Soft launch: Soldier biographies and research notes vary in completeness. Prefer class-roster, NARA, newspapers, and other cited sources for contested facts — treat Research notes as leads, not settled history. Anyone can correct a page; contact us with questions.
Finger, Aaron (32881200): Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Document enlisted-to-officer ASN transition |
Expand exact roster rank codes (class_rank: Pfc -> Private First Class) |
||
| (3 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
| Line 5: | Line 5: | ||
|first=Aaron | |first=Aaron | ||
|class_section=6B | |class_section=6B | ||
|class_rank= | |class_rank=Private First Class | ||
|birth_year=1918 | |birth_year=1918 | ||
|death_year=2013 | |death_year=2013 | ||
| Line 19: | Line 19: | ||
|class_number=22 | |class_number=22 | ||
|class_display=22 | |class_display=22 | ||
|photo= | |photo=5812455472109659.jpg | ||
|rank_final=Second Lieutenant | |rank_final=Second Lieutenant | ||
|birth_place=Toronto, Canada | |||
|division=405th Infantry, 102nd Infantry Division | |||
}} | }} | ||
<div class="soldier-lead"> | <div class="soldier-lead"> | ||
'''[[Finger, Aaron (32881200)|Aaron Finger]]''' (1918–2013) was a Ritchie Boy who | '''[[Finger, Aaron (32881200)|Aaron Finger]]''' (1918–2013) was a Toronto-born Ritchie Boy who served as a second lieutenant and battalion S-2 with the 405th Infantry, 102nd Division, in postwar Germany. | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
== Biography == | == Biography == | ||
Finger | Aaron Finger was born in 1918 in Toronto, Canada, to Simon and Celia Finger, immigrants from Galicia who had married in New York City before moving north for work. Yiddish was spoken at home. The family returned to New York in 1920. Finger later enlisted in the U.S. Army in May 1943. | ||
Strong language and IQ testing led to selection for Camp Ritchie, where he trained in intelligence work, learned German, and studied aerial photography and German military organization. After the war he went overseas in the fall of 1945. In Germany he served with the 405th Infantry, 102nd Division, including time associated with Flossenbürg and duty at Hof, Bavaria, where—using his Yiddish—he worked with a Russian counterpart on prisoner exchanges and related tasks. An April 1946 recommendation identifies him as battalion S-2 and credits him with restoring border-control effectiveness along the U.S.–Russian and German–Czechoslovak frontiers; the paper recommends an Army Commendation Ribbon but does not by itself prove the award was granted. He helped host a Seder for displaced persons in Hof in April 1946 and returned to the United States aboard the SS ''New Bern Victory'' in June 1946. He was discharged in July 1946 as a second lieutenant. | |||
Finger married Henrietta Treister on 8 February 1948. They settled in Queens, New York, where he taught junior high school history and reading. He died in 2013. | |||
== Research notes == | == Research notes == | ||
* Enlisted records use ASN 32881200; officer documents use ASN 01337697 (O-1337697). | * Enlisted records use ASN 32881200; officer documents use ASN 01337697 (O-1337697). | ||
* The Army Commendation Ribbon document is a recommendation, not proof of award. | * The Army Commendation Ribbon document is a recommendation, not proof of award. | ||
* USHMM finding aid biography gives birth as either 7 or 8 August 1918; infobox keeps year-only pending a decisive primary date. | |||
* Enlisted ASN 32881200; officer identification uses ASN 01337697 (O-1337697). | |||
== Gallery == | == Gallery == | ||
| Line 111: | Line 117: | ||
| row_source || both | | row_source || both | ||
|} | |} | ||
== Timeline == | |||
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline"> | |||
<div class="soldier-timeline-body"> | |||
* 1918 — Born in Toronto, Canada (USHMM biography notes 7 or 8 August 1918). | |||
* 1920 — Family moved from Toronto back to New York. | |||
* May 1943 — Enlisted in the U.S. Army. | |||
* Trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 22). | |||
* Fall 1945 — Went overseas to postwar Germany (Flossenbürg; Hof, Bavaria). | |||
* April 1946 — Battalion S-2, 405th Infantry; letter of commendation / recommendation; Hof Seder for displaced persons. | |||
* June 1946 — Returned to the United States aboard SS New Bern Victory. | |||
* July 1946 — Discharged as second lieutenant, 405th Infantry, 102nd Division. | |||
* 8 February 1948 — Married Henrietta Treister; settled in Queens, New York, as a junior high teacher. | |||
* 2013 — Died. | |||
</div> | |||
</div><div style="clear: both;"></div> | |||
== Sources == | == Sources == | ||
* Camp Ritchie | * [https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn710957 USHMM Collections Search — Aaron Finger papers (irn710957)] | ||
* 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 2022-10-28 (1 post) | * Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-10-28 (1 post) | ||
* | * [https://medium.com/memory-action/turning-yiddish-skills-into-interrogation-techniques-aaron-fingers-us-army-journey-68b23184b5ed Medium / USHMM Memory & Action — Aaron Finger’s US Army journey (29 April 2022)] | ||
* [[:File:5812455455442994.jpg|OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 5812455455442994.jpg]] | * [[:File:5812455455442994.jpg|OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 5812455455442994.jpg]] | ||
* [[:File:5812455462109660.jpg|Finger officer identification card]] | * [[:File:5812455462109660.jpg|Finger officer identification card]] | ||
* [[:File:5812455472109659.jpg|Finger portrait in uniform]] | |||
Latest revision as of 05:28, 16 September 2026
| Aaron Finger | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1918 Toronto, Canada |
| Died | 2013 |
| Nativity | Canada |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 32881200 |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant |
| Rank at Ritchie | Private First Class |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 22 (23 August – 21 October 1944) |
| Section | 6B |
| Enlisted | New York City, New York |
| Unit / division | 405th Infantry, 102nd Infantry Division |
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.
Aaron Finger (1918–2013) was a Toronto-born Ritchie Boy who served as a second lieutenant and battalion S-2 with the 405th Infantry, 102nd Division, in postwar Germany.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Aaron Finger was born in 1918 in Toronto, Canada, to Simon and Celia Finger, immigrants from Galicia who had married in New York City before moving north for work. Yiddish was spoken at home. The family returned to New York in 1920. Finger later enlisted in the U.S. Army in May 1943.
Strong language and IQ testing led to selection for Camp Ritchie, where he trained in intelligence work, learned German, and studied aerial photography and German military organization. After the war he went overseas in the fall of 1945. In Germany he served with the 405th Infantry, 102nd Division, including time associated with Flossenbürg and duty at Hof, Bavaria, where—using his Yiddish—he worked with a Russian counterpart on prisoner exchanges and related tasks. An April 1946 recommendation identifies him as battalion S-2 and credits him with restoring border-control effectiveness along the U.S.–Russian and German–Czechoslovak frontiers; the paper recommends an Army Commendation Ribbon but does not by itself prove the award was granted. He helped host a Seder for displaced persons in Hof in April 1946 and returned to the United States aboard the SS New Bern Victory in June 1946. He was discharged in July 1946 as a second lieutenant.
Finger married Henrietta Treister on 8 February 1948. They settled in Queens, New York, where he taught junior high school history and reading. He died in 2013.
Research notes[edit | edit source]
- Enlisted records use ASN 32881200; officer documents use ASN 01337697 (O-1337697).
- The Army Commendation Ribbon document is a recommendation, not proof of award.
- USHMM finding aid biography gives birth as either 7 or 8 August 1918; infobox keeps year-only pending a decisive primary date.
- Enlisted ASN 32881200; officer identification uses ASN 01337697 (O-1337697).
Gallery[edit | edit source]
Technical record[edit | edit source]
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 95 |
| Nara ASN | 32881200 |
| Nara Name | FINGER AARON |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 5 |
| Nara POE | 2364 |
| Nara DOE | 20443 |
| Nara Grade Alpha | PVT |
| Nara Grade Code | 8 |
| Nara Branch Alpha | NO |
| Nara Branch Code | 2 |
| Branch | No branch assignment |
| 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 | K9 |
| Nara Year of Birth | 18 |
| Nara Race | 1 |
| Nara Race Description | White citizen |
| Nara Education | 8 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 878 |
| Nara Marital Status | 1 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 48 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 142 |
| Class_ASN | 32881200 |
| Class_Name | FINGER, Aaron |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Timeline[edit | edit source]
- 1918 — Born in Toronto, Canada (USHMM biography notes 7 or 8 August 1918).
- 1920 — Family moved from Toronto back to New York.
- May 1943 — Enlisted in the U.S. Army.
- Trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 22).
- Fall 1945 — Went overseas to postwar Germany (Flossenbürg; Hof, Bavaria).
- April 1946 — Battalion S-2, 405th Infantry; letter of commendation / recommendation; Hof Seder for displaced persons.
- June 1946 — Returned to the United States aboard SS New Bern Victory.
- July 1946 — Discharged as second lieutenant, 405th Infantry, 102nd Division.
- 8 February 1948 — Married Henrietta Treister; settled in Queens, New York, as a junior high teacher.
- 2013 — Died.
Sources[edit | edit source]
- USHMM Collections Search — Aaron Finger papers (irn710957)
- 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 2022-10-28 (1 post)
- Medium / USHMM Memory & Action — Aaron Finger’s US Army journey (29 April 2022)
- OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 5812455455442994.jpg
- Finger officer identification card
- Finger portrait in uniform