Raphael Benmayor

He was born in Smyrna (Izmir) in 1921. Following the destruction of Smyrna, his family moved to Greece in 1922 and they were established in Piraeus, the sea port of Athens. After the Cassibile Armistice in September 1943, the Germans took full control of Athens and the Jews realized that they planned to impose immediately deportation measures as they had done already to the Jews of Northern Greece.

In November 1943 he escaped by boat from Evia, Greece to Turkey and then he was transferred to Palestine, where he joined the Greek Army. He served at the 1st Greek Brigade and the 3rd Greek Mountain Brigade. He fought at the battle of Rimini and was wounded during the war operations near Rubicon River. He was hospitalized until February 1945 and then returned to Greece.

He was awarded the St. Marcus Cross Medal of Honor and the Medal of Distinguished Acts