Wechsberg, Joseph (39716066): Difference between revisions

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|birth_year=1907

|death_year=1983

|nativity=Cz

|nativity=Czechoslovakia

|religion=J

|religion=Jewish

|enlistment_place=LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA

|state=CALIFORNIA

Line 16:

|occupation=Authors editors and reporters

|marital=Married

|birth_place=Ostrava, Austria-Hungary

|rank_final=T/Sgt

|class_number=16

|class_display=16

|birth_date=29 August 1907

|death_date=10 April 1983

|death_place=Vienna, Austria

}}

'''Joseph Wechsberg''' (1907–1983) was a United States Army ~~soldier associated with Camp~~ Ritchie, ~~Maryland. Joseph enlisted at Los Angeles, California~~.

'''Joseph Wechsberg''' (29 August 1907 – 10 April 1983) was a Czech-born United States Army technical sergeant, Ritchie Boy ([[Class 16]]), and later a prolific American journalist and ''New Yorker'' correspondent.

</div>

== Biography ==

''~~Add~~ a ~~biography~~, ~~family details~~, and ~~sources. Click Edit to change this page; no account is required~~.''

Joseph Wechsberg was born on 29 August 1907 in Ostrava (then Ostrau), Moravia, in Austria-Hungary. He studied music and law, worked as a shipboard musician and European journalist, and served as a lieutenant in the Czechoslovak army during the 1938 mobilization. He and his wife reached the United States as refugees; his mother was later murdered at Auschwitz.

Wechsberg enlisted in the U.S. Army at Los Angeles on 4 November 1943 (ASN 39716066). His brother [[Wechsberg, Maximilian (01170243)|Maximilian Wechsberg]] had already trained at [[Camp Ritchie]] (Class 4). Joseph entered [[Class 16]] for interrogation of German prisoners of war, then continued psychological-warfare training at Camp Sharpe near Gettysburg. In a 1950 ''Nation's Business'' essay he still associated fatigue uniforms with early kitchen-police duty at Camp Ritchie. Overseas he served with a Mobile Radio Broadcasting / psychological-warfare unit (roster MRBC 4), rose to technical sergeant, and worked as a military correspondent, including a temporary assignment with ''Stars and Stripes'' and front-line duty during the Battle of the Bulge.

After the war Wechsberg became a widely published American writer and longtime Europe correspondent for ''The New Yorker''. He died in Vienna on 10 April 1983.

== Research notes ==

* ~~See Wikipedia~~

* Roster MRBC 4 retained; expanded from placeholder "attached to ___" using Camp Sharpe / psychological-warfare Mobile Radio Broadcasting context (Ritchie History Museum essay + Nation's Business Camp Ritchie mention).

* ~~Civil Life~~

* Brother [[Wechsberg, Maximilian (01170243)|Maximilian Wechsberg]] (Class 4 faculty) is a separate roster page.

== Gallery ==

~~''After you are autoconfirmed, [[Special:Upload|upload a photo]] and add~~ <~~code~~><~~nowiki~~>~~[[File:Example~~.~~jpg~~|~~thumb~~|~~caption]]</nowiki>~~</~~code~~> ~~here, or set <code>|photo=Example.jpg~~</~~code~~> ~~in the infobox.''~~

Wechsberg_Joseph_39716066_Nations_Business_1950-08_author_bio.png|Contributor note on Joseph Wechsberg, ''Nation's Business'', August 1950 (Czech-born journalist; Czech army 1938; U.S. Army private to sergeant; Camp Ritchie context in article).

Wechsberg_Joseph_39716066_Nations_Business_1950-08_p38_Ritchie.png|Wechsberg recalls early kitchen-police days at Camp Ritchie, Maryland (''Nation's Business'', August 1950, "The Corner Store Goes Abroad").

</gallery>

</div>

== Technical record ==

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| row_source || demographics

|}

== Timeline ==

* 29 August 1907 — Born in Ostrava (Ostrau), Moravia, Austria-Hungary.

* 1938 — Served as a lieutenant in the Czechoslovak army during mobilization (Nation's Business contributor note, August 1950).

* 1939 — Reached the United States as a refugee with his wife.

* 4 November 1943 — Enlisted at Los Angeles, California, as Private (ASN 39716066).

* Trained at Camp Ritchie in Class 16 (interrogation of German POWs); recalled early kitchen-police duty there (Nation's Business, August 1950).

* Continued psychological-warfare training at Camp Sharpe, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (Ritchie History Museum biographical essay).

* Served overseas with MRBC 4 / psychological-warfare radio unit; promoted to technical sergeant; temporary Stars and Stripes work; Battle of the Bulge duty (December 1944).

* Mustered out as a sergeant (Nation's Business, August 1950).

* Postwar — American journalist and Europe correspondent for The New Yorker.

* 10 April 1983 — Died in Vienna, Austria.

</div>

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

== Sources ==

* Camp Ritchie ~~class roster~~ (~~classes~~ 1–31), ~~merged~~ research ~~file~~

* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Wechsberg Wikipedia: Joseph Wechsberg] (vitals cross-check)

* [https://www.ritchiemuseum.org/post/joseph-wechsberg-epicurean-master-of-cultural-commentary Ritchie History Museum: Joseph Wechsberg — Epicurean Master of Cultural Commentary] (Class 16; Camp Sharpe; MRBC / psychological warfare; brother Max Class 4)

* Joseph Wechsberg, "The Corner Store Goes Abroad," ''Nation's Business'', August 1950 (contributor note: Czech-born journalist; Czech army 1938; U.S. Army private to sergeant; article recalls Camp Ritchie kitchen-police duty) [[:File:Wechsberg_Joseph_39716066_Nations_Business_1950-08_author_bio.png|author note]]; [[:File:Wechsberg_Joseph_39716066_Nations_Business_1950-08_p38_Ritchie.png|Ritchie passage]]

* 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)

* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Joseph Wechsberg for Camp Ritchie'' (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)

* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Wechsberg, Joseph for Camp Ritchie'' (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: JOSEPH WECHSBERG.doc)

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 |birth_year=1907
 |death_year=1983
-|nativity=Cz
+|nativity=Czechoslovakia
-|religion=J
+|religion=Jewish
 |enlistment_place=LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA
 |state=CALIFORNIA
@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 |occupation=Authors editors and reporters
 |marital=Married
+|birth_place=Ostrava, Austria-Hungary
+|rank_final=T/Sgt
+|class_number=16
+|class_display=16
+|birth_date=29 August 1907
+|death_date=10 April 1983
+|death_place=Vienna, Austria
 }}
 <div class="soldier-lead">
-'''Joseph Wechsberg''' (1907&ndash;1983) was a United States Army soldier associated with Camp Ritchie, Maryland. Joseph enlisted at Los Angeles, California.
+'''Joseph Wechsberg''' (29 August 1907 &ndash; 10 April 1983) was a Czech-born United States Army technical sergeant, Ritchie Boy ([[Class 16]]), and later a prolific American journalist and ''New Yorker'' correspondent.
 </div>
 == Biography ==
-''Add a biography, family details, and sources. Click Edit to change this page; no account is required.''
+Joseph Wechsberg was born on 29 August 1907 in Ostrava (then Ostrau), Moravia, in Austria-Hungary. He studied music and law, worked as a shipboard musician and European journalist, and served as a lieutenant in the Czechoslovak army during the 1938 mobilization. He and his wife reached the United States as refugees; his mother was later murdered at Auschwitz.
+Wechsberg enlisted in the U.S. Army at Los Angeles on 4 November 1943 (ASN 39716066). His brother [[Wechsberg, Maximilian (01170243)|Maximilian Wechsberg]] had already trained at [[Camp Ritchie]] (Class 4). Joseph entered [[Class 16]] for interrogation of German prisoners of war, then continued psychological-warfare training at Camp Sharpe near Gettysburg. In a 1950 ''Nation's Business'' essay he still associated fatigue uniforms with early kitchen-police duty at Camp Ritchie. Overseas he served with a Mobile Radio Broadcasting / psychological-warfare unit (roster MRBC 4), rose to technical sergeant, and worked as a military correspondent, including a temporary assignment with ''Stars and Stripes'' and front-line duty during the Battle of the Bulge.
+After the war Wechsberg became a widely published American writer and longtime Europe correspondent for ''The New Yorker''. He died in Vienna on 10 April 1983.
 == Research notes ==
-* See Wikipedia
+* Roster MRBC 4 retained; expanded from placeholder "attached to ___" using Camp Sharpe / psychological-warfare Mobile Radio Broadcasting context (Ritchie History Museum essay + Nation's Business Camp Ritchie mention).
-* Civil Life
+* Brother [[Wechsberg, Maximilian (01170243)|Maximilian Wechsberg]] (Class 4 faculty) is a separate roster page.
 == Gallery ==
-''After you are autoconfirmed, [[Special:Upload|upload a photo]] and add <code><nowiki>[[File:Example.jpg|thumb|caption]]</nowiki></code> here, or set <code>|photo=Example.jpg</code> in the infobox.''
+<div class="soldier-gallery">
+<gallery mode="packed" heights="140px">
+Wechsberg_Joseph_39716066_Nations_Business_1950-08_author_bio.png|Contributor note on Joseph Wechsberg, ''Nation's Business'', August 1950 (Czech-born journalist; Czech army 1938; U.S. Army private to sergeant; Camp Ritchie context in article).
+Wechsberg_Joseph_39716066_Nations_Business_1950-08_p38_Ritchie.png|Wechsberg recalls early kitchen-police days at Camp Ritchie, Maryland (''Nation's Business'', August 1950, "The Corner Store Goes Abroad").
+</gallery>
+</div>
 == Technical record ==
@@ Line 91: / Line 107: @@
 | row_source || demographics
 |}
+== Timeline ==
+<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
+<div class="soldier-timeline-body">
+* 29 August 1907 — Born in Ostrava (Ostrau), Moravia, Austria-Hungary.
+* 1938 — Served as a lieutenant in the Czechoslovak army during mobilization (Nation's Business contributor note, August 1950).
+* 1939 — Reached the United States as a refugee with his wife.
+* 4 November 1943 — Enlisted at Los Angeles, California, as Private (ASN 39716066).
+* Trained at Camp Ritchie in Class 16 (interrogation of German POWs); recalled early kitchen-police duty there (Nation's Business, August 1950).
+* Continued psychological-warfare training at Camp Sharpe, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (Ritchie History Museum biographical essay).
+* Served overseas with MRBC 4 / psychological-warfare radio unit; promoted to technical sergeant; temporary Stars and Stripes work; Battle of the Bulge duty (December 1944).
+* Mustered out as a sergeant (Nation's Business, August 1950).
+* Postwar — American journalist and Europe correspondent for The New Yorker.
+* 10 April 1983 — Died in Vienna, Austria.
+</div>
+</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>
 == Sources ==
-* Camp Ritchie class roster (classes 1–31), merged research file
+* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Wechsberg Wikipedia: Joseph Wechsberg] (vitals cross-check)
+* [https://www.ritchiemuseum.org/post/joseph-wechsberg-epicurean-master-of-cultural-commentary Ritchie History Museum: Joseph Wechsberg — Epicurean Master of Cultural Commentary] (Class 16; Camp Sharpe; MRBC / psychological warfare; brother Max Class 4)
+* Joseph Wechsberg, "The Corner Store Goes Abroad," ''Nation's Business'', August 1950 (contributor note: Czech-born journalist; Czech army 1938; U.S. Army private to sergeant; article recalls Camp Ritchie kitchen-police duty) [[:File:Wechsberg_Joseph_39716066_Nations_Business_1950-08_author_bio.png|author note]]; [[:File:Wechsberg_Joseph_39716066_Nations_Business_1950-08_p38_Ritchie.png|Ritchie passage]]
+* 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)
+* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Joseph Wechsberg for Camp Ritchie'' (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
+* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Wechsberg, Joseph for Camp Ritchie'' (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: JOSEPH WECHSBERG.doc)