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Potash, Robert A. (31224431): Difference between revisions
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{{Soldier | {{Soldier | ||
|lede_on_page=1 | |||
|asn=31224431 | |asn=31224431 | ||
|surname=Potash | |surname=Potash | ||
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|birth_year=1921 | |birth_year=1921 | ||
|death_year=2016 | |death_year=2016 | ||
|nativity= | |nativity=United States | ||
|religion= | |religion=Jewish | ||
|enlistment_place=BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS | |enlistment_place=BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS | ||
|state=MASSACHUSETTS | |state=MASSACHUSETTS | ||
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|class_number=19 | |class_number=19 | ||
|class_display=19 | |class_display=19 | ||
|birth_place=Boston, Massachusetts | |||
|rank_final=Capt | |||
|photo=Potash_Robert_A_31224431_portrait.jpg | |||
}} | }} | ||
<div class="soldier-lead"> | |||
'''Robert A. Potash''' (1921–2016) was a United States Army soldier who trained at [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, in [[Class 19]] and later became a historian of Argentina. | |||
</div> | |||
== Biography == | == Biography == | ||
Robert A. Potash was born in 1921 in Boston, Massachusetts. He studied history at Harvard College and later continued graduate work there. He enlisted from Boston and trained at Camp Ritchie ([[:Category:Class 19|Class 19]]), serving overseas as a technician fourth grade; roster records also associate him with Japanese order-of-battle work (Class 18 JapOB). | |||
After the war Potash became a historian specializing in Argentine political and military history (including work associated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in later summaries). His memoir ''Looking Back at My First Eighty Years'' appeared in 2008. He gave an oral-history interview to the Yiddish Book Center in 2012. Potash died in 2016. | |||
== Research notes == | == Research notes == | ||
* OB 41 | * OB 41 | ||
* | * Interview candidate: Yiddish Book Center oral history (2012) — add to [[Ritchie Boy Interviews]] watchlist. Live page once linked MIT | ||
* confirm institutional affiliation against memoir/obituary before asserting a single postwar employer | |||
== Gallery == | == Gallery == | ||
<div class="soldier-gallery"> | |||
<gallery mode="packed" heights="140px"> | |||
Potash_Robert_A_31224431_portrait.jpg|Robert A. Potash portrait (RB Archive) | |||
</gallery> | |||
</div> | |||
== Technical record == | == Technical record == | ||
| Line 98: | Line 111: | ||
| row_source || both | | row_source || both | ||
|} | |} | ||
== Timeline == | |||
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline"> | |||
<div class="soldier-timeline-body"> | |||
* 1921 — Born in Boston, Massachusetts. | |||
* Class 19 — Trained at Camp Ritchie; also associated with Class 18 Japanese order-of-battle work. | |||
* 2008 — Published memoir ''Looking Back at My First Eighty Years''. | |||
* 2012 — Recorded an oral history with the Yiddish Book Center. | |||
* 2016 — Died. | |||
</div> | |||
</div><div style="clear: both;"></div> | |||
== Sources == | == Sources == | ||
* Camp Ritchie | * [[:File:Potash_Robert_A_31224431_portrait.jpg|Robert A. Potash portrait (RB Archive)]] | ||
* RB Archive packet for Robert A. Potash (source links) | |||
* [https://www.yiddishbookcenter.org/collections/oral-histories/interviews/woh-fi-0000241/robert-a-potash-2012 Yiddish Book Center oral history interview with Robert A. Potash (2012)] | |||
* [https://douglassfuneral.com/?p=1121 Robert A. Potash funeral/obituary notice (Douglass Funeral)] | |||
* 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) | * NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present) | ||
* 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present) | * 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present) | ||
* Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2016-09-30 (1 post) | |||
* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Robert A. Potash for Camp Ritchie'' (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed) | |||
* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Potash, Robert A. for Camp Ritchie'' (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: ROBERT A. POTASH.doc) | |||
Latest revision as of 00:15, 19 September 2026
| Robert A. Potash | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1921 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Died | 2016 |
| Nativity | United States |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 31224431 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Rank at Ritchie | Technician Fourth Grade |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 19 (16 May – 13 July 1944) |
| Section | 6A |
| Enlisted | Boston, Massachusetts |
Interview Listen to Robert A. Potash on Yiddish Book Center oral history.
Research notes on this page are compiled from the source file and later edits. They may be unverified, incomplete, or incorrect, and should not be treated as established fact. Please correct the article or add sources on the talk page. For class-roster terms, see About the data.
Sources & confidence: Treat Research notes as leads, not settled fact. Prefer NARA, the class roster, newspapers, Find a Grave, or published histories for contested claims. Mark unsourced claims with
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Robert A. Potash (1921–2016) was a United States Army soldier who trained at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, in Class 19 and later became a historian of Argentina.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Robert A. Potash was born in 1921 in Boston, Massachusetts. He studied history at Harvard College and later continued graduate work there. He enlisted from Boston and trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 19), serving overseas as a technician fourth grade; roster records also associate him with Japanese order-of-battle work (Class 18 JapOB).
After the war Potash became a historian specializing in Argentine political and military history (including work associated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in later summaries). His memoir Looking Back at My First Eighty Years appeared in 2008. He gave an oral-history interview to the Yiddish Book Center in 2012. Potash died in 2016.
Research notes[edit | edit source]
- OB 41
- Interview candidate: Yiddish Book Center oral history (2012) — add to Ritchie Boy Interviews watchlist. Live page once linked MIT
- confirm institutional affiliation against memoir/obituary before asserting a single postwar employer
Gallery[edit | edit source]
-
Robert A. Potash portrait (RB Archive)
Technical record[edit | edit source]
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 95 |
| Nara ASN | 31224431 |
| Nara Name | POTASH ROBERT A |
| Nara State | 13 |
| Nara County | 17 |
| Nara POE | 1306 |
| Nara DOE | 171042 |
| 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 | 13 |
| Nativity.1 | MASSACHUSETTS |
| Nara Year of Birth | 21 |
| Nara Race | 1 |
| Nara Race Description | White citizen |
| Nara Education | 4 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 992 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 69 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 141 |
| Class_ASN | 31224431 |
| Class_Name | POTASH, Robert A. |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Timeline[edit | edit source]
- 1921 — Born in Boston, Massachusetts.
- Class 19 — Trained at Camp Ritchie; also associated with Class 18 Japanese order-of-battle work.
- 2008 — Published memoir Looking Back at My First Eighty Years.
- 2012 — Recorded an oral history with the Yiddish Book Center.
- 2016 — Died.
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Robert A. Potash portrait (RB Archive)
- RB Archive packet for Robert A. Potash (source links)
- Yiddish Book Center oral history interview with Robert A. Potash (2012)
- Robert A. Potash funeral/obituary notice (Douglass Funeral)
- 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 2016-09-30 (1 post)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Robert A. Potash for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Potash, Robert A. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: ROBERT A. POTASH.doc)