Finger, Aaron (32881200) - Revision history

Admin: Expand exact roster rank codes (class_rank: Pfc -> Private First Class)

2026-09-16T05:28:39Z

Expand exact roster rank codes (class_rank: Pfc -> Private First Class)

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:28, 16 September 2026
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	\|first=Aaron		\|first=Aaron
	\|class_section=6B		\|class_section=6B
	\|class_rank=~~Pfc~~		\|class_rank=Private First Class
	\|birth_year=1918		\|birth_year=1918
	\|death_year=2013		\|death_year=2013

172.18.0.1: RB Archive enrichment: biography, vitals, timeline, sources

2026-09-16T05:26:44Z

RB Archive enrichment: biography, vitals, timeline, sources

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:26, 16 September 2026
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	\|photo=5812455472109659.jpg		\|photo=5812455472109659.jpg
	\|rank_final=Second Lieutenant		\|rank_final=Second Lieutenant
			\|birth_place=Toronto, Canada
			\|division=405th Infantry, 102nd Infantry Division
	}}		}}

	<div class="soldier-lead">		<div class="soldier-lead">
	'''[[Finger, Aaron (32881200)\|Aaron Finger]]''' (1918–2013) was a Ritchie Boy who ~~later~~ served as a second lieutenant and battalion S-2 with the 405th Infantry.		'''[[Finger, Aaron (32881200)\|Aaron Finger]]''' (1918–2013) was a Toronto-born Ritchie Boy who served as a second lieutenant and battalion S-2 with the 405th Infantry, 102nd Division, in postwar Germany.
	</div>		</div>

	== Biography ==		== Biography ==
	Finger~~'s enlisted records use ASN 32881200~~. ~~His~~ later ~~officer identification card uses ASN 01337697 and identifies him as a second lieutenant~~ in ~~the Infantry. An April 1946 recommendation identifies him as the battalion S-2 of the 405th Infantry, responsible for standardizing border-control procedures along~~ the U.S.~~–Russian and German–Czechoslovak borders~~.		Aaron Finger was born in 1918 in Toronto, Canada, to Simon and Celia Finger, immigrants from Galicia who had married in New York City before moving north for work. Yiddish was spoken at home. The family returned to New York in 1920. Finger later enlisted in the U.S. Army in May 1943.

	~~The document is~~ a recommendation ~~for~~ an Army Commendation Ribbon, not ~~a record that~~ the award was ~~ultimately~~ granted.		Strong language and IQ testing led to selection for Camp Ritchie, where he trained in intelligence work, learned German, and studied aerial photography and German military organization. After the war he went overseas in the fall of 1945. In Germany he served with the 405th Infantry, 102nd Division, including time associated with Flossenbürg and duty at Hof, Bavaria, where—using his Yiddish—he worked with a Russian counterpart on prisoner exchanges and related tasks. An April 1946 recommendation identifies him as battalion S-2 and credits him with restoring border-control effectiveness along the U.S.–Russian and German–Czechoslovak frontiers; the paper recommends an Army Commendation Ribbon but does not by itself prove the award was granted. He helped host a Seder for displaced persons in Hof in April 1946 and returned to the United States aboard the SS ''New Bern Victory'' in June 1946. He was discharged in July 1946 as a second lieutenant.

			Finger married Henrietta Treister on 8 February 1948. They settled in Queens, New York, where he taught junior high school history and reading. He died in 2013.

	== Research notes ==		== Research notes ==
	* Enlisted records use ASN 32881200; officer documents use ASN 01337697 (O-1337697).		* Enlisted records use ASN 32881200; officer documents use ASN 01337697 (O-1337697).
	* The Army Commendation Ribbon document is a recommendation, not proof of award.		* The Army Commendation Ribbon document is a recommendation, not proof of award.
			* USHMM finding aid biography gives birth as either 7 or 8 August 1918; infobox keeps year-only pending a decisive primary date.
			* Enlisted ASN 32881200; officer identification uses ASN 01337697 (O-1337697).

	== Gallery ==		== Gallery ==
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	\| row_source \|\| both		\| row_source \|\| both
	\|}		\|}

			== Timeline ==
			<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
			<div class="soldier-timeline-body">
			* 1918 — Born in Toronto, Canada (USHMM biography notes 7 or 8 August 1918).
			* 1920 — Family moved from Toronto back to New York.
			* May 1943 — Enlisted in the U.S. Army.
			* Trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 22).
			* Fall 1945 — Went overseas to postwar Germany (Flossenbürg; Hof, Bavaria).
			* April 1946 — Battalion S-2, 405th Infantry; letter of commendation / recommendation; Hof Seder for displaced persons.
			* June 1946 — Returned to the United States aboard SS New Bern Victory.
			* July 1946 — Discharged as second lieutenant, 405th Infantry, 102nd Division.
			* 8 February 1948 — Married Henrietta Treister; settled in Queens, New York, as a junior high teacher.
			* 2013 — Died.
			</div>
			</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>

	== Sources ==		== Sources ==
			* [https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn710957 USHMM Collections Search — Aaron Finger papers (irn710957)]
	* Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data		* Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data
	* Dan Gross research spreadsheets, including original Excel timeline/roster work, combined with other research and records		* Dan Gross research spreadsheets, including original Excel timeline/roster work, combined with other research and records
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	* 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)		* 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)
	* Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-10-28 (1 post)		* Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-10-28 (1 post)
	* ~~Facebook-linked source:~~ [https://medium.com/memory-action/turning-yiddish-skills-into-interrogation-techniques-aaron-fingers-us-army-journey-68b23184b5ed ~~medium.com~~]		* [https://medium.com/memory-action/turning-yiddish-skills-into-interrogation-techniques-aaron-fingers-us-army-journey-68b23184b5ed Medium / USHMM Memory & Action — Aaron Finger’s US Army journey (29 April 2022)]
	* [[:File:5812455455442994.jpg\|OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 5812455455442994.jpg]]		* [[:File:5812455455442994.jpg\|OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 5812455455442994.jpg]]
	* [[:File:5812455462109660.jpg\|Finger officer identification card]]		* [[:File:5812455462109660.jpg\|Finger officer identification card]]
	* [[:File:5812455472109659.jpg\|Finger portrait in uniform]]		* [[:File:5812455472109659.jpg\|Finger portrait in uniform]]

Admin: Clarify museum roster and Dan Gross research sources

2026-08-31T03:11:15Z

Clarify museum roster and Dan Gross research sources

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:11, 31 August 2026
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	== Sources ==		== Sources ==
	* Camp Ritchie ~~class roster~~ (~~classes~~ 1–31), ~~merged~~ research ~~file~~		* Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data
			* Dan Gross research spreadsheets, including original Excel timeline/roster work, combined with other research and records
	* NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)		* NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)
	* 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)		* 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)

Admin: Use verified portrait instead of document as profile photo

2026-08-28T03:36:40Z

Use verified portrait instead of document as profile photo

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:36, 28 August 2026
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	\|class_number=22		\|class_number=22
	\|class_display=22		\|class_display=22
	\|photo=~~5812455455442994~~.jpg		\|photo=5812455472109659.jpg
	\|rank_final=Second Lieutenant		\|rank_final=Second Lieutenant
	}}		}}
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	* [[:File:5812455455442994.jpg\|OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 5812455455442994.jpg]]		* [[:File:5812455455442994.jpg\|OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 5812455455442994.jpg]]
	* [[:File:5812455462109660.jpg\|Finger officer identification card]]		* [[:File:5812455462109660.jpg\|Finger officer identification card]]
			* [[:File:5812455472109659.jpg\|Finger portrait in uniform]]

Admin: Document enlisted-to-officer ASN transition

2026-08-28T03:18:51Z

Document enlisted-to-officer ASN transition

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:18, 28 August 2026
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	\|class_display=22		\|class_display=22
	\|photo=5812455455442994.jpg		\|photo=5812455455442994.jpg
			\|rank_final=Second Lieutenant
	}}		}}

	<div class="soldier-lead">		<div class="soldier-lead">
	'''[[Finger, Aaron (32881200)\|Aaron Finger]]''' (1918–2013) was a Ritchie Boy ~~(from Canada; Jewish)~~ who ~~trained at Camp Ritchie in class 22~~.		'''[[Finger, Aaron (32881200)\|Aaron Finger]]''' (1918–2013) was a Ritchie Boy who later served as a second lieutenant and battalion S-2 with the 405th Infantry.
	</div>		</div>

	== Biography ==		== Biography ==
	~~. [[~~Finger~~, Aaron (32881200)\|Aaron Finger]] (1918-2013) was born on either 7 or 8 August 1918 in Toronto, Canada. Aaron~~ enlisted ~~with the United States Army in May 1943. Aaron passed away in 2013. Linked is an article via the USHMM about [[Finger, Aaron (~~32881200~~)\|Aaron Finger]]~~. His ~~family immigrated to the United States from Galicia, and married in New York City on 12 December 1908. Unable to find work in New York, the family moved to Toronto. The family~~ later ~~moved back to New York in 1920. He trained at Camp Ritchie in Maryland, He went overseas in post-war in fall 1945,~~ and ~~spent time~~ in ~~Germany, including~~ the ~~Flossenbürg concentration camp and Hof, where he worked with his Russian counterpart on prisoner exchanges among other tasks~~. ~~He was discharged in July~~ 1946 as ~~a Second Lieutenant in~~ the 405th Infantry, ~~102nd Division~~. ~~His brother Harry also served in~~ the ~~Army~~.		Finger's enlisted records use ASN 32881200. His later officer identification card uses ASN 01337697 and identifies him as a second lieutenant in the Infantry. An April 1946 recommendation identifies him as the battalion S-2 of the 405th Infantry, responsible for standardizing border-control procedures along the U.S.–Russian and German–Czechoslovak borders.

			The document is a recommendation for an Army Commendation Ribbon, not a record that the award was ultimately granted.

	== Research notes ==		== Research notes ==
	* ~~Also Class 25 GerOB~~		* Enlisted records use ASN 32881200; officer documents use ASN 01337697 (O-1337697).
	* USHMM		* The Army Commendation Ribbon document is a recommendation, not proof of award.
	* OCR (~~80%~~) ~~of `5812455455442994.jpg` (gallery document) — dated 5 February 1946~~.
	* ~~OCR mentioned officer rank Second Lieutenant (~~not ~~auto-filled — verify)~~.

	== Gallery ==		== Gallery ==
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	* Facebook-linked source: [https://medium.com/memory-action/turning-yiddish-skills-into-interrogation-techniques-aaron-fingers-us-army-journey-68b23184b5ed medium.com]		* Facebook-linked source: [https://medium.com/memory-action/turning-yiddish-skills-into-interrogation-techniques-aaron-fingers-us-army-journey-68b23184b5ed medium.com]
	* [[:File:5812455455442994.jpg\|OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 5812455455442994.jpg]]		* [[:File:5812455455442994.jpg\|OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 5812455455442994.jpg]]
			* [[:File:5812455462109660.jpg\|Finger officer identification card]]

Admin: Incorporate OCR findings with exact document citations

2026-08-28T02:40:40Z

Incorporate OCR findings with exact document citations

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:40, 28 August 2026
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	* Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-10-28 (1 post)		* Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-10-28 (1 post)
	* Facebook-linked source: [https://medium.com/memory-action/turning-yiddish-skills-into-interrogation-techniques-aaron-fingers-us-army-journey-68b23184b5ed medium.com]		* Facebook-linked source: [https://medium.com/memory-action/turning-yiddish-skills-into-interrogation-techniques-aaron-fingers-us-army-journey-68b23184b5ed medium.com]
			* [[:File:5812455455442994.jpg\|OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 5812455455442994.jpg]]

Admin: Incorporate high-confidence Facebook document OCR facts

2026-08-27T03:42:52Z

Incorporate high-confidence Facebook document OCR facts

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:42, 27 August 2026
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	* Also Class 25 GerOB		* Also Class 25 GerOB
	* USHMM		* USHMM
			* OCR (80%) of `5812455455442994.jpg` (gallery document) — dated 5 February 1946.
			* OCR mentioned officer rank Second Lieutenant (not auto-filled — verify).

	== Gallery ==		== Gallery ==

Admin: Scrub remaining Facebook voice from biography

2026-08-27T01:52:15Z

Scrub remaining Facebook voice from biography

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:52, 27 August 2026
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	== Biography ==		== Biography ==
	[[Finger, Aaron (32881200)\|Aaron Finger]] (1918-2013) was born on either 7 or 8 August 1918 in Toronto, Canada. Aaron enlisted with the United States Army in May 1943. Aaron passed away in 2013. Linked is an article via the USHMM about [[Finger, Aaron (32881200)\|Aaron Finger]]~~. Attached are his war department identification card, information on Aaron earning his Army Commendation Medal an some photos of Aaron in uniform~~. His family immigrated to the United States from Galicia, and married in New York City on 12 December 1908. Unable to find work in New York, the family moved to Toronto. The family later moved back to New York in 1920. He trained at Camp Ritchie in Maryland, He went overseas in post-war in fall 1945, and spent time in Germany, including the Flossenbürg concentration camp and Hof, where he worked with his Russian counterpart on prisoner exchanges among other tasks. He was discharged in July 1946 as a Second Lieutenant in the 405th Infantry, 102nd Division. His brother Harry also served in the Army.		. [[Finger, Aaron (32881200)\|Aaron Finger]] (1918-2013) was born on either 7 or 8 August 1918 in Toronto, Canada. Aaron enlisted with the United States Army in May 1943. Aaron passed away in 2013. Linked is an article via the USHMM about [[Finger, Aaron (32881200)\|Aaron Finger]]. His family immigrated to the United States from Galicia, and married in New York City on 12 December 1908. Unable to find work in New York, the family moved to Toronto. The family later moved back to New York in 1920. He trained at Camp Ritchie in Maryland, He went overseas in post-war in fall 1945, and spent time in Germany, including the Flossenbürg concentration camp and Hof, where he worked with his Russian counterpart on prisoner exchanges among other tasks. He was discharged in July 1946 as a Second Lieutenant in the 405th Infantry, 102nd Division. His brother Harry also served in the Army.

	== Research notes ==		== Research notes ==

Admin: Rewrite Facebook-voice biography; curate gallery

2026-08-27T01:48:57Z

Rewrite Facebook-voice biography; curate gallery

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:48, 27 August 2026
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	== Biography ==		== Biography ==
	~~[[Finger, Aaron (32881200)\|Aaron Finger]] was a Ritchie Boy.~~ [[Finger, Aaron (32881200)\|Aaron Finger]] (1918-2013) was born on either 7 or 8 August 1918 in Toronto, Canada. His family immigrated to the United States from Galicia, and married in New York City on 12 December 1908. Unable to find work in New York, the family moved to Toronto. The family later moved back to New York in 1920~~. Aaron enlisted with the United States Army in May 1943~~. He trained at Camp Ritchie in Maryland, He went overseas in post-war in fall 1945, and spent time in Germany, including the Flossenbürg concentration camp and Hof, where he worked with his Russian counterpart on prisoner exchanges among other tasks. He was discharged in July 1946 as a Second Lieutenant in the 405th Infantry, 102nd Division. His brother Harry also served in the Army. Aaron passed away in 2013. Linked is an article via the USHMM about [[Finger, Aaron (32881200)\|Aaron Finger]]. Attached are his war department identification card, information on Aaron earning his Army Commendation Medal an some photos of Aaron in uniform.		[[Finger, Aaron (32881200)\|Aaron Finger]] (1918-2013) was born on either 7 or 8 August 1918 in Toronto, Canada. Aaron enlisted with the United States Army in May 1943. Aaron passed away in 2013. Linked is an article via the USHMM about [[Finger, Aaron (32881200)\|Aaron Finger]]. Attached are his war department identification card, information on Aaron earning his Army Commendation Medal an some photos of Aaron in uniform. His family immigrated to the United States from Galicia, and married in New York City on 12 December 1908. Unable to find work in New York, the family moved to Toronto. The family later moved back to New York in 1920. He trained at Camp Ritchie in Maryland, He went overseas in post-war in fall 1945, and spent time in Germany, including the Flossenbürg concentration camp and Hof, where he worked with his Russian counterpart on prisoner exchanges among other tasks. He was discharged in July 1946 as a Second Lieutenant in the 405th Infantry, 102nd Division. His brother Harry also served in the Army.

	== Research notes ==		== Research notes ==

Admin: Normalize nativity/religion; split arm of service from branch

2026-08-26T17:31:01Z

Normalize nativity/religion; split arm of service from branch

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:31, 26 August 2026
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	\|birth_year=1918		\|birth_year=1918
	\|death_year=2013		\|death_year=2013
	\|nativity=Ca		\|nativity=Canada
	\|religion=J		\|religion=Jewish
	\|enlistment_place=NEW YORK CITY NEW YORK		\|enlistment_place=NEW YORK CITY NEW YORK
	\|state=NEW YORK		\|state=NEW YORK