Soft launch: Soldier biographies and research notes vary in completeness. Prefer class-roster, NARA, newspapers, and other cited sources for contested facts — treat Research notes as leads, not settled history. Anyone can correct a page; contact us with questions.
Joseph W. Eaton
| Joseph W. Eaton | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 September 1919 Nuremberg, Germany |
| Died | 15 October 2012 |
| Nativity | Germany |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 32498461 |
| Rank | Private |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 17 (11 March – 8 May 1944) |
| Enlisted | Ft Jay Governors Island, New York |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Joseph W. Eaton (born Josef Wechsler; 28 September 1919 – 15 October 2012) was a German-born Ritchie Boy who trained at Camp Ritchie in military government and psychological warfare and later became a sociologist and professor of social work research at the University of Pittsburgh.
Biography
Joseph W. Eaton was born Josef Wechsler on 28 September 1919 in Nuremberg, Germany, the son of Jakob Wechsler and Flora Wechsler (née Goldschmidt). His father owned a shaving-brush factory; when the business failed after the stock market crash, the family moved to Berlin in 1930. After the Nazis came to power, his parents arranged for Josef and a younger brother to emigrate to the United States on their own with the help of the German Jewish Children's Aid program, while two older brothers had already left for Palestine. He arrived in New York in November 1934, at fifteen. Eaton served two years in ROTC and graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. in liberal arts in 1940.
Eaton enlisted at Fort Jay, New York, on 9 September 1942 (ASN 32498461). By May 1943 he was a technician fifth grade serving as a general clerk at the 269th Station Hospital at Camp Ellis. Because of his language skills he was sent to Camp Ritchie, where he trained in military government and psychological warfare, and he was promoted to technician third grade on 25 May 1944. By then he had taken the surname Eaton, the name of his foster family, out of concern for his parents, who were living under Nazi occupation in the Netherlands. He joined the 4th Mobile Radio Broadcasting Company in April 1944 and served as a journalist for Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force, writing leaflets to be dropped behind enemy lines. After the war he was editor of the weekly paper in Straubing, and he also spent time at the Schwandorf displaced persons camp in Germany. His parents, Jacob and Flora, were murdered at the Sobibór killing center in 1943, and his maternal grandmother, Cilli Goldschmidt, died of starvation in Theresienstadt in March 1943.
Eaton completed a Ph.D. in sociology at Columbia University in 1948 and worked as research director for a social work organization. He spent most of his career at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was appointed professor of social work research in the School of Social Work in 1959. He created the school's master's major in social work research and in the 1980s organized its dual-degree program with the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, publishing widely in social work, sociology, public health, and public and international affairs. He died on 15 October 2012.
Research notes
- 12th Army Group
- USHMM
- to 4th MRBC, 4/20/44
- See USHMM 'Curator's Corner
Gallery
-
All the men identified in the pix are "Ritchie Boys." Seated - Hans Habe. Standing L-R - Unknown, Ernest Wynder, Konrad Kellen, unknown, Stefan Heym, Louis Atlas, Peter Weidenreich (last name later changed to Wyden), unknown, Joseph Eaton -
-
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| MRBC4 | 4 |
| Approx Age at Death | 93 |
| Nara ASN | 32498461 |
| Nara Name | EATON JOSEPH W |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 61 |
| Nara POE | 2327 |
| Nara DOE | 90942 |
| Nara Grade Alpha | PVT |
| Nara Grade Code | 8 |
| Nara Branch Alpha | BI |
| Nara Branch Code | 0 |
| Branch | Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA |
| Nara Term or Enlistment | 5 |
| Term of enlistment | Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law |
| Defer. Date | 0 |
| Nara Source | 0 |
| Nara Nativity | N1 |
| Nara Year of Birth | 19 |
| Nara Race | J |
| Nara Race Description | White not yet a citizen |
| Nara Education | 8 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 27 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 63 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 112 |
| row_source | demographics |
Timeline
- Born 28 September 1919 in Nuremberg, Germany.
- 1930 — Family moved to Berlin.
- November 1934 — Arrived in New York at age 15.
- 1938 — Served as Pvt with ROTC (2 years).
- 1940 — Graduated from Cornell University.
- 9 September 1942 — Enlisted at Fort Jay NY as Pvt (ASN: 32498461).
- 1943 — Parents Jacob and Flora murdered at Sobibór; maternal grandmother Cilli Goldschmidt died of starvation in Theresienstadt in March 1943.
- 25 May 1943 — Served as T/5 as General Clerk at 269 Station Hosp, Camp Ellis.
- 20 April 1944 — Assigned to the 4th MRBC.
- 25 May 1944 — Promoted to T/3 (S.O. 125).
- 1948 — Ph.D. in sociology, Columbia University.
- 1959 — Appointed professor of social work research, University of Pittsburgh.
- 15 October 2012 — Died.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Joseph W. Eaton
- 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)
- 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2021-08-11 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-10-06 (6 posts)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Joseph W. Eaton for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Eaton, Joseph W. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: JOSEPH W. EATON.doc)