Many of the German and Austrian Jewish refugees reported to Camp Ritchie while still designated as "enemy aliens." And they were impressed with that. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941, Stern, by then a college student, raced to enlist. Among them were the Ritchie Boys, some 15,200 men who attended the Military Intelligence Training Center at Camp Ritchie, Md. Wounded people. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), The Ritchie Boys train at Camp Ritchie, Maryland during World War II. They never met for reunions, they did not join veteran associations. So whatever information they're giving you is information that you probably already know. (See This little-known part of American history deserves national acknowledgement. For more information, visit ushmm.org. Other Ritchie Boys were able to express their motivation and accomplishments in memoirs with titles such as I Must Be a Part of This War and A Few Who Made a Difference. And they were motivated like few other American soldiers. The Ritchie Boys were members of a secret American intelligence unit that fought in World War II. "where are your reserve units?" Additional valuable information on the Ritchie Boys may be found in a forum-type Facebook page, , ably managed with considerable devotion by Bernie Lubran, son of Ritchie Boy, , and by Josh Freeling, whose great uncle was Ritchie Boy. Max Lerner: It was my war. The USO is a not-for-profit organization and not part of the Department of Defense (DoD). It was also in Europe that some of them, like Guy Stern, learned what had happened to the families they left behind. Even after the Pentagons change of heart about handing weapons to enemy aliens, suspicion of their bearing and accents remained widespread among regular American soldiers, sometimes reaching higher ranks. They fought with the American military in the lands they had recently escaped, helping to turn the course of the war. Nearly 2,000 German-born Jews were trained at Camp Ritchie to interrogate captured German soldiers. It is a story of a remarkable synergy between a diverse group of well trained and motivated individuals. There were Ritchie Boys who were in virtually every battle that you can think of and some actually suffered the worst fate. Another was, , a member of the Mormon faith, who was awarded the prestigious Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroic actions in the Battle of the Philippines. They certainly saved lives. Most chose the eldest son, to carry on the family name. Jon Wertheim: Because you were Jewish you were ostracized? As members of the Ritchie Boys, German and Austrian refugees offered language skills and knowledge that proved vital to American military intelligence. Jon Wertheim: Did you worry what might happen if you were captured? Guy Stern: We always find another anecdote to tell. Guy Stern: Yes, that's my interrogation tent. Although Ritchie Boy. Salinger, author of the classic book "The Catcher in the Rye.". Because they served in so many different capacities. David Frey: Techniques where you want to get people to talk to you. Mr. Knowing how to shape that appeal was pretty critical to the success of the mobile broadcast units. Early on in World War II, the Army realized it needed German- and Italian-speaking U.S. soldiers for a variety of duties, including psychological warfare, interrogation, espionage and intercepting enemy communications. served as the Intelligence Officer for the Second Ranger Battalion and was among those who scaled the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc at Omaha Beach on D-Day. Guy Stern: No because I knew that the contact with Germans might not be very nice. Some of the prisoners were actual German POWs brought to Camp Ritchie so the Ritchie Boys could practice their interrogation techniques. Then came the surprise transfer to secretive Camp Ritchie in backwoods Maryland, where his first sight was a platoon of soldiers marching byin full-dress Wehrmacht uniforms. A website by Dan Gross and Ritchie History Museum. The U.S. Army leased the post for $5 a year and established The Military Intelligence Training Center. That information is of critical importance because it tells you where certain units are, and if you know where certain units are, you know where the weak spots are. But after a year, he joined the U.S. Army and became one of the 20,000 Ritchie Boys, a special group of soldiers trained at Camp Ritchie (formerly a Maryland National Guard site) to serve in military intelligence during World War II. You sort of swing it around the neck from behind and then pull. Follow him at @ffrommer. Every day, Americas service members selflessly put their lives on the line to keep us safe and free. All students of World War II need to learn about the the Ritchie Boys. He added that the military chose intelligent people because they had to process a tremendous amount of information." Jon Wertheim: What do you remember from that? One can readily point to the case of Ritchie Boy William R. Perl who outwitted Adolf Eichmann and saved an estimated 40,000 lives. In New York, Paul Fairbrook, had a similar impulse. There were 1,985 German born Ritchie Boys. You really have to understand it helps to have been born in Germany in order to in order to do a good job. In exchange for their knowledge of German language, culture and topography, which proved critical in extracting information vital to the war effort, the Army offered citizenship. So was Archibald Roosevelt, grandson of Theodore Roosevelt. Dabringhaus went on to write a book about the experience called Klaus Barbie: The Shocking Story of How the U.S. Used this Nazi War Criminal as an Intelligence Agent.. A few days later, Stern returned to the place of his birth, hoping to reunite with his family. Jon Wertheim: Do you remember saying goodbye to your family? By the spring of 1945, Allied forces neared Berlin and Hitler took his life in his underground bunker. Salinger, author of the classic book The Catcher in the Rye.. It was wonderful to see these people again. I mean this is you're taking your life in your hands here. The Ritchie Boys discovered that the Nazis were terrified of ending up in Russian captivity and they used that to great effect. The Ritchie Boys practiced street fighting in life-size replicas of German villages and questioned mock civilians in full scale German homes. Guy Stern: My fellow students it was an all-male school withdrew from you. Since the story of the Ritchie Boys remained relatively unknown for a half-century or more, it was often left to their children and grandchildren to bring their accomplishments to light. -This story was originally published on defense.gov. Starting in 1942, more than 11,000 soldiers went through the rigorous training at what was the army's first centralized school for intelligence and psychological warfare. At a time when the U.S. military urgently needed foreign language speakers, the Ritchie Boys offered a key resource. After the war, the Ritchie Boys continued their work. Jon Wertheim: What you describe, it almost sounds like these were precursors to CIA agents. Message & data rates may apply. Guy Stern: I was called to the company office and told you're shipping out. And if you get up early enough, you might catch him working out at his local park in the suburbs of Detroit. The evidence was before us. Guy Stern: Yes, doing my job interrogating. Jon Wertheim: This-- This is a remarkable story. It turns out that author J.D. We are honored to recognize the unique role they played serving the United States and advancing our victory over Germany., Outgoing Museum Chairman Howard M. Lorber added, We selected the Ritchie Boys because of their remarkable actions and heroism in helping to end the war and the Holocaust. It's important for people everywhere to remember those who perished and those who survived the Holocaust and, in a world increasingly faced with sectarian strife and intolerance, to set forth the lessons of the Holocaust as a model for teaching ethical conduct and responsible decision-making, Stern said. They were members of a secret group whose mastery of the German language and culture helped them provide battlefield intelligence that proved pivotal to the Allies' victory. I can't recommend this book enough! By Julia M. Klein August 26, 2017. "It was a terrible situation. David Frey: All in service of winning the war. Established in 2011, the Elie Wiesel Award recognizes individuals whose actions embody the Museums vision of a world where people confront hate, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. David Frey: Right. When they landed on the beaches of Normandy, Wehrmacht troops were waiting for them well armed and well prepared. Guy Stern: I had a war to fight and I did it. Jon Wertheim: Is that when you first realize I'm I'm in a war here? Naturally, I turned to Dan Gross, the unofficial archivist for the Ritchie Boys. Isn't it a miserable thing? Spy. David Frey: Much of it originated at Camp Ritchie because it had never it hadn't been done before. and if you don't get it from one prisoner, you might get it from the other. After the war, Guy Stern and the other Ritchie Boys were celebrated for their achievements. St. Joseph Communications uses cookies for personalization, to customize its online advertisements, and for other purposes. His Jewish family left Germany in 1933 when he was 10. It was hard for us not to notice that beyond the stories runs a deep sense of pride. Originally a resort, Camp Ritchie was a curiously idyllic setting to prepare for the harshness and brutality of war. Victor Brombert: Yes of course. By the summer of 1944, German troops in Normandy were outnumbered and overpowered. That was the biggest weakness that the Army recognized that it had, which was battlefield intelligence and the interrogation needed to talk to sometimes civilians, most of the time prisoners of war, in order to glean information from them. 5 likes. Ritchie Boy Wannabe Dan Gross and several invited guests joined the Ritchie Boys for the photo. Photo credit DoD/Holocaust Memorial Center, Why Marlene Dietrich Was One of the Most Patriotic Women in World War II, In World War I, African American 'Hellfighters from Harlem,' Fought Prejudice to Fight for Their Country, VE Day Marked End of Long Road for World War II Troops, Programs for Service Members and Their Families. Never. According to the Holocaust Museum, two Jewish soldiers were taken captive and executed after being identified as German-born Jews, and there were about 200 Ritchie Boys alive as of May 2022. Jon Wertheim: This is going behind enemy lines. Paul Fairbrook: (laugh) You bet your life I'm proud of the Ritchie Boys. David Frey teaches history to cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Training was designed to be as realistic as possible. We see those who are the greatest of the greatest generation. Many of the 15,200 selected were Jewish soldiers who fled Nazi-controlled Germany, which was systematically killing Jews. Of late, the Ritchie Boys have been the subject of growing media attention including, in May, on the television news program 60 Minutes. Here are five ways Dietrich supported American troops and the USO during World War II. Jon Wertheim: What do you remember feeling that day? The Ritchie Boys, as they were known, trained in espionage and frontline interrogation. Some of them were trained as spies and some of them went on to careers as spies. Jon Wertheim: Sixty percent of the actionable intelligence? Some didn't even go over to to Europe. David Frey is a professor of history and director of the Center for Holocaust Studies at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. It was wonderful to see these people again. Through the power of Holocaust history, the Museum challenges leaders and individuals worldwide to think critically about their role in society and to confront antisemitism and other forms of hate, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity.
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