Galen, William R. (01044825): Difference between revisions

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|middle=R.

|class_section=D

|class_rank=~~2nd Lt~~

|class_rank=Second Lieutenant

|birth_year=1914

|death_year=1994

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|photo=5645441285477746.jpg

|arm_or_service=Coast Artillery Corps

|rank_final=~~Pvt~~

|rank_final=Captain

|birth_place=Cleveland, Ohio

|nativity=United States

|awards=Purple Heart; Bronze Star

|awards_grid=Purple Heart;;Bronze Star

|awards_ribbons=Ribbon_Purple_Heart_ribbon.png;Ribbon_Bronze_Star_Medal_ribbon.png

|awards_ribbon_rows=Ribbon_Purple_Heart_ribbon.png;;Ribbon_Bronze_Star_Medal_ribbon.png

}}

'''~~[[Galen, William R. (01044825)|~~William R. Galen]]''' (1914 ~~– 27 March 1944~~) was a ~~Ritchie Boy~~ who trained at Camp Ritchie in ~~class~~ 3 and served with IPW Team 15.

'''William R. Galen''' (1914–1994) was a United States Army captain who trained at [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, in [[Class 3]] and served with [[Team IPW 15|IPW Team 15]] in the Mediterranean theater.

</div>

== Biography ==

~~"Bill"~~ Galen ~~(1914–1994) who~~ trained at Camp Ritchie in ~~class 3~~ and served with ~~IPW Team 15~~. ~~A Signal Corps photograph shows him~~ with the ~~6695 Military Intelligence Service~~ (~~center~~, ~~wearing~~ a ~~helmet)~~.

William R. “Bill” Galen was born in 1914 in Cleveland, Ohio. He grew up speaking some German through family heritage, attended Valparaiso College during the Great Depression, and taught school in Ohio before he was drafted in 1941.

After Officers Candidate School in 1942, Galen trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 3), graduating on 23 December 1942. Shipped to North Africa in April 1943, he took part in the Sicily invasion that July and later in the Salerno and Anzio landings. Promoted to captain, he entered Rome in June 1944 and spent the last eight months of the war as executive officer for POW interrogations at Fifth Army headquarters in Florence, commanding HQ Detachment 2680. Over the course of the war he served with the 3rd, 36th, and 85th Infantry Divisions as well as II Corps and Fifth Army headquarters, and he received the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. In the summer of 1945 he served with the U.S. occupation force in Austria, returning to the United States in November 1945. Among the Ritchie Boys who served with him was Sergeant [[Visko, George W. (32298547)|George W. Visko]], killed at Anzio on 27 March 1944.

After leaving the Army, Galen briefly returned to the Midwest, then moved to Los Angeles in 1946. Under the G.I. Bill he earned a graduate degree at the University of Southern California and became a music professor. He married in 1961, settled in Nebraska with his wife Betty, and taught voice, piano, and German. Galen died in 1994.

== Research notes ==

* 85th Infantry

== Gallery ==

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1501755581988697.jpg|The Cleveland Press newspaper also took Galen's picture in the summer of 1944, as he interrogated German POWs.

1501755708655351.jpg

1501755785322010.jpg|Galen at center with officers under his command at the 5th Army HQ IPW detachment in Florence, Christmastime 1944. Most are known to be Ritchie Boys. At lower left are: Eigen, Hobelman, Galen, Hergenreter, Allen; the back row includes Jacobson and Nielsen.

1501755785322010.jpg|[[Galen, William R. (01044825)|William R. Galen]] at center with officers under his command at the 5th Army HQ IPW detachment in Florence, Christmastime 1944. Most are known to be Ritchie Boys. At lower left are: Eigen, [[Hobelman, Alfred C. (0175302)|Hobelman]], Galen, Hergenreter, Allen; the back row includes Jacobson and Nielsen (Eigen / Hergenreter / Allen / Jacobson / Nielsen not uniquely matched to roster pages)

1478472944316961.jpg|Cpl. [[Salemi, Salvatore (32622166)|Salvatore Salemi]], at left, with fellow Ritchie Boys Lts. [[Galen, William R. (01044825)|Bill Galen]] and [[Sottile, Nicholas Joseph (01015080)|Nick Sottile]], Trapani, Sicily, 1943

</gallery>

</div>

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* 8/4/1941 Enlisted at Toledo, ~~OH as Pvt~~ (ASN: 35019688).

* 1914 — Born in Cleveland, Ohio.

* ~~11/~~2/1942 ~~Started~~ Class 3 (~~German~~).

* 4 August 1941 — Enlisted at Toledo, Ohio (enlisted ASN 35019688).

* Assigned to ~~IPW Team 15 attached~~ to ~~85th Infantry Division~~.

* 1942 — Completed Officers Candidate School; entered Camp Ritchie G-2 training.

* ~~Born~~ in.

* 23 December 1942 — Graduated Camp Ritchie Class 3.

* April 1943 — Shipped to North Africa.

* July 1943 — Took part in the Allied invasion of Sicily.

* 1943–1944 — Participated in the Salerno and Anzio landings; later entered Rome.

* 1944–1945 — Executive officer for POW interrogations, Fifth Army HQ, Florence (HQ Detachment 2680).

* Summer 1945 — Assigned to U.S. occupation forces in Austria.

* November 1945 — Returned to the United States.

* 1946 — Moved to Los Angeles; later earned a graduate degree at USC and taught music.

* 1961 — Married; later settled in Nebraska.

* 1994 — Died.

</div>

</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>

== Sources ==

* Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page posts on William R. Galen (2022-08-29, 2022-09-02, and related)

* [https://www.g2warletters.com/ g2warletters.com — William R. Galen wartime letters and photos]

* [[:File:1501755785322010.jpg|Florence IPW detachment, Christmas 1944 (Galen / Hobelman)]]

* [[:File:1478472944316961.jpg|Trapani 1943 — Salemi, Galen, and Sottile]]

* 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

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 |middle=R.
 |class_section=D
-|class_rank=2nd Lt
+|class_rank=Second Lieutenant
 |birth_year=1914
 |death_year=1994
@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 |photo=5645441285477746.jpg
 |arm_or_service=Coast Artillery Corps
-|rank_final=Pvt
+|rank_final=Captain
+|birth_place=Cleveland, Ohio
+|nativity=United States
+|awards=Purple Heart; Bronze Star
+|awards_grid=Purple Heart;;Bronze Star
+|awards_ribbons=Ribbon_Purple_Heart_ribbon.png;Ribbon_Bronze_Star_Medal_ribbon.png
+|awards_ribbon_rows=Ribbon_Purple_Heart_ribbon.png;;Ribbon_Bronze_Star_Medal_ribbon.png
 }}
 <div class="soldier-lead">
-'''[[Galen, William R. (01044825)|William R. Galen]]''' (1914 – 27 March 1944) was a Ritchie Boy who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 3 and served with IPW Team 15.
+'''William R. Galen''' (1914&ndash;1994) was a United States Army captain who trained at [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, in [[Class 3]] and served with [[Team IPW 15|IPW Team 15]] in the Mediterranean theater.
 </div>
 == Biography ==
-"Bill" Galen (1914–1994) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 3 and served with IPW Team 15. A Signal Corps photograph shows him with the 6695 Military Intelligence Service (center, wearing a helmet).
+William R. “Bill” Galen was born in 1914 in Cleveland, Ohio. He grew up speaking some German through family heritage, attended Valparaiso College during the Great Depression, and taught school in Ohio before he was drafted in 1941.
+After Officers Candidate School in 1942, Galen trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 3), graduating on 23 December 1942. Shipped to North Africa in April 1943, he took part in the Sicily invasion that July and later in the Salerno and Anzio landings. Promoted to captain, he entered Rome in June 1944 and spent the last eight months of the war as executive officer for POW interrogations at Fifth Army headquarters in Florence, commanding HQ Detachment 2680. Over the course of the war he served with the 3rd, 36th, and 85th Infantry Divisions as well as II Corps and Fifth Army headquarters, and he received the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. In the summer of 1945 he served with the U.S. occupation force in Austria, returning to the United States in November 1945. Among the Ritchie Boys who served with him was Sergeant [[Visko, George W. (32298547)|George W. Visko]], killed at Anzio on 27 March 1944.
+After leaving the Army, Galen briefly returned to the Midwest, then moved to Los Angeles in 1946. Under the G.I. Bill he earned a graduate degree at the University of Southern California and became a music professor. He married in 1961, settled in Nebraska with his wife Betty, and taught voice, piano, and German. Galen died in 1994.
 == Research notes ==
-* 85th Infantry
 == Gallery ==
@@ Line 40: / Line 49: @@
 1501755581988697.jpg|The Cleveland Press newspaper also took Galen's picture in the summer of 1944, as he interrogated German POWs.
 1501755708655351.jpg
-1501755785322010.jpg|Galen at center with officers under his command at the 5th Army HQ IPW detachment in Florence, Christmastime 1944. Most are known to be Ritchie Boys. At lower left are: Eigen, Hobelman, Galen, Hergenreter, Allen; the back row includes Jacobson and Nielsen.
+1501755785322010.jpg|[[Galen, William R. (01044825)|William R. Galen]] at center with officers under his command at the 5th Army HQ IPW detachment in Florence, Christmastime 1944. Most are known to be Ritchie Boys. At lower left are: Eigen, [[Hobelman, Alfred C. (0175302)|Hobelman]], Galen, Hergenreter, Allen; the back row includes Jacobson and Nielsen (Eigen / Hergenreter / Allen / Jacobson / Nielsen not uniquely matched to roster pages)
+1478472944316961.jpg|Cpl. [[Salemi, Salvatore (32622166)|Salvatore Salemi]], at left, with fellow Ritchie Boys Lts. [[Galen, William R. (01044825)|Bill Galen]] and [[Sottile, Nicholas Joseph (01015080)|Nick Sottile]], Trapani, Sicily, 1943
 </gallery>
 </div>
@@ Line 63: / Line 73: @@
 <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
 <div class="soldier-timeline-body">
-* 8/4/1941 Enlisted at Toledo, OH as Pvt (ASN: 35019688).
+* 1914 — Born in Cleveland, Ohio.
-* 11/2/1942 Started Class 3 (German).
+* 4 August 1941 — Enlisted at Toledo, Ohio (enlisted ASN 35019688).
-* Assigned to IPW Team 15 attached to 85th Infantry Division.
+* 1942 — Completed Officers Candidate School; entered Camp Ritchie G-2 training.
-* Born in.
+* 23 December 1942 — Graduated Camp Ritchie Class 3.
+* April 1943 — Shipped to North Africa.
+* July 1943 — Took part in the Allied invasion of Sicily.
+* 1943–1944 — Participated in the Salerno and Anzio landings; later entered Rome.
+* 1944–1945 — Executive officer for POW interrogations, Fifth Army HQ, Florence (HQ Detachment 2680).
+* Summer 1945 — Assigned to U.S. occupation forces in Austria.
+* November 1945 — Returned to the United States.
+* 1946 — Moved to Los Angeles; later earned a graduate degree at USC and taught music.
+* 1961 — Married; later settled in Nebraska.
+* 1994 — Died.
 </div>
 </div><div style="clear: both;"></div>
 == Sources ==
+* Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page posts on William R. Galen (2022-08-29, 2022-09-02, and related)
+* [https://www.g2warletters.com/ g2warletters.com — William R. Galen wartime letters and photos]
+* [[:File:1501755785322010.jpg|Florence IPW detachment, Christmas 1944 (Galen / Hobelman)]]
+* [[:File:1478472944316961.jpg|Trapani 1943 — Salemi, Galen, and Sottile]]
 * 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