Remembering Irvin Herman

Age 94, Indianapolis
Passed away on March 25, 2020

For decades, Herm didn’t talk about it. Not about the war.

Later in life, Irvin Herman — everyone called him “Herm,” including Dolores, his wife of 73 years — began telling his story. Less than a year ago, he made his first visit to the World War II Museum at New Orleans and saw a map of the small coral island of Peleliu, site of a bloody battle in the South Pacific. He delivered an impromptu lecture, and by the time he finished, 40 listeners had gathered.

“Was he there?” someone asked. Herm was there.

Irvin Herman

After New Orleans, it was off to West Point, New York, for the graduation of his grandson, Elliott Herman, a second lieutenant and Army gymnast. Generals there thanked the grandfather for his service.

Irvin Herman, a longtime Indianapolis resident, died March 25 at Eskenazi Hospital. He was 94. He was among Indiana’s first victims of COVID-19.

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