They chose their eldest son. For as casually as we often toss around the word "hero", sometimes no lesser term applies. Ritchie Boys Two Ritchie Boys were identified as German-language interrogators working for the Americans after they were captured in a Nazi counterattack; revealed to be Jewish, the men were summarily executed. Many had fled Nazi Germany but returned as American soldiers, deploying their knowledge of German language and culture to great advantage. The Ritchie Boys discovered that the Nazis were terrified of ending up in Russian captivity and they used that to great effect. Please enter valid email address to continue. Captain Harvey J. Cook 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. Jon Wertheim: As a way to honor your family that perished. Paul Fairbrook: Oh that is a very good question. Jon Wertheim: I see a tent in the background of that photo right in front of you. Guy Stern: Yes, that's my interrogation tent. Jon Wertheim: What you describe, it almost sounds like these were precursors to CIA agents. A significant number of people, even those with some knowledge of Camp Ritchie, appear to visualize a graduate of the Armys Military Intelligence Training Center as follows: A physically-challenged man of the Jewish faith, who was born in Germany or Austria, joined the U. S. Army, and after being trained at Camp Ritchie served in the European Theater in World War II as an interrogator in relative safety behind the lines. David Frey: If we take Camp Ritchie in microcosm, it was almost the ideal of an American melting pot. Paul Fairbrook helped write this compact manual, known as the red book, which outlined in great detail the makeup of virtually every Nazi unit, information every Ritchie Boy committed to memory. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Wounded people. In trucks equipped with loudspeakers, Ritchie Boys went to the front lines under heavy fire, and tried, in German, to persuade their Nazi counterparts to surrender. Jon Wertheim: I understand you you had sparring partners. Jon Wertheim: So this is you on the job. Some of them were trained as spies and some of them went on to careers as spies. So I experienced viscerally, fear. and if you don't get it from one prisoner, you might get it from the other. And I gave myself the name Commissar Krukov. 4.39. Early on in the war, 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. There were roughly 9000 of these Jews in America and they specialized in the interrogation of German prisoners. Jon Wertheim: That's how you looked at it. Longtime Yale and Princeton professor Victor Brombert helped enact the official Allied policy of removing Nazi influence from german public life known as denazification. In New York, Paul Fairbrook, had a similar impulse. Max Lerner: There were no Nazis. They never met for reunions, they did not join veteran associations. 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. Some of them were very involved with the collection of information that became the basis of the trials at Nuremberg and subsequent war crimes trials, Frey said. Museum to Confer its Highest Honor, The Elie Wiesel Award, Secret Unit Formed 80 Years Ago Was Instrumental in Nazi GermanysDefeat and Included Many Who Had Fled the Regime. David Frey: Part of what the Ritchie Boys did was to convince German units to surrender without fighting. Aren't we all sort of, tired of it?". But joy turned to horror as Allied soldiers and the world learned the full scale of the Nazi mass extermination. It was hard for us not to notice that beyond the stories runs a deep sense of pride. For decades, they didn't discuss their work. 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. A mighty onslaught of more than 160,000 men, 13,000 aircraft, and 5,000 vessels. 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. One can also point to a Ritchie Boy who was given the opportunity to shape the critically important program of psychological warfare by training nearly all the 850 members of the Mobile Radio Broadcasting Companies. 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. And they were motivated like few other American soldiers. Mr. Many of the 15,200 selected were Jewish soldiers who fled Nazi-controlled Germany, which was systematically killing Jews. This is the good conduct medal which I'm not really entitled to (laugh) and this here is the European theatre of operations medal with five battles in which I participated. Nearly 2,000 German-born Jews were trained at Camp Ritchie to interrogate captured German soldiers. 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. Readers may be amazed to learn that the Ritchie Boys included five Marines who died on Iwo Jima, including two who graduated with a specialty of Terrain Intelligence) and were killed in action on the day the Marines stormed Iwo Jima (19 February 1945). In 2011, the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills, Michigan, hosted an exhibit of the Ritchie Boys exploits. It was Sunday, May 13, 1945, Henderson marvels. The soldiers were sent for training to Camp Ritchie, Maryland - Development of the Intelligence Training Guy Stern: I was a soldier doing my job and that precluded any concern that I was going back to a country I once was very attached to. Guy Stern: Handkerchiefs, I couldn't know at that point that I would never see my siblings or my parents again nor my grandmother and so forth and so on. There's no fee to visit the local community Photo credit DoD/Holocaust Memorial Center, It was an emotional reunion, definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. All SS members were subject to automatic arrest. But within a few months the government realized these so-called enemy aliens could be a valuable resource in the war. "How to kill a sentry from behind." One can readily point to the case of Ritchie Boy, who outwitted Adolf Eichmann and saved an estimated 40,000 lives. Many of the 15,200 selected were Jewish soldiers who fled Nazi-controlled Germany, which was systematically killing Jews. Ritchie Boys David Frey: It was a very broad range And they did it all generally in eight weeks. But it gave me great deal of satisfaction. Ritchie Boys of That is the key to being a good interrogator. Guy Stern: I had an immediate visceral response to that and that was this is my war for many reasons. David Frey: This is where the having an intelligence officer from Camp Ritchie was of critical importance. Camp Ritchie served the Maryland National Guard until 1942. TTY: 202.488.0406, Guidelines for Teaching About the Holocaust, The Presidents Commission on the Holocaust, United States Holocaust Memorial Council (Board of Trustees), Holocaust Survivors and Victims Resource Center. The U.S. Army leased the post for $5 a year and established The Military Intelligence Training Center. And it was not until a few years ago that the son of Italian-Jewish Ritchie Boy Alessandro Sabbadini told the story of his fathers motivation and bravery in the book Unavoidable Hope. WebThe Ritchie Boys were the US special military intelligence officers and enlisted men of World War II who were trained at Camp Ritchie in Maryland. Many of the Ritchie Boys went on to have successful civilian careers, including J.D. The Ritchie Boys exhibit at the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills, Mich., July 24, 2011. They took their name from the place they trained - Camp Ritchie, Maryland a secret American military intelligence center during the war. They significantly helped the war effort and saved lives.. Ritchie Boys were heroes who used their innate skills to gather information from all sources Jon Wertheim: And you were able to confront the people that had caused this this trauma. Approximately 14%, or 2,200, of them Not just any Nazi party member. Embedded in every Army unit, they interrogated tens of thousands of captured Nazi soldiers as well as civilians extracting key strategic information on enemy strength, troop movements, and defensive positions. Ritchie Boys Image by Sons and Soldiers. My father was 49 years old and-- and my mother was 48 and they left everything they had built up behind. Readers may be amazed to learn that the Ritchie Boys included five Marines who died on Iwo Jima, including two who graduated with a specialty of Terrain Intelligence) and were killed in action on the day the Marines stormed Iwo Jima (19 February 1945). When they landed on the beaches of Normandy, Wehrmacht troops were waiting for them well armed and well prepared. Guy Stern: I went to my father one day and I said, "classes are becoming a torture chamber". WebThe army recruited not just those fluent in German, French, Italian, and Polish (approximately a fifth were Jewish refugees from Europe), but also Arabic, Japanese, Dutch, Greek, Norwegian, Russian, Turkish, and other languages as well as some 200 Native Americans and 200 WACs. Jon Wertheim: What is it like when you get together and reflect on this experience going on 80 years ago? Dozens of Ritchie Boys worked at the Nuremberg Trials as prosecutors, interrogators and translators. Associate producer, Jennifer Dozor. Holocaust refugee turned American Soldier never forgot Their subjects ranged from low-level German soldiers to high-ranking Nazi officers including Hans Goebbels, brother of Hitler's chief propogandist, Joseph Goebbels. Facing significant intelligence deficiencies, in April 1942, the US Army activated a plan to convert Fort Ritchie, a Maryland National Guard Camp, into an intelligence training center. One or more of Hendersons Ritchie Boys was present at every major moment of the American war in Europe: landing on Omaha Beach, speeding with Pattons tanks, liberating concentration camps. But Hildesheim was now in ruins. Jon Wertheim: Why did you want to enlist initially? Others were actually really important in American science. That was potentially lethal in Europe under fluid battlefield conditions, especially during the Battle of the Bulge, when the Wehrmacht infiltrated American lines with soldiers dressed in U.S. uniforms. "Enjoy" is perhaps not the right word. The Jewish Refugees Who Fled Nazi GermanyThen Returned to Look, I got a book here and it tells me that you were here and you went there and your boss was this." The group also included large numbers of first- or second-generation Americans who still spoke German or other languages at home, Frey says. Knowing how to shape that appeal was pretty critical to the success of the mobile broadcast units. Fort Ritchie, as it later became known, closed in 1998. One can also point to a Ritchie Boy Director, Communications The Ritchie Boys landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day and helped liberate Paris. Jon Wertheim: What do you remember from that? On June 6, 1944, D-Day the Allies launched one of the most sweeping military operations in history. That changed over the years as the Ritchie Boys began to receive more recognition. Although Ritchie Boy. Guy Stern: The Bronze Star was given to me right at the end of hostilities. I was the only one to get out. After Germany's surrender, the Ritchie Boys took on the difficult task of identifying and tracking down Nazi criminals. Web34K views 1 year ago. Enter. Text STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Who helped shape what it meant to be American and who in some cases gave their lives in service to this country. So whatever information they're giving you is information that you probably already know. Jon Wertheim: That's the kind of thing you would know. Many of them were Jewish refugees from Europe, who fled their homeland, came to America and joined the U.S. Army. The Ritchie Boys were one of World War IIs greatest secret weapons for U.S. Army intelligence, said Stuart E. Eizenstat, shortly before becoming chairman of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2022, when the museum bestowed the Ritchie Boys with the Elie Wiesel Award, its highest honor. Divisions that liberated concentration camps included hundreds of Ritchie Boys, who interviewed survivors. I thought, "I'm never going to do that," but I was shown how to do it. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Or is it just a habit or habit of obedience or dignity? All had experienced harrowing escapes from Europe and dangerous but productive returns. The Ritchie Boys to Receive Museums 2022 Elie Wiesel Jon Wertheim: Did you enjoy hunting Nazis? Jon Wertheim: Is that when you first realize I'm I'm in a war here? We worked harder than anyone could have driven us. All were convicted for their crimes and many were executed. Im a military history writer and Id never heard of them.. His Jewish family left Germany in 1933 when he was 10. You on one side and we on this side. Ritchie They also drafted and dropped leaflets from airplanes behind enemy lines. Download our app to find events, locations and programs near you. Ritchie ", Jon Wertheim: Did you ever confront a Nazi who said "this was morally reprehensible? Many of the 15,200 selected were Jewish soldiers who fled Nazi-controlled Germany, which was systematically killing Jews. Before the Tuskegee Airmen, there were the Hellfighters from Harlem, a group of African American National Guard Soldiers of New York's 15th Infantry Regiment who fought for the right to serve in combat during World War I. 98-year-old Paul Fairbrook helped set up the German military documents section at Camp Ritchie a vast catalog of more than 20,000 captured German documents. Among the unusual sights at Ritchie: a team of U.S. soldiers dressed in German uniforms. In 1944, the Ritchie Boys headed to Europe to fight in a war that was, for them, intensely personal. 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 the opportunity to help fight and win the war was a wonderful way. It turns out that author J.D. 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. For 99-year-old Guy Stern, a German Jew whose entire family was killed by the Nazis, the Allies' victory over Hitler was the culmination of a public crusade and a private one as well. Jon Wertheim: What were you trained to do? "I had no choice." The Ritchie Boys: The Jewish U.S. Soldiers Who Helped The Ritchie Boys Victor Brombert: It was very, very hard, very difficult and very rare to have a German denounce another German at that point. 5 likes. There were Ritchie Boys who were in POW camps embedded and gathering information in the United States. In trying to assess the contribution of a single participant to an endeavor as gigantic as World War II, the question is often asked How much difference can one man make? Considering how remarkable Ritchie Boys were as individuals, does it make sense to try to find just one or perhaps two Ritchie Boys whose individual contributions stand out in terms of the difference it made? You really have to understand it helps to have been born in Germany in order to in order to do a good job. Guy Stern: I had my whole uniform with medals, Russian medals. Background. Did it give you any satisfaction? And only in the early 2000's did we begin to see reunions of the Ritchie Boys. As was philanthropist David Rockefeller and media baron and billionaire John Kluge. He is among the last surviving Ritchie Boys - a group of young men many of them German Jews who played an outsized role in helping the Allies win World War II. Now in their late 90s, these humble warriors still keep in touch, swapping stories about a chapter in American history now finally being told. stories from a Nazi interrogator, now a Mill They were asked, in some cases, to memorize battle books, which told soldiers about the enemys organization, structure, capacity, leadership and experience. Jon Wertheim: As a former German who understood the psychology and the mentality. There were Ritchie Boys who were in virtually every battle that you can think of and some actually suffered the worst fate. Martin Selling, 24, was undergoing training as a U.S. Army medical orderly in February 1943 and chafing under a Pentagon policy that kept hima Jewish refugee from Germany and hence an enemy alienaway from any combat unit.
Do Lizards Make Sounds At Night, John Lord Gardener Ireland, Articles H