7/4-HOW CLOSE DID DAVID RUBITSKY COME TO HIS MERITED RECOGNITION? A DEATH-BED CONFESSION BY A BIGOTED AMERICAN OFFICER WHO HANDED DOWN THE WORD, "WE DON'T GIVE THE MEDAL OF HONOR TO JEWS!"

Almost exactly on this Fourth of July holiday America lost probably -- almost definitely -- its most incredible soldier of all our wars.  David Rubitsky died penniless in his nineties in a Midwest nursing home, recognized as a major hero by the entire British Empire, but scorned and denied recognition by America.  Rubitsky, Jewish, grew tired of hearing the throaty anti-semitic insults about "Jews being great at getting out of combat."  He and two other Americans were in a bunker in Papua, New Guinea and they could see hundreds of Japanese gathering for an attack.  The other two Americans, said, "C'mon, Dave.  Let's get out of here."  Leave me your weapons," said Rubitsky.  I'm going to hold the bunker."  There was a 21-hour fight.  In the morning they counted 600 dead Japanese.  TED KAVANAU, former news director of Ch. 5 in New York joins Barry this evening.  Both Ted and Barry were active in the investigation, along with the ambassador of Papua who spent years verifying the story with native chiefs in that part of the Papuan jungle.