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| |class_display=3 | | |class_display=3 |
| |photo=5645441285477746.jpg | | |photo=5645441285477746.jpg |
| |death_date=27 March 1944
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| == Biography == | | == Biography == |
| On June 16, 2022, Christopher Galen, son of Ritchie Boy Lt. Bill Galen, visited the site of Camp Ritchie. Bill Galen is in the center wearing a helmet, and Ritchie Boy Sgt.
| | Lt. William R. "Bill" Galen (1914–1994) was a Ritchie Boy who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 3 and served with IPW Team 15. A Signal Corps photograph shows him with the 6695 Military Intelligence Service (center, wearing a helmet). |
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| In the article, Chris Galen describes how RB Visko was killed in action in Anzio, Italy, on March 27, 1944, and how Chris' father was unable to locate any family members of RB Visko after the war. The Signal Corps photo caption says Galen is with the 6695 Military Intelligence Service. Bill Galen, knew only a little about Visko's stateside ties in Manhattan.
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| But when Galen’s brother back in Illinois reached out to her, he was informed that Visko’s “wife” was married -- but not to Visko -- and the little girl was not Visko's daughter. Lieutenant Bill Galen was trained in the third Camp Ritchie class of World War II, from which he graduated two days before Christmas 1942. Galen was a native of Cleveland and grew up speaking some German because of his family heritage.
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| Galen was shipped to North Africa in April 1943, then was among the first wave of Allied troops to invade Sicily in July. In all, Galen served with the 3rd, 36th and 85th divisions, along with II Corps and the 5th Army HQ, and earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star in the process. After the victory in Europe, Galen was assigned to the U.S. occupation force in Austria that summer, finally coming back to the states in November 1945.
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| == Research notes == | | == Research notes == |