A website by Dan Gross and Ritchie History Museum. Guy Stern: The Bronze Star was given to me right at the end of hostilities. "How to kill a sentry from behind." To Allied investigators it became a sort of Nazi hunter's bible. His Jewish family left Germany in 1933 when he was 10. I can look anybody straight in their eye and say I think I've earned the right to be an American. 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. The soldiers were sent for training to Camp Ritchie, Maryland, beginning June 19, 1942, where they trained at the Military Intelligence Training Center thus their nickname, the Ritchie Boys.. Jon Wertheim: Was it your knowledge of the language or your knowledge of the psychology and the German culture? Mothers Day.. Guy Stern speaks at the opening of the Holocaust Memorial Centers Ritchie Boys exhibit and reunion at Farmington Hills, Michigan in 2011. 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. 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. 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. WebTheir Unique History and Demographics. How do you appeal to people in their own language? Little did he know he was whining to a Jewish refugee from Nazi-controlled Austria - a refugee who was now a Ritchie Boy, one of the most valuable interrogation units in the Allied forces. 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. Some of them requested new dog tags with very good reason. And I said "Well, huh, in slang, there ain't nothing special about you, but if you were saved, you got to show that you were worthy of it. The danger from the German side, of course, was far higher. Longtime Yale and Princeton professor Victor Brombert helped enact the official Allied policy of removing Nazi influence from german public life known as denazification. And there's nothing that forges unity better than having a common enemy.This is Guy Stern 80 years ago. Making such a distinction in this case is very difficult. 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. Guy Stern: Yes and it's theatrics in a way yes. That is the key to being a good interrogator. It was here that over 19,000 Ritchie Boys, many of them German-Jewish immigrants from Europe Another unusual sight: towering over recruits, Frank Leavitt, a World War I veteran and pro wrestling star at the time, was among the instructors. An official website of the United States Government. They knew the psychology and the Nina Wolff Feld told her fathers story in Someday You Will Understand: My Fathers Private World War 2. There were two who were actually captured at They spoke the same German as the Wehrmacht soldiers they were up against, they shared experiences, education and culture with them, explains Henderson. In civilian life, he became a noted sculpture and fine arts teacher and rose to the presidency for the Center for Creative Studies at Detroit's College of Art and Design. Choose which Defense.gov products you want delivered to your inbox. Washington, DC 20024-2126 January 2, 2022 / 6:52 PM Nina Wolff Feld told her fathers story in Someday You Will Understand: My Fathers Private World War 2. He added that the military chose intelligent people because they had to process a tremendous amount of information." In the age of mechanized warfare, you need to know what these large armies look like, what their capabilities are, how theyre arrayed, Frey says. Guy Stern recalls arriving at Buchenwald Concentration Camp three days after its liberation, alongside a fellow American sergeant. Just two weeks shy of turning 100, Guy Stern drips with vitality. Among the unusual sights at Ritchie: a team of U.S. soldiers dressed in German uniforms. "I would have been killed if I hadn't gone along. 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. I asked them to leave it off. Guy Stern: This one was our most effective leaflet and why was that? Salinger was a Ritchie Boy. Paul Fairbrook: You can learn to shoot a rifle in six months but you can't learn fluent German in six months. Victor Brombert: We improvised according to the situation. But Hitler was determined to continue the war. David Frey: Techniques where you want to get people to talk to you. And arrived in the United States penniless. There were Ritchie Boys who were in virtually every battle that you can think of and some actually suffered the worst fate. As the world observes International Holocaust Remembrance Day, some may remember the so-called "Ritchie Boys," who greatly aided allied forces in their fight against Germany and other Axis nations in World War II. David Frey: But they also did terrain analysis, they also did photo analysis, and aerial reconnaissance analysis. You want to convince them that you're trustworthy. There are valid reasons to consider that the Ritchie Boys as a group made a unique and enormous contribution to our military success in World War II. (U.S. Army Signal Corps). July 20, 2017, Martin Selling questions German prisoners near the front in France, 1944. David Frey: All in service of winning the war. K. Lang-Slattery, Katie Lang-Slattery. "I had no choice." I was the only one to get out. Ritchie Boys were a military intelligence unit made up of mostly German, Austrian and Czech refugees and immigrants, many of whom were Jewish. Fortunately, some of the Ritchie Boys are still around to tell their tales, and that includes the life force that is Guy Stern, age 99. 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. A mighty onslaught of more than 160,000 men, 13,000 aircraft, and 5,000 vessels. It was the viewing of that film that converted Dan into a Ritchie Boy Wannabe and launched him on a quest to help publicize this heroic group. When they landed on the beaches of Normandy, Wehrmacht troops were waiting for them well armed and well prepared. We now know that this perception needs to be broadened. The Ritchie Boys exhibit at the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills, Mich., July 24, 2011. Making such a distinction in this case is very difficult. 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. 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. As a Jew, I knew I might not be treated exactly by the Geneva rules. 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. Jon Wertheim: This dog tag says Hebrew. An African-American Ritchie Boy William Warfield If you have ever heard a recording of William Warfield singing Ol Man River, from the musical Showboat by Jerome Kern, you will not have forgotten his deep, rich, bass-baritone voice. In the Ardennes region of Belgium, the Germans mounted a massive counteroffensive, which became known as the Battle of the Bulge. He was born in Berlin to a Russian Jewish family. Dead people. Given their foreign accents, they were in particular danger of being mistaken for the enemy by their own troops, who instituted passwords at checkpoints. The story of Camp Ritchie and the men (and women) who came there is a story that needs to be broadcast more widely. By highlighting those individuals who, in the midst of evil, stood for the best, rather than the worst of human nature, the Holocaust Memorial Center seeks to contribute to maintaining an open and free society, he added. 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. But there were the odd grace notes among the wreckage of a continent. Many of them were Jewish refugees from Europe, who fled their homeland, came to America and joined the U.S. Army. WebMany of them, like Brombert, were Jewish. It was his service in the military during World War II. You want to give them that feeling that you know who they are, they know who you are. You know where the strong points are, and you know you what to avoid and what to attack. What was that like? Ritchie Boys Image by Sons and Soldiers. 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. 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. Guy Stern: Yes, that's my interrogation tent. Victor Brombert: I saw immense debris. USO Tour Veteran. Jon Wertheim: That's what you were told. Individual Ritchie Boys were cited for their contributions by being awarded over 60 Silver Star Medals for bravery. 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. Victor Brombert: By complicity I mean, "Oh we are together in this war. Jon Wertheim: What do you remember from that? Most chose the eldest son, to carry on the family name. There were 1,985 German born Ritchie Boys. Paul Fairbrook: (laugh) You bet your life I'm proud of the Ritchie Boys. The U.S. Army leased the post for $5 a year and established The Military Intelligence Training Center. But joy turned to horror as Allied soldiers and the world learned the full scale of the Nazi mass extermination. 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). His mother answered the door. You're in Belgium? 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. Jon Wertheim: SS men, you're saying, have a tattoo under their left arm with their blood type? After the war, Guy Stern and the other Ritchie Boys were celebrated for their achievements. Not all the boys were immigrantsfuture banker David Rockefeller and writer J.D. As members of the Ritchie Boys, German and Austrian refugees offered language skills and knowledge that proved vital to American military intelligence. Additional valuable information on the Ritchie Boys may be found in a forum-type Facebook page, Ritchie Boys of WWII, ably managed with considerable devotion by Bernie Lubran, son of Ritchie Boy Walter Lubran, and by Josh Freeling, whose great uncle was Ritchie Boy Kurt Kugelmann. Jon Wertheim: As a way to honor your family that perished. And only in the early 2000's did we begin to see reunions of the Ritchie Boys. Sometimes entire German towns were forced to pay respects to the dead. What what did that entail? The case of, stands out in my mind as the essence of the reason why the Ritchie Boys were able to use their intelligence (and motivation) to make an enormous difference. Although Ritchie Boy Private Henry Kolm did not have the opportunity to serve overseas, he was able to make a significant contribution as an interrogator at Fort Hunt and as the principal facilitator in the integration of German Paperclip scientists and engineers such as Wernher von Braun into our society. When U.S. soldiers fought Germany during World War II, there was one group that was particularly motivatedabout 2,000 mostly German and Austrian Jewish refugees who fled the Nazis and then returned to Europe to take on their tormentors as members of American military intelligence. Many of the 15,200 selected were Jewish soldiers who fled Nazi-controlled Germany, which was systematically killing Jews. Or is it just a habit or habit of obedience or dignity? Guy Stern became a professor and taught for almost 50 years. Camp Ritchie served the Maryland National Guard until 1942. Some didn't even go over to to Europe. "Enjoy" is perhaps not the right word. It was wonderful to be part of them. One can also point to a Ritchie Boy What Henderson found when he looked into their history was that about 100 were still alive, half of them willing and able to talknot everyone has reliable 70-year-old memoriesabout an extraordinary corner of the Second World War. 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. Jon Wertheim: And you're saying that some of that originated at Camp Ritchie? Knowing how to shape that appeal was pretty critical to the success of the mobile broadcast units. David Frey: You had a whole load of immigrants who really wanted to get back into the fight. You know, I don't talk like an Alabama person or a Texan. Those were the heroes. Photo credit DoD/Holocaust Memorial Center, | He grew up in a close-knit family in the town of Hildesheim, Germany. They chose their eldest son. 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. / CBS News. . Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Approximately 20,000 menmany of whom were immigrants and refugees from more than 70 countries, including 2,800 German and Austrian refugees who fled Nazi persecution and had arrived in the United States as enemy alienswere trained there. Guy Stern: Out of a plane. Besides their language ability, these soldiers were familiar with the culture and thinking of enemy soldiers, which would aid them in their efforts. 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. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Our country owes them an enormous debt of gratitude for their courage and sacrifices. Did your dog tag identify you as Jewish? Guy Stern: Thank you for asking. The SS controlled the German police forces and concentration camps and directed the so-called "Final Solution" to kill all European Jews. Many were German- and Austrian-born Jews who had fled Adolf Hitlers genocidal Nazi regimemaking them most determined enemies of the Third Reich. The group also included large numbers of first- or second-generation Americans who still spoke German or other languages at home, Frey says. Wehrmacht Captain Curt Bruns, convicted by a military tribunal of ordering the murder of those two Ritchie Boys, was executed by a firing squad in June, 1945. By 1937, violence against Jews was escalating. WebIn the United States at the end of World War II, there were prisoner-of-war camps, including 175 Branch Camps serving 511 Area Camps containing over 425,000 prisoners of war (mostly German).The camps were located all over the US, but were mostly in the South, due to the higher expense of heating the barracks in colder areas. Many of the 15,200 selected were Jewish soldiers who fled Nazi-controlled Germany, which was systematically killing Jews. The evidence was before us. Guy Stern: I had an immediate visceral response to that and that was this is my war for many reasons. Enter. You really know an awful lot of the subtleties when you're having a conversation with another German and we were able to find out things in their answers that enabled us to ask more questions. The Ritchie Boys train at Camp Ritchie, Md., sometime during World War II. After the war, the Ritchie Boys continued their work. The Ritchie Boys, as they were known, trained in espionage and frontline interrogation. The unit consisted mostly of young Germans, some of them of Jews, that had found a new homeland in America after their flight from the Nazis. Jon Wertheim: What do you think is the greatest contribution of the Ritchie Boys? It is a story of a remarkable synergy between a diverse group of well trained and motivated individuals. Victor Brombert: Yes of course. Drawing on archival research, memoirs and interviews with several Ritchie Boys (there were 1,985 in all), he focuses on a half dozen. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Maryland it was away from prying eyes and prying spies but close enough to decision makers at the Pentagon.
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