The forgotten hero who displayed extraordinary courage. . .

Varian Fry, an eccentric and shy Harvard-educated classicist, saved nearly 4000 Jews from German-occupied France during World War II. Yet this man, known as "the American Raoul Wallenberg," died in obscurity, without recognition, having been reprimanded by the US government for his actions.

Fry saved almost four times as many people as Oskar Schindler, made famous in the movie "Schindler's List," but was only recently recognized for his role in saving such prominent persons as artists Marc Chagall and Max Ernst, writer Hannah Arendt, and sculptor Jacques Lifchitz.

Finally in 1996, more than 50 years after his courageous actions saved thousands of innocent lives, Varian Fry was named one of the "Righteous Among the Nations" by Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial -- the first American-born recipient of the award.


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