World War II Victory Medal
RAF 1942
US Army Air Force 1943-45
Israel Air Force 1948
At the age of 84.
Born in Peekskill. NY In his high school years in Peekskill, NY Milton was an Eagle Scout. He was also a lifeguard who saved lives. He went to college at both NYU and the University of New Mexico to study art. In New Mexico he hunted rattle-snakes.
He wanted to fight in World War Two before the U.S. entered the war so he joined the Royal Air Force, leaving there to join the United States Air Force when the U.S. involvement started.
In 1948 he and a small group of Americans helped establish the State of Israel and founded the nascent Israeli Air Force. Milton flew the Messerschmitt 109 as a member of the 101st. Squadron
In 1951 he fell in love and married his wife of 52 years, Judy (Rosen). They owned a Lincoln-Mercury dealership in Oneonta New York. In the basement of their house he built a stage for his son Paul and a boat for his daughter. He always disliked shoveling snow and dreamed of moving to Florida and living on the water. In 1960 he moved his family, which now included a second son, to Sarasota.
He is the father of three children-Paul, Abby and Luke. Paul is the actor better known as Pee-wee Herman. Abby is a prominent civil rights attorney and mother to his two grandchildren, Lily and Sarah.
Milton had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh and be funny. He was a very modest man who did not like to talk about his many accomplishments. In the 1980’s he was honored in Israel for his heroism and lead-ership during the very earliest beginnings of the Israeli Air Force-his plane has been preserved and is displayed outside the airport in Tel Aviv with a plaque bearing his name.
He was rarely seen without a cigar. He never took “no” for an answer and lived his life with great gusto and swagger.
The story is told that on the 2nd day of the airforce May 29,1948 Milton was shot down on his mission in 1948 the Israeli Air Force had not only been a secret to the Egyptians—it had also been a secret to Israeli citizens. Swimming ashore after parachuting out of his damaged plane , the moshavniks of Kfar Vitkin assumed that Rubenfeld was an Arab pilot. Rubenfeld knew no Hebrew, and knew very little Yiddish, so in order to convince them he was Jewish, he reportedly shouted the only thing he could remember: "Shabbos, gefilte fish! Shabbos, gefilte fish!"
RAF 1942
US Army Air Force 1943-45
Israel Air Force 1948
At the age of 84.
Born in Peekskill. NY In his high school years in Peekskill, NY Milton was an Eagle Scout. He was also a lifeguard who saved lives. He went to college at both NYU and the University of New Mexico to study art. In New Mexico he hunted rattle-snakes.
He wanted to fight in World War Two before the U.S. entered the war so he joined the Royal Air Force, leaving there to join the United States Air Force when the U.S. involvement started.
In 1948 he and a small group of Americans helped establish the State of Israel and founded the nascent Israeli Air Force. Milton flew the Messerschmitt 109 as a member of the 101st. Squadron
In 1951 he fell in love and married his wife of 52 years, Judy (Rosen). They owned a Lincoln-Mercury dealership in Oneonta New York. In the basement of their house he built a stage for his son Paul and a boat for his daughter. He always disliked shoveling snow and dreamed of moving to Florida and living on the water. In 1960 he moved his family, which now included a second son, to Sarasota.
He is the father of three children-Paul, Abby and Luke. Paul is the actor better known as Pee-wee Herman. Abby is a prominent civil rights attorney and mother to his two grandchildren, Lily and Sarah.
Milton had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh and be funny. He was a very modest man who did not like to talk about his many accomplishments. In the 1980’s he was honored in Israel for his heroism and lead-ership during the very earliest beginnings of the Israeli Air Force-his plane has been preserved and is displayed outside the airport in Tel Aviv with a plaque bearing his name.
He was rarely seen without a cigar. He never took “no” for an answer and lived his life with great gusto and swagger.
The story is told that on the 2nd day of the airforce May 29,1948 Milton was shot down on his mission in 1948 the Israeli Air Force had not only been a secret to the Egyptians—it had also been a secret to Israeli citizens. Swimming ashore after parachuting out of his damaged plane , the moshavniks of Kfar Vitkin assumed that Rubenfeld was an Arab pilot. Rubenfeld knew no Hebrew, and knew very little Yiddish, so in order to convince them he was Jewish, he reportedly shouted the only thing he could remember: "Shabbos, gefilte fish! Shabbos, gefilte fish!"
World War II Victory Medal
RAF 1942
US Army Air Force 1943-45
Israel Air Force 1948
At the age of 84.
Born in Peekskill. NY In his high school years in Peekskill, NY Milton was an Eagle Scout. He was also a lifeguard who saved lives. He went to college at both NYU and the University of New Mexico to study art. In New Mexico he hunted rattle-snakes.
He wanted to fight in World War Two before the U.S. entered the war so he joined the Royal Air Force, leaving there to join the United States Air Force when the U.S. involvement started.
In 1948 he and a small group of Americans helped establish the State of Israel and founded the nascent Israeli Air Force. Milton flew the Messerschmitt 109 as a member of the 101st. Squadron
In 1951 he fell in love and married his wife of 52 years, Judy (Rosen). They owned a Lincoln-Mercury dealership in Oneonta New York. In the basement of their house he built a stage for his son Paul and a boat for his daughter. He always disliked shoveling snow and dreamed of moving to Florida and living on the water. In 1960 he moved his family, which now included a second son, to Sarasota.
He is the father of three children-Paul, Abby and Luke. Paul is the actor better known as Pee-wee Herman. Abby is a prominent civil rights attorney and mother to his two grandchildren, Lily and Sarah.
Milton had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh and be funny. He was a very modest man who did not like to talk about his many accomplishments. In the 1980’s he was honored in Israel for his heroism and lead-ership during the very earliest beginnings of the Israeli Air Force-his plane has been preserved and is displayed outside the airport in Tel Aviv with a plaque bearing his name.
He was rarely seen without a cigar. He never took “no” for an answer and lived his life with great gusto and swagger.
The story is told that on the 2nd day of the airforce May 29,1948 Milton was shot down on his mission in 1948 the Israeli Air Force had not only been a secret to the Egyptians—it had also been a secret to Israeli citizens. Swimming ashore after parachuting out of his damaged plane , the moshavniks of Kfar Vitkin assumed that Rubenfeld was an Arab pilot. Rubenfeld knew no Hebrew, and knew very little Yiddish, so in order to convince them he was Jewish, he reportedly shouted the only thing he could remember: "Shabbos, gefilte fish! Shabbos, gefilte fish!"
RAF 1942
US Army Air Force 1943-45
Israel Air Force 1948
At the age of 84.
Born in Peekskill. NY In his high school years in Peekskill, NY Milton was an Eagle Scout. He was also a lifeguard who saved lives. He went to college at both NYU and the University of New Mexico to study art. In New Mexico he hunted rattle-snakes.
He wanted to fight in World War Two before the U.S. entered the war so he joined the Royal Air Force, leaving there to join the United States Air Force when the U.S. involvement started.
In 1948 he and a small group of Americans helped establish the State of Israel and founded the nascent Israeli Air Force. Milton flew the Messerschmitt 109 as a member of the 101st. Squadron
In 1951 he fell in love and married his wife of 52 years, Judy (Rosen). They owned a Lincoln-Mercury dealership in Oneonta New York. In the basement of their house he built a stage for his son Paul and a boat for his daughter. He always disliked shoveling snow and dreamed of moving to Florida and living on the water. In 1960 he moved his family, which now included a second son, to Sarasota.
He is the father of three children-Paul, Abby and Luke. Paul is the actor better known as Pee-wee Herman. Abby is a prominent civil rights attorney and mother to his two grandchildren, Lily and Sarah.
Milton had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh and be funny. He was a very modest man who did not like to talk about his many accomplishments. In the 1980’s he was honored in Israel for his heroism and lead-ership during the very earliest beginnings of the Israeli Air Force-his plane has been preserved and is displayed outside the airport in Tel Aviv with a plaque bearing his name.
He was rarely seen without a cigar. He never took “no” for an answer and lived his life with great gusto and swagger.
The story is told that on the 2nd day of the airforce May 29,1948 Milton was shot down on his mission in 1948 the Israeli Air Force had not only been a secret to the Egyptians—it had also been a secret to Israeli citizens. Swimming ashore after parachuting out of his damaged plane , the moshavniks of Kfar Vitkin assumed that Rubenfeld was an Arab pilot. Rubenfeld knew no Hebrew, and knew very little Yiddish, so in order to convince them he was Jewish, he reportedly shouted the only thing he could remember: "Shabbos, gefilte fish! Shabbos, gefilte fish!"
