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West, Bill C. (0583608): Difference between revisions

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Clarify museum roster and Dan Gross research sources
RB Archive: West CIC/Ritchie/CIA bio from 1984 Times-News; upload PDFs
 
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|class_display=24
|class_display=24
|arm_or_service=Air Corps
|arm_or_service=Air Corps
|specialty=Counter Intelligence Corps
}}
}}


<div class="soldier-lead">
<div class="soldier-lead">
'''Bill C. West''' (1917&ndash;2007) was a United States Army Second Lieutenant who trained at [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, in [[Class 24]].
'''Bill C. West''' (1917&ndash;2007) was an American Ritchie Boy ([[Class 24]]) trained in counterintelligence at [[Camp Ritchie]] who later served in Army CIC and the CIA.
</div>
</div>


== Biography ==
== Biography ==
''Add a biography, family details, and sources. Click Edit to change this page; no account is required.''
Bill C. West was born in 1917. Because of his French and German language skills, he was sent to the Counter Intelligence Corps school at [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland ([[Class 24]]), where he was first exposed to Soviet studies through instructors who included defectors.
 
West later worked for Army Counter Intelligence during World War II and the Korean War period and for the Central Intelligence Agency from 1955 until his retirement in 1977, including work connected with Soviet literature and clandestine distribution of samizdat. A 1984 profile described him as a scholar of Soviet literature and politics living in Reston, Virginia.
 
West died in 2007.


== Research notes ==
== Research notes ==
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== Gallery ==
== 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">
Bill_West_0583608_Times_News_1984_profile.pdf|Idaho Times-News / Washington Post profile of Bill West (CIC, Camp Ritchie, CIA) (RB Archive).
Bill_West_0583608_Times_News_1984-12-20.pdf|The Times-News (Twin Falls, Idaho), 20 December 1984, Bill West profile (RB Archive).
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== Technical record ==
== Technical record ==
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== Timeline ==
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
<div class="soldier-timeline-body">
* 1917 — Born.
* Camp Ritchie Class 24 — CIC / counterintelligence training (French and German).
* WWII / Korea era — Army Counter Intelligence Corps work.
* 1955–1977 — Central Intelligence Agency.
* 1984 — Profiled in ''The Times-News'' (Idaho) / Washington Post feature on Soviet literature work.
* 2007 — Died.
</div>
</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* David Remnick, profile of Bill West (Soviet literature / CIC / CIA), ''The Times-News'' (Twin Falls, Idaho), 20 December 1984 ([[:File:Bill_West_0583608_Times_News_1984-12-20.pdf|PDF]]; via Washington Post).
* 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
* 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)

Latest revision as of 02:29, 18 September 2026

Bill C. West
Personal details
Born1917
Died2007
NativityUnited States
ReligionProtestant
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch United States Army
Arm / serviceAir Corps
ASN0583608
RankSecond Lieutenant
Camp RitchieClass 24 (26 October – 29 December 1944)
Section4A
SpecialtyCounter Intelligence Corps
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.


Bill C. West (1917–2007) was an American Ritchie Boy (Class 24) trained in counterintelligence at Camp Ritchie who later served in Army CIC and the CIA.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Bill C. West was born in 1917. Because of his French and German language skills, he was sent to the Counter Intelligence Corps school at Camp Ritchie, Maryland (Class 24), where he was first exposed to Soviet studies through instructors who included defectors.

West later worked for Army Counter Intelligence during World War II and the Korean War period and for the Central Intelligence Agency from 1955 until his retirement in 1977, including work connected with Soviet literature and clandestine distribution of samizdat. A 1984 profile described him as a scholar of Soviet literature and politics living in Reston, Virginia.

West died in 2007.

Research notes[edit | edit source]

No notes were in the source row. Add what you know.

Gallery[edit | edit source]

Technical record[edit | edit source]

Field Imported value
Approx Age at Death 90
Class_ASN 583608
Class_Name WEST, Bill C.
match_method asn_exact_name_exact
row_source both

Timeline[edit | edit source]

  • 1917 — Born.
  • Camp Ritchie Class 24 — CIC / counterintelligence training (French and German).
  • WWII / Korea era — Army Counter Intelligence Corps work.
  • 1955–1977 — Central Intelligence Agency.
  • 1984 — Profiled in The Times-News (Idaho) / Washington Post feature on Soviet literature work.
  • 2007 — Died.

Sources[edit | edit source]

  • David Remnick, profile of Bill West (Soviet literature / CIC / CIA), The Times-News (Twin Falls, Idaho), 20 December 1984 (PDF; via Washington Post).
  • 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)