Gontzoff, Vadim Feodor (39550802): Difference between revisions

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{{Soldier

|lede_on_page=1

|asn=39550802

|surname=Gontzoff

|first=Vadim

|middle=F.

|middle=Feodor

|class_section=10

|class_rank=~~Pvt~~

|class_rank=Private

|birth_year=1915

|death_year=1997

|nativity=Ru

|nativity=Russia

|religion=GO

|religion=Greek Orthodox

|enlistment_place=LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA

|state=CALIFORNIA

Line 20:

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|class_number=6

|class_display=6

|alias=Victor Kendall; Vadim Gontsov

|birth_date=23 February 1915

|birth_place=Moscow, Russia

|death_date=2 October 1997

|death_place=New York City

|rank_final=Second Lieutenant

}}

'''Vadim Feodor Gontzoff''' (stage name Victor Kendall; 23 February 1915–2 October 1997) was a Moscow-born actor and Camp Ritchie trainee ([[:Category:Class 6|Class 6]]) who served as a U.S. Army second lieutenant.

</div>

== Biography ==

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

Vadim Feodor Gontzoff (stage name Victor Kendall) was born on 23 February 1915 in Moscow. His mother was opera singer Maria Kurenko and his father Feodor Gontzoff; after studies in France he graduated from Columbia University (B.A., 1938) and worked briefly in Hollywood films under the name Victor Kendall.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army at Los Angeles on 30 December 1942 (ASN 39550802) and trained at [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, in [[:Category:Class 6|Class 6]]. A declassified VENONA New York–Moscow cable of 26 May 1943 lists Vadim Gontsov among Russian-section graduates; NSA comments identify him as Vadim Feodor Gontzoff, stage name Victor Kendall, naturalized at Hagerstown, Maryland, on 19 May 1943. He was commissioned a second lieutenant and received an honorable discharge in 1946.

After the war he worked for Radio Liberty / Voice of America and NBC, then as a classical music announcer at WTFM in New York. He died on 2 October 1997 in New York City.

== Research notes ==

* ~~Civil Life~~

* VENONA: NSA comments on the 26 May 1943 Military Intelligence Training release identify GONTsOV as Vadim Feodor Gontzoff / Victor Kendall (Class 6 contemporary of Stephen Soudakoff). No cover name for Gontzoff himself appears in that cable.

== Gallery ==

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| row_source || both

|}

== Timeline ==

* 23 February 1915 — Born in Moscow.

* 1938 — B.A., Columbia University; later Hollywood work as Victor Kendall.

* 30 December 1942 — Enlists, Los Angeles (ASN 39550802).

* 1943 — Camp Ritchie Class 6; named in 26 May 1943 VENONA Russian-section list.

* 19 May 1943 — Naturalized, Hagerstown, Maryland (per VENONA comment).

* 1946 — Honorable discharge (second lieutenant).

* 2 October 1997 — Died in New York City.

</div>

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

== Sources ==

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

* [https://www.lordheath.com/menu1_1149.html Lordheath — Victor Kendall / Vadim Gontzoff filmography note]

* [https://www.fold3.com/memorial/91094157/vadim-f-gontzoff Fold3 memorial — Vadim F. Gontzoff]

* [https://www.nsa.gov/portals/75/documents/news-features/declassified-documents/venona/dated/1943/26may_military_intel_tng.pdf NSA VENONA — 26 May 1943 Military Intelligence Training]

* 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)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Soldier
+|lede_on_page=1
 |asn=39550802
 |surname=Gontzoff
 |first=Vadim
-|middle=F.
+|middle=Feodor
 |class_section=10
-|class_rank=Pvt
+|class_rank=Private
 |birth_year=1915
 |death_year=1997
-|nativity=Ru
+|nativity=Russia
-|religion=GO
+|religion=Greek Orthodox
 |enlistment_place=LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA
 |state=CALIFORNIA
@@ Line 20: / Line 21: @@
 |class_number=6
 |class_display=6
+|alias=Victor Kendall; Vadim Gontsov
+|birth_date=23 February 1915
+|birth_place=Moscow, Russia
+|death_date=2 October 1997
+|death_place=New York City
+|rank_final=Second Lieutenant
 }}
+<div class="soldier-lead">
+'''Vadim Feodor Gontzoff''' (stage name Victor Kendall; 23 February 1915&ndash;2 October 1997) was a Moscow-born actor and Camp Ritchie trainee ([[:Category:Class 6|Class 6]]) who served as a U.S. Army second lieutenant.
+</div>
 == Biography ==
-''Add a biography, family details, and sources. Click Edit to change this page; no account is required.''
+Vadim Feodor Gontzoff (stage name Victor Kendall) was born on 23 February 1915 in Moscow. His mother was opera singer Maria Kurenko and his father Feodor Gontzoff; after studies in France he graduated from Columbia University (B.A., 1938) and worked briefly in Hollywood films under the name Victor Kendall.
+He enlisted in the U.S. Army at Los Angeles on 30 December 1942 (ASN 39550802) and trained at [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, in [[:Category:Class 6|Class 6]]. A declassified VENONA New York–Moscow cable of 26 May 1943 lists Vadim Gontsov among Russian-section graduates; NSA comments identify him as Vadim Feodor Gontzoff, stage name Victor Kendall, naturalized at Hagerstown, Maryland, on 19 May 1943. He was commissioned a second lieutenant and received an honorable discharge in 1946.
+After the war he worked for Radio Liberty / Voice of America and NBC, then as a classical music announcer at WTFM in New York. He died on 2 October 1997 in New York City.
 == Research notes ==
-* Civil Life
+* VENONA: NSA comments on the 26 May 1943 Military Intelligence Training release identify GONTsOV as Vadim Feodor Gontzoff / Victor Kendall (Class 6 contemporary of Stephen Soudakoff). No cover name for Gontzoff himself appears in that cable.
 == Gallery ==
@@ Line 94: / Line 109: @@
 | row_source || both
 |}
+== Timeline ==
+<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
+<div class="soldier-timeline-body">
+* 23 February 1915 — Born in Moscow.
+* 1938 — B.A., Columbia University; later Hollywood work as Victor Kendall.
+* 30 December 1942 — Enlists, Los Angeles (ASN 39550802).
+* 1943 — Camp Ritchie Class 6; named in 26 May 1943 VENONA Russian-section list.
+* 19 May 1943 — Naturalized, Hagerstown, Maryland (per VENONA comment).
+* 1946 — Honorable discharge (second lieutenant).
+* 2 October 1997 — Died in New York City.
+</div>
+</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>
 == Sources ==
-* Camp Ritchie class roster (classes 1–31), merged research file
+* [https://www.lordheath.com/menu1_1149.html Lordheath — Victor Kendall / Vadim Gontzoff filmography note]
+* [https://www.fold3.com/memorial/91094157/vadim-f-gontzoff Fold3 memorial — Vadim F. Gontzoff]
+* [https://www.nsa.gov/portals/75/documents/news-features/declassified-documents/venona/dated/1943/26may_military_intel_tng.pdf NSA VENONA — 26 May 1943 Military Intelligence Training]
+* 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)