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Bernhardt, John P. (01180419): Difference between revisions

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== Biography ==
== Biography ==
John Bernhardt was a Ritchie Boy! John (Johannes) Bernhardt was born in 1899 in Reichenbach, Germany and grew up in Chemnitz. He earned his Abitur, but with an interruption. He was drafted into the Germany Imperial Army at age 17 as a “one-year volunteer.” He was a Corporal in a horse-drawn artillery unit along the Western Front. After the war he attended the University of Hamburg, then began an apprenticeship in international banking in New York. He ended up moving to the Chicago area to help relatives recover from a train tragedy. He became a US citizen in 1929. During the 1930s he worked in accounting, income tax consulting, real estate, community service, local politics and even owned a deli. He was drafted into the US Army (age 42). He completed basic training at Fort Roberts CA, officer training at Fort Sill OK (Class #60), got married in September, 1943, then headed to Camp Ritchie, MD for military intelligence specialist training (Class #12). His upbringing in Germany in language, culture and military knowledge were going to be put to good use. After landing on Omaha Beach (June 24, 1944) he and his team began work for Combat Command B of the 3rd Armored Division. Captain Bernhardt interrogated POWs, served at court martials, and conducted searches in dozens of towns. At war’s end he worked for OMGUS, compiling disarmament statistical data and sorting through Nazi material as well as valuable Eastern Europe/USSR maps. In 1946 he worked at the Pentagon and Fort Holabird, MD evaluating maps and compiling Nazi membership lists. He then was transferred to Heidelberg, Germany (1948-1950) to help with the reorganization of the German government. During the Korean Conflict, John spent 17 months in Taegu, Korea as an intelligence advisor to the ROK. In 1953 he transferred to the US Army Reserves at 5th Army Headquarters in Chicago, working as Chief of Plans and Operations in the G-2 section with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He retired in 1958. He then worked as an accountant for the SSA, H&R Block and the IRS and he did international banking correspondence for Continental Bank. In 1990, after the Berlin Wall came down, John took his 3 daughters to see the family homestead in Schoemberg (near Weida) that had been behind the Iron Curtain for decades and legally got the property back. John died at a VA hospital near his Riverside, Illinois home in 1997. Three wars and a ton of history! John's family provided us with a number of photos and documents regarding his service.
John P. Bernhardt (born Johannes Bernhardt; 1899–1997) was born in Reichenbach, Germany, and grew up in Chemnitz. Drafted into the Imperial German Army at age 17, he served as a corporal in horse-drawn artillery on the Western Front. After World War I he studied at the University of Hamburg, began banking work in New York, and later settled near Chicago. He became a U.S. citizen in 1929.
 
Drafted into the U.S. Army at age 42, he completed basic training at Camp Roberts, California, and officer training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, before Camp Ritchie class 12 (military intelligence). After landing on Omaha Beach on 24 June 1944 he served with Combat Command B, 3rd Armored Division, interrogating prisoners, supporting courts-martial, and conducting searches. At war's end he worked for OMGUS on disarmament data and captured maps; later assignments included the Pentagon, Fort Holabird, Heidelberg (1948–1950), and Korea during the Korean War. He retired from the Army Reserve as a lieutenant colonel in 1958 and later worked in accounting and banking. He died in 1997 near Riverside, Illinois.


== Research notes ==
== Research notes ==

Revision as of 01:48, 27 August 2026

Record status: unconfirmed. Class-roster match confidence is medium. Correct the infobox if you have a source, and note it on talk.
John P. Bernhardt
John P. Bernhardt
Personal details
Born1899
Reichenbach, Germany
Died1996
NativityGermany
ReligionProtestant
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch United States Army
Arm / serviceField Artillery
ASN01180419
RankSecond Lieutenant
Camp RitchieClass 12 (27 September – 25 November 1943)
TeamIPW 36
Teammates
Team — IPW 36
These are other soldiers listed on the same team roster. People moved between teams; overlapping service dates are not always documented.
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.


John P. Bernhardt (1899–1996) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Protestant) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 12 and served with IPW Team 36.

Biography

John P. Bernhardt (born Johannes Bernhardt; 1899–1997) was born in Reichenbach, Germany, and grew up in Chemnitz. Drafted into the Imperial German Army at age 17, he served as a corporal in horse-drawn artillery on the Western Front. After World War I he studied at the University of Hamburg, began banking work in New York, and later settled near Chicago. He became a U.S. citizen in 1929.

Drafted into the U.S. Army at age 42, he completed basic training at Camp Roberts, California, and officer training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, before Camp Ritchie class 12 (military intelligence). After landing on Omaha Beach on 24 June 1944 he served with Combat Command B, 3rd Armored Division, interrogating prisoners, supporting courts-martial, and conducting searches. At war's end he worked for OMGUS on disarmament data and captured maps; later assignments included the Pentagon, Fort Holabird, Heidelberg (1948–1950), and Korea during the Korean War. He retired from the Army Reserve as a lieutenant colonel in 1958 and later worked in accounting and banking. He died in 1997 near Riverside, Illinois.

Research notes

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

Technical record

Field Imported value
Approx Age at Death 97
Class_ASN 180419
Class_Name HERNHARDT, John P.
match_method pass2_ocr_last_asn
row_source both

Sources

  • Camp Ritchie class roster (classes 1–31), merged research file
  • 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 2022-12-12 (1 post)
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