Napan Irving Baum Recognized at State Capitol during Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony - State Capitol

SACRAMENTO, CA – Every year during Holocaust Remembrance Week the state Assembly holds a special ceremony and recognizes a Holocaust survivor, liberator, or a child of a survivor from each Assembly district. This year, Napa resident Irving “Irv” Baum was selected to receive this recognition on behalf of the 4th Assembly District of California.

“The Holocaust is one of mankind’s darkest moments, and we must never forget those who suffered through that atrocity,” said Assemblymember Bill Dodd. “The extraordinary story of Irv Baum and his humility exemplifies why his is often called the greatest generation.”

Then-First Lieutenant Irving Baum served as a B-17 bombardier in the 92nd Air Force Bomb Group. During a bombing run over Germany in March of 1944 a German fighter collided with the wing of Irving’s aircraft during a firefight, and the B-17 caught fire. The crew, bailed out, and were captured on the ground by enemy forces. After being interrogated by the Germans, Irving was processed as a POW and spent the next 13 months in captivity.

Being Jewish, the war touched him intimately, and he faced different treatment form his German captors as a result. This mistreatment began nearly immediately. When Irving was first captured, a German officer suspected him of being Jewish and beat him savagely.

However, not all experiences were as cruel. During processing at one German camp, Irving was ordered to list his religion on his paperwork, and Irving asked if he should fill in “Jew” or “Hebrew.” The German soldier overseeing his registration purposefully miswrote “Protestant.” 

Irving also lost 22 relatives to the camps at Treblinka. His final duty in the war, which he regards as his most traumatic experience, was the role he played in processing survivors of the Dachau death camp. Irving was rescued in 1945 at the hands of General Patton’s allied forces.

Upon returning to America, Irving continued to work for the Air Force, retiring as a Lt. Colonel. He later worked in aerospace systems engineering management and as a volunteer educator. He is active in the Napa community, and a regular at commemorative and educational events.

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Photo Attached.  Caption: Irving Baum (right) was honored this week during the California Assembly’s Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony by Assemblymember Bill Dodd (left) in Sacramento.