Adolf Hitler bas-relief commemorative plaque aquired by a US soldier

Mark C. Levy was born on January 1, 1926, to Esther and Nathan Levy in Pittsburgh, PA. They moved to Los Angeles in 1941. After his graduation from high school, Mark enlisted in the United States Army. Lieutenant Levy served as a tank commander in the 4th Armored Division which spearheaded the advance through to Germany of the Third Army under General George S. Patton. The division was deployed in France on July 13, 1944. On December 26, it relieved the 101st Airborne which had been trapped for days in Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. The division crossed the Rhine into Germany in late March 1945. On April 4, they liberated Ohrdruf concentration camp, a subcamp of Buchenwald and the first concentration camp freed by US troops. The unit was in Czechoslovakia when the war ended in May. Mark then was transferred to the Intelligence Corps and was present at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials.

Upon his return to the US, he entered UCLA. He married Peachy in 1949 and the couple would have three children. Mark had a successful career as a builder/developer. He was recalled to the army for the Korean War, 1950-1953. After his discharge, he re-entered the building business. He later collaborated on film projects, including a WWII film, Where Eagles Dare. Mark and Peachy were very involved with their synagogue, Leo Baeck Temple, where Mark was president, as well as the wider Jewish community where they were involved with multiple charities. He was a founder and member of Markon, a Jewish aid organization. Mark, 88, died on February 18, 2014.