<P> Over 550,000 Jewish - Americans served in the armed forces during World War II, account for 3.5% of the roughly 16 million American soldiers in total, the highest number of Jewish soldiers of any participating country . There were 4,770,000 American Jews at the time, accounting for 3.6% of the US population, meaning they were proportionally represented . 22 Jewish - Americans obtained the ranks of general or admiral during the war, including Major General Maurice Rose, and 49,315 earned citations for valor in combat . The total number of Jewish - American war casualties was 38,338, with 11,000 killed . </P> <P> Americans of Polish descent were common in all the military ranks and divisions, and were among the first to volunteer for the war effort . They were heavily motivated by the Nazi policy of extermination towards the people of occupied Poland, the first country attacked during the war . Polish Americans were enthusiastic enlistees . They composed 4% of the American population at the time, but ultimately composed 8% of the U.S. military during World War II, with over 1,000,000 joining the U.S. armed forces . Polish general Władysław Sikorski toured the United States in a failed attempt to raise large numbers of Polish - Americans for segregated battalions, saying that they were "turning their backs" on Poland by not joining the cause . </P> <P> Over 1.5 million Italian - American soldiers served in World War II, accounting for 10% of the armed forces, of whom 14 won Medal of Honor . While Italian - Americans were in general enthusiastic participants in the Allied cause, several Italian - language newspapers were forced to close because of past support of the fascist government of Benito Mussolini . </P> <P> Over 30,000 Arab - Americans are estimated to have served during the war, accounting for 0.2% of soldiers . Most were of Lebanese descent . </P>

Name three minority groups who aided in the war effort during ww2