 1945, while driving through Salzwedel, Germany, Stern and his men discovered a concentration camp with 3,000 Jewish women. They liberated the camp, providing immediate relief to the prisoners and destroyed the facility.[2]

  1. ^ "MOAA Chapter Shares Member’s World War II Story." *MOAA*, 2022. [MOAA](https://www.moaa.org/content/publications-and-media/news-articles/2022-news-articles/moaa-chapter-shares-members-world-war-ii-story/)
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference westpointaog was invoked but never defined (see the help page).