Label bare Research notes URLs
Headstone citation as plain text (not a document link)
 
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|middle=Travis
|middle=Travis
|class_section=13
|class_section=13
|class_rank=2nd Lt
|class_rank=Second Lieutenant
|birth_year=1913
|birth_year=1913
|death_year=1945
|death_year=1945
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|class_display=6
|class_display=6
|death_date=21 March 1945
|death_date=21 March 1945
|photo=5012768572078357.jpg
|photo=5012791202076094.jpg
|caption=Jack T. Collette in officer's uniform (newspaper photograph). Source: Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page
|branch=United States Army
|branch=United States Army
|birth_place=U.S
|birth_place=Tennessee
|rank_final=1st Lt
|death_place=Germany
|rank_final=First Lieutenant
|awards=Bronze Star Medal
|awards=Bronze Star Medal
|awards_grid=Bronze Star Medal
|awards_grid=Bronze Star Medal
|awards_ribbons=Ribbon_Bronze_Star_Medal_ribbon.png
|awards_ribbons=Ribbon_Bronze_Star_Medal_ribbon.png
|awards_ribbon_rows=Ribbon_Bronze_Star_Medal_ribbon.png
|awards_ribbon_rows=Ribbon_Bronze_Star_Medal_ribbon.png
|birth_date=5 November 1913
}}
}}


<div class="soldier-lead">
<div class="soldier-lead">
'''[[Collette, Jack Travis (0437097)|Jack Travis Collette]]''' (1913 – 21 March 1945) was a Ritchie Boy (from United States; Protestant) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 6.
'''Jack Travis Collette''' (5 November 1913 &ndash; 21 March 1945) was a United States Army first lieutenant and Ritchie Boy who trained at [[Camp Ritchie]] with [[:Category:Class 6|Class 6]]. He served in psychological warfare with the 3rd Mobile Radio Broadcasting Company in Patton's Third Army and was killed in action in Germany in March 1945.
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</div>


== Biography ==
== Biography ==
On this Memorial Day, let's remember those Ritchie Boys who paid the ultimate price during World War II. Ritchie Boy Lt. [[Collette, Jack Travis (0437097)|Jack Travis Collette]], a reserve officer, had been on duty since Pearl Harbor. He was killed in action in Germany on March 21st, 1945. He was with the Psychological Warfare Branch of Patton's Third Army, and had seen action on the Western Front since D-day. He had three bronze stars to his ETO ribbon.
Jack Travis Collette was born on 5 November 1913 in Tennessee, the son of Leslie Blaine Collette and Cora Virginia Atkinson. He married Merle Belle Snyder.


This wallet is being offered for sale on Ebay. It belonged to Ritchie Boy 1st Lt [[Collette, Jack Travis (0437097)|Jack Collette]], who was killed in action near Mainz, Germany on March 21, 1945. He is buried at the Knoxville National Cemetery, Knoxville, TN. If you are interested in helping the Ritchie Museum purchase this and other Ritchie Boy items that come up for sale, please contact Landon Grove, Curator at the Ritchie Museum. More about RB [[Collette, Jack Travis (0437097)|Jack Collette]] to follow.
Collette served with the 4th Armored Division in 1942 before training at Camp Ritchie with [[:Category:Class 6|Class 6]], where the roster lists him as a second lieutenant (certificate 1333). He was later promoted to first lieutenant.


[[Collette, Jack Travis (0437097)|Jack Collette]] trained with the 3rd Mobile Radio Broadcasting Company at Camp Sharpe, a subcamp of Camp Ritchie. He served as a member of the Psychological Warfare Branch of Patton's 3rd Army, and had been awarded 3 bronze stars.
Collette was assigned to the 3rd Mobile Radio Broadcasting Company, attached to the Third Army, and served in the Psychological Warfare Branch of General George S. Patton's Third Army. He saw action on the Western Front from D-Day onward. He was credited with three bronze stars, described in one account as stars on his ETO ribbon.


== Research notes ==
First Lieutenant Collette was killed in action in Germany on 21 March 1945, at the age of 31. He is buried at Knoxville National Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee, where his headstone identifies him as a first lieutenant of Cavalry.
* KIA [https://etvma.org/veterans/jack-t-collette-8455/ etvma.org — jack t collette 8455]


== Gallery ==
== Gallery ==
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<gallery mode="packed" heights="140px">
<gallery mode="packed" heights="140px">
2414265921928648.jpg
2414265921928648.jpg
5012768572078357.jpg
5012768572078357.jpg|Leather-covered book stamped "U.S. Army, Camp Ritchie, Md.", shared in a Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook post about Collette (not confirmed as his)
5012791202076094.jpg
5012804912074723.jpg
5012804912074723.jpg
</gallery>
</gallery>
</div>
</div>
== Timeline ==
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
<div class="soldier-timeline-body">
* 5 November 1913 — Born in Tennessee.
* 1942 — Assigned to the 4th Armored Division.
* 21 March 1945 — Killed in action in Germany.
* Trained at Camp Ritchie with Class 6; commissioned second lieutenant (ASN 0437097).
* Promoted to first lieutenant.
* Assigned to the 3rd Mobile Radio Broadcasting Company, attached to the Third Army.
* Credited with three bronze stars (see Research notes).
* Buried at Knoxville National Cemetery, Knoxville, Tennessee.
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== Technical record ==
== Technical record ==
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== Timeline ==
== Research notes ==
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
* A Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook post caption says he trained with the 3rd Mobile Radio Broadcasting Company at [[Camp Sharpe]], a subcamp of Camp Ritchie; not yet confirmed from another source.
<div class="soldier-timeline-body">
* Bronze stars: the wartime report quoted in the Facebook posts says both that he "had been awarded three Bronze Stars" and that he "had three bronze stars to his ETO ribbon." The second wording usually describes campaign stars on the European theater service ribbon rather than the Bronze Star Medal; the award needs confirming from service records.
* Born 5 November 1913 in U.S. (Tennessee).
* The imported awards data also listed the Medal of Honor. No source on this page supports it, and it has been removed from the infobox pending evidence.
* 1942 — Assigned to 4th Armored Division (see photo below).
* Assigned to MRBC 3 attached to Third Army.
* Awarded three Bronze Star Medals.
* Commissioned as 2nd Lt. (ASN: 0437097).
* Promoted to 1st Lt.
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</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* [https://etvma.org/veterans/jack-t-collette-8455/ East Tennessee Veterans Memorial Association — Collette, Jack T. (etvma.org)]
* Headstone of Jack T. Collette, Knoxville National Cemetery (photograph in the Gallery; "1st Lieut Cavalry, World War II")
* Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data
* 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
* Dan Gross research spreadsheets, including original Excel timeline/roster work, combined with other research and records