Helmut Isenberg’s life is the stuff of Hollywood movies. He and his family were Jews who escaped from Nazi Germany in 1935 when he was 16. Just nine years later, Helmut returned to fight the Nazis as a soldier in the Ghost Army. After his service, he traveled the world, romanced beautiful women, and undertook a variety of exotic business. And in the end, he wound up back in Germany.
As an Eagle Scout, Helmut was lucky enough to meet and get to know Prince Emanuel of Liechtenstein, who was also active in the Boy Scouts. When Helmut's family escaped Germany, the prince got them them admitted into Liechtenstein. (The photo at left was taken in the family's residence there.)
Soon thereafter, Helmut went to work as a photographer for Paris newspapers. In 1938, seeing the writing on the wall, the family fled to America, aided–according to family lore–by his brother’s Harvard classmate John F. Kennedy. There, he continued working as a photographer and met his first wife, Ellen Martha Pollack Kaufman.
Soon thereafter, Helmut went to work as a photographer for Paris newspapers. In 1938, seeing the writing on the wall, the family fled to America, aided–according to family lore–by his brother’s Harvard classmate John F. Kennedy. There, he continued working as a photographer and met his first wife, Ellen Martha Pollack Kaufman.
In 1943, Helmut enlisted, and in 1944, he was deployed to Europe as part of the Ghost Army. (His two brothers were also involved in the war effort.) During his service, Ellen, who worked as a sculptor, sent him a plaster “pinup” figurine of herself. The men on his battalion loved it–they said they would pay anything to get one like it. Ellen subsequently made a business of this, and, astonishingly, produced over 150,000 dolls.
A few years after the war, Helmut began traveling around the world as a salesman for Paper Mate Pens. He and Ellen divorced in 1950; that same month, his first child, George, was born to Irene Grosse, a 17-year-old German beauty queen. He married his second wife Josephine Johanna Woelfl in 1953, and had another son, Robert, in 1954. He later had a third child named Eva.
A few years after the war, Helmut began traveling around the world as a salesman for Paper Mate Pens. He and Ellen divorced in 1950; that same month, his first child, George, was born to Irene Grosse, a 17-year-old German beauty queen. He married his second wife Josephine Johanna Woelfl in 1953, and had another son, Robert, in 1954. He later had a third child named Eva.
In 1956 Helmut left Paper Mate and moved to Paris, becoming active in the American Legion, and eventually becoming commander of the post there. His involvement led to his presenting the Legion’s Golden Peace medal to German chancellor Konrad Adenauer and, later, hand-delivering a Paper Mate pen to Winston Churchill for his 80th birthday. He also met Richard Nixon when he visited Paris in 1968. Helmut also launched a variety of businesses, selling gourmet products, running an art gallery, and even patenting inventions, including an artificial sweetener and a stereoscopic television.
He later moved to Wiesbaden, Germany, where he died May 17, 1992. He is buried at the Jewish Cemetery at the Nordfriedhof in Wiesbaden. In 2021, the American Legion Department of France Commander laid a wreath on the former Commander's grave.
He later moved to Wiesbaden, Germany, where he died May 17, 1992. He is buried at the Jewish Cemetery at the Nordfriedhof in Wiesbaden. In 2021, the American Legion Department of France Commander laid a wreath on the former Commander's grave.
To see Isenberg's full bio, with sources for all the information and photos, as well as the bios of hundreds of other Ghost Army soldiers, go to our Veteran Bio page.
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