Admin: If the name is not found section

2026-09-13T19:50:06Z

If the name is not found section

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:50, 13 September 2026
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	# You can also browse by class or letter on [[Contents]], or by [[By birth country\|birth country]].		# You can also browse by class or letter on [[Contents]], or by [[By birth country\|birth country]].

	Open the soldier page when you find a match. If ~~nothing turns up~~, ~~the~~ person may be missing from the Classes 1–31 roster import, listed under a different spelling, or not yet matched ~~— use~~ [[Contact Us]] or add what you know via [[Contribute]].		Open the soldier page when you find a match.

			=== If the name is not found ===
			Try these before assuming the person is absent from Camp Ritchie:

			* Alternate spellings, anglicized names, or maiden vs married surnames
			* ASN with or without leading zeros (for example <code>306244</code> and <code>0306244</code>)
			* Browse [[Contents]], [[:Category:Soldiers by letter\|Soldiers A–Z]], or [[By birth country]]

			The person may still be missing from the Classes 1–31 roster import, listed under a different spelling, or not yet matched. Use [[Contact Us]] to ask, or add what you know via [[Contribute]].

	=== Understand the roster fields ===		=== Understand the roster fields ===

Admin: Merge story + family paths into one Start here

2026-09-13T19:16:27Z

Merge story + family paths into one Start here

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:16, 13 September 2026
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	{{DISPLAYTITLE:Start here}}		{{DISPLAYTITLE:Start here}}
	'''Start here''' is a short path ~~for teachers, students, and first-time visitors who want the story of~~ the Ritchie Boys ~~before diving into~~ the 21,~~000-person roster~~.		'''Start here''' is the short path into this wiki — whether you are learning the Ritchie Boys story for the first time, looking for a relative, or ready to help improve a page.

	== ~~1. What was a Ritchie Boy?~~ ==		== Learn the story ==
	At [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, the Army’s Military Intelligence Training Center trained soldiers — many of them immigrants and refugees who spoke the enemy’s languages — for interrogation, document work, photo interpretation, and related intelligence duties in World War II. ~~Read the overview:~~		At [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, the Army’s Military Intelligence Training Center trained soldiers — many of them immigrants and refugees who spoke the enemy’s languages — for interrogation, document work, photo interpretation, and related intelligence duties in World War II.

	* [[Introduction\|Secret Heroes: Camp Ritchie and the Making of The Ritchie Boys]]		* [[Introduction\|Secret Heroes: Camp Ritchie and the Making of The Ritchie Boys]] — the overview
	* [[Camp Ritchie]] — the camp, curriculum, and who trained there		* [[Camp Ritchie]] — the camp, curriculum, and who trained there
	* [[By The Numbers]] — class sizes, specialties, and awards at a glance		* [[By The Numbers]] — class sizes, specialties, and awards at a glance
			* [[The Stories]] — curated biographies (try [[The Stories/Guy Stern\|Guy Stern]], [[The Stories/The Enemy I Knew/Karl Goldsmith\|Karl Goldsmith]], or [[The Stories/The Patricia Crane Story\|Patricia Crane]])
			* [[Ritchie Boy Interviews]] · [[Documentaries/Movies]] — hear and see the history

	== ~~2. One human story~~ ==		== Looking for a relative ==
	~~Pick one essay~~, then ~~open the linked soldier profile:~~		<span id="Looking for a relative"></span>
			Three steps: find the page, understand what you are seeing, then add a photo or obituary if you have one.

	* [[The Stories]] — curated biographies		You do '''not''' need an account to search or to edit biography text. An account is only required to [[Special:Upload\|upload a photograph]].
	* Or start with [[The Stories/Guy Stern\|Guy Stern]], [[The Stories/The Enemy I Knew/Karl Goldsmith\|Karl Goldsmith]], or [[~~The Stories/The Patricia Crane Story~~\|~~Patricia Crane~~]] ~~(WAC)~~

	== ~~3. Hear a voice~~ ==		=== Find the name ===
	* [[~~Ritchie Boy Interviews~~]] ~~— watch on the wiki~~, ~~then~~ '''~~Watch next~~'''		# On the [[Main Page]], use '''Find a soldier''' — type a surname or Army serial number (ASN), for example <code>Lubran</code> or <code>33668332</code>.
	* [[~~Documentaries~~/~~Movies~~]] ~~— film trailers and free-watch links~~		# Or open [[Special:Search]] and search the same way.
			# Article titles look like <code>Surname, First (ASN)</code> so people with the same name stay distinct.
			# You can also browse by class or letter on [[Contents]], or by [[By birth country\|birth country]].

	~~== 4~~. ~~Find someone in~~ the roster ==		Open the soldier page when you find a match. If nothing turns up, the person may be missing from the Classes 1–31 roster import, listed under a different spelling, or not yet matched — use [[Contact Us]] or add what you know via [[Contribute]].
	* [[Main Page\|Find a ~~soldier]] by name~~ or ~~Army serial number (ASN)~~
	* [[~~For families~~]] ~~— three steps if~~ you ~~are looking for a relative~~
	* [[~~By birth country~~]] ~~· [[:Category:Classes\|Classes]] · [[Themes]] — other ways in~~

	== 5. Help the record ==		=== Understand the roster fields ===
			The right-hand '''infobox''' holds structured facts. The left column holds the opening summary and '''Biography'''. Treat the biography as a draft until you check sources.

			{\| class="wikitable"
			\|-
			! What you see !! What it usually means
			\|-
			\| '''ASN''' \|\| Army serial number — the ID in the page title
			\|-
			\| '''Class''' \|\| Camp Ritchie training class (Classes 1–31 from the museum-digitized roster)
			\|-
			\| '''Team''' / IPW \|\| Interrogation or related team assignment when known (for example IPW 141)
			\|-
			\| '''Nativity''' / religion / occupation \|\| Roster or enlistment fields; may be incomplete or coded oddly
			\|-
			\| '''Research notes''' \|\| Working leads — '''not''' a verified biography. May be wrong or out of date
			\|-
			\| Yellow '''Record status: unconfirmed''' \|\| The class-roster match is not high confidence — check before treating class fields as settled
			\|}

			Two different source streams feed many pages: the Classes 1–31 roster (digitized by Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. / The Ritchie History Museum from NARA records) and research compiled by [[Dan Gross Memorial\|Dan Gross]] and others. Full explanation: [[About the data]].

			=== Add a photo or obituary ===
			'''Photograph:''' [[Special:CreateAccount\|Create an account]] or [[Special:UserLogin\|log in]], open the soldier’s page → '''Gallery''' → '''Contribute files''' (or [[Special:Upload]]). More detail: [[Contribute#Photographs_and_documents]].

			'''Obituary, clipping, or family recollection:''' you can edit without an account — open the soldier page → '''Edit''' (or '''Edit biography'''). Add a short third-person paragraph under '''Biography''', with the source under '''Sources'''. Prefer facts about the soldier over event announcements or first-person Facebook framing.

			Full editor guide: [[Contribute]]. Questions: [[Contact Us]] · [[FAQ]].

			== Help the record ==
	* [[Contribute]] — edit text without an account; upload photos when logged in		* [[Contribute]] — edit text without an account; upload photos when logged in
	* [[Contribute documents]] — OCR a roster scan for review		* [[Contribute documents]] — OCR a roster scan for review
	* [[About the data]] — what is verified vs still a lead		* [[About the data]] — what is verified vs still a lead
			* [[Themes]] · [[By specialty]] · [[:Category:Classes\|Classes]] — other ways into the roster

	[[Category:Ritchie Boys Wiki]]		[[Category:Ritchie Boys Wiki]]

Admin: Add Start here path for new readers

2026-09-13T17:47:46Z

Add Start here path for new readers

New page

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Start here}}
'''Start here''' is a short path for teachers, students, and first-time visitors who want the story of the Ritchie Boys before diving into the 21,000-person roster.

== 1. What was a Ritchie Boy? ==
At [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, the Army’s Military Intelligence Training Center trained soldiers — many of them immigrants and refugees who spoke the enemy’s languages — for interrogation, document work, photo interpretation, and related intelligence duties in World War II. Read the overview:

* [[Introduction|Secret Heroes: Camp Ritchie and the Making of The Ritchie Boys]]
* [[Camp Ritchie]] — the camp, curriculum, and who trained there
* [[By The Numbers]] — class sizes, specialties, and awards at a glance

== 2. One human story ==
Pick one essay, then open the linked soldier profile:

* [[The Stories]] — curated biographies
* Or start with [[The Stories/Guy Stern|Guy Stern]], [[The Stories/The Enemy I Knew/Karl Goldsmith|Karl Goldsmith]], or [[The Stories/The Patricia Crane Story|Patricia Crane]] (WAC)

== 3. Hear a voice ==
* [[Ritchie Boy Interviews]] — watch on the wiki, then '''Watch next'''
* [[Documentaries/Movies]] — film trailers and free-watch links

== 4. Find someone in the roster ==
* [[Main Page|Find a soldier]] by name or Army serial number (ASN)
* [[For families]] — three steps if you are looking for a relative
* [[By birth country]] · [[:Category:Classes|Classes]] · [[Themes]] — other ways in

== 5. Help the record ==
* [[Contribute]] — edit text without an account; upload photos when logged in
* [[Contribute documents]] — OCR a roster scan for review
* [[About the data]] — what is verified vs still a lead

[[Category:Ritchie Boys Wiki]]

Start here - Revision history

Admin: If the name is not found section

Admin: Merge story + family paths into one Start here

Admin: Add Start here path for new readers