Gerst, Eric Frank (32416739): Difference between revisions

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'''Eric F. Gerst''' (~~1918–2011~~) was a ~~United States Army Sergeant~~ who trained at [[Camp Ritchie~~]], Maryland,~~ in ~~[[Class~~ 21]].

'''Eric F. Gerst''' (1918–2011) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Protestant) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 21.

</div>

== Biography ==

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

Eric Frank Gerst was a Ritchie Boy. Eric was born March 23, 1918 in Nuremberg, Germany, where he attended textile school in Reutlingen. Due to the rise of the Nazi party and Hitler's anti-Jewish policies, in 1937 he emigrated to the U.S. and worked in the textile industry at American Bemberg Corp in Tennessee. Determined to help his family escape Germany, Eric's efforts enabled his father Ernst, mother Annie and sister Lizelot to find asylum in the States too. Grateful for the refuge given him and his family, he wrote a letter published by the New York Times in 1942 objecting to the Selective Service ruling preventing German refugees from serving in the U.S. Army and requesting the right to defend his new homeland. He was subsequently able to enlist and trained as a radio operator at Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he met and married Dawn Idarius of Chicago. Eric was then transferred to Camp Ritchie, MD. for intelligence training and was assigned in 1944 to the 63rd Infantry Division in Europe where he served in France and behind enemy lines in Germany until the end of the war, attaining the rank of Master Sergeant. Proud to have fought and also for being able to fit into his army uniform throughout his life, he would often wear the uniform on Veteran's Day. Eric passed away on June 21 2011.

== Research notes ==

* DEML Also Fr 405

* 483-G

~~== 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.''~~

== Technical record ==

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* 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 2022-12-01 (1 post)

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 <div class="soldier-lead">
-'''Eric F. Gerst''' (1918&ndash;2011) was a United States Army Sergeant who trained at [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, in [[Class 21]].
+'''Eric F. Gerst''' (1918–2011) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Protestant) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 21.
 </div>
 == Biography ==
-''Add a biography, family details, and sources. Click Edit to change this page; no account is required.''
+Eric Frank Gerst was a Ritchie Boy. Eric was born March 23, 1918 in Nuremberg, Germany, where he attended textile school in Reutlingen. Due to the rise of the Nazi party and Hitler's anti-Jewish policies, in 1937 he emigrated to the U.S. and worked in the textile industry at American Bemberg Corp in Tennessee. Determined to help his family escape Germany, Eric's efforts enabled his father Ernst, mother Annie and sister Lizelot to find asylum in the States too. Grateful for the refuge given him and his family, he wrote a letter published by the New York Times in 1942 objecting to the Selective Service ruling preventing German refugees from serving in the U.S. Army and requesting the right to defend his new homeland. He was subsequently able to enlist and trained as a radio operator at Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he met and married Dawn Idarius of Chicago. Eric was then transferred to Camp Ritchie, MD. for intelligence training and was assigned in 1944 to the 63rd Infantry Division in Europe where he served in France and behind enemy lines in Germany until the end of the war, attaining the rank of Master Sergeant. Proud to have fought and also for being able to fit into his army uniform throughout his life, he would often wear the uniform on Veteran's Day. Eric passed away on June 21 2011.
 == Research notes ==
 * DEML Also Fr 405
 * 483-G
-== 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.''
 == Technical record ==
@@ Line 51: / Line 48: @@
 * 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 2022-12-01 (1 post)