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Aalto, William E. (32175470): Difference between revisions

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|class_number=5
|class_number=5
|class_display=5
|class_display=5
|birth_date=July 30, 1915
|birth_date=30 July 1915
|death_date=June 11, 1958
|death_date=11 June 1958
|birth_place=New York City, U.S.
|birth_place=New York City, U.S.
|death_place=New York City, U.S.
|death_place=New York City, U.S.
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== Biography ==
== Biography ==
 
William Eric Aalto (born William Oliver Ahlström, July 30, 1915 – June 11, 1958) was an American soldier and member of the communist Abraham Lincoln Battalion, a unit that volunteered to fight during the Spanish Civil War for the Popular Front. William Eric Aalto, of Finnish extraction, was born in the Bronx, New York on July 30, 1915. From 1937 to 1939, he served as Captain with the Abraham Lincoln Battalion (International Brigade) in Spanish Civil War. William worked for newspaper; Public Relations. He [Served as Captain with Loyalists in Spanish Civil War]. She enrolled in the local communist party, educating her son with Marxist ideology. After leaving school, he worked as a truck driver and was a member of the Young Communist League. He was later promoted to captain on June 5. In September 1938, with a Republican defeat in sight, the Abraham Lincoln Battalion was withdrawn from the front line and shortly afterwards disbanded. During his time in Spain, Aalto wrote: "A soldier who is politically conscious that he is right and who has a feeling of community with his society... will do his job well." With the help of his disability pension and the G.I. Bill, he returned to further his education, studying poetry at Columbia University. At this time, he published several pieces of his writings in the New Masses. Aalto then travelled to Europe, where he met the poet W.H.
William Eric Aalto (born William Oliver Ahlström, July 30, 1915 – June 11, 1958) was an American soldier and member of the communist Abraham Lincoln Battalion, a unit that volunteered to fight during the Spanish Civil War for the Popular Front.
 
William Eric Aalto, of Finnish extraction, was born in the Bronx, New York on July 30, 1915. His mother had emigrated to the United States eight years earlier. She enrolled in the local communist party, educating her son with Marxist ideology. After leaving school, he worked as a truck driver and was a member of the Young Communist League.
 
At the end of 1937, Aalto took part in the Battle of Teruel, working behind enemy lines again with Kunslich, Goff and Spanish guerrillas. He was later promoted to captain on June 5.
 
In September 1938, with a Republican defeat in sight, the Abraham Lincoln Battalion was withdrawn from the front line and shortly afterwards disbanded. William Aalto returned to the United States.
 
During his time in Spain, Aalto wrote: "A soldier who is politically conscious that he is right and who has a feeling of community with his society... will do his job well."
 
With the help of his disability pension and the G.I. Bill, he returned to further his education, studying poetry at Columbia University. At this time, he published several pieces of his writings in the New Masses.
 
Aalto then travelled to Europe, where he met the poet W.H. Auden. Though sharing the company of other poets, Aalto now wrote little and tended towards alcoholism, frequently becoming violent.
 
Aalto's association with writers Jack Kerouac and Alan Ansen is mentioned briefly in Kerouac's novel The Subterraneans, where he is called "Nick Spain": "...and Mardou with dame-like majesty all this time in the easy chair in the corner of the library (where once I'd seen the famous one-armed Nick Spain sit when Bromberg on a happier early time in the year played for us the original recording of The Rake's Progress)..."
 
William Aalto died of leukemia in June 1958, and was buried in Long Island National Cemetery.
 


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

Revision as of 02:58, 1 September 2026

William E. Aalto
William E. Aalto
Personal details
Born30 July 1915
New York City, U.S.
Died11 June 1958
New York City, U.S.
NativityUnited States
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch25px International Brigades
Arm / service25px International Brigades; 25px Office of Strategic Services
ASN32175470
RankCaptain; First Sergeant
Rank at RitchieTechnical Sergeant
Camp RitchieClass 5 (8 February – 9 April 1943)
Section1B
EnlistedCp Upton Yaphank, New York
Battles / warsSpanish Civil War
Battle of Teruel
Carchuna Raid
World War II
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.


William Eric Aalto (born William Oliver Ahlström, July 30, 1915 – June 11, 1958) was an American soldier and member of the communist Abraham Lincoln Battalion, a unit that volunteered to fight during the Spanish Civil War for the Popular Front.

Biography

William Eric Aalto (born William Oliver Ahlström, July 30, 1915 – June 11, 1958) was an American soldier and member of the communist Abraham Lincoln Battalion, a unit that volunteered to fight during the Spanish Civil War for the Popular Front. William Eric Aalto, of Finnish extraction, was born in the Bronx, New York on July 30, 1915. From 1937 to 1939, he served as Captain with the Abraham Lincoln Battalion (International Brigade) in Spanish Civil War. William worked for newspaper; Public Relations. He [Served as Captain with Loyalists in Spanish Civil War]. She enrolled in the local communist party, educating her son with Marxist ideology. After leaving school, he worked as a truck driver and was a member of the Young Communist League. He was later promoted to captain on June 5. In September 1938, with a Republican defeat in sight, the Abraham Lincoln Battalion was withdrawn from the front line and shortly afterwards disbanded. During his time in Spain, Aalto wrote: "A soldier who is politically conscious that he is right and who has a feeling of community with his society... will do his job well." With the help of his disability pension and the G.I. Bill, he returned to further his education, studying poetry at Columbia University. At this time, he published several pieces of his writings in the New Masses. Aalto then travelled to Europe, where he met the poet W.H.

Research notes

Gallery

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Technical record

Field Imported value
Approx Age at Death 43
Nara ASN 32175470
Nara Name AALTO WILLIAM E
Nara State 23
Nara County 5
Nara POE 2314
Nara DOE 81041
Nara Grade Alpha PVT
Nara Grade Code 8
Nara Branch Alpha BI
Nara Branch Code 0
Branch Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
Nara Term or Enlistment 0
Term of enlistment Unknown
Defer. Date 0
Nara Source 0
Nara Nativity 23
Nativity.1 NEW YORK
Nara Year of Birth 15
Nara Race 1
Nara Race Description White citizen
Nara Education 4
Nara Civilian Occupation 472
Nara Marital Status 6
Nara Height (inches) 72
Nara Weight (lbs) 212
Class_ASN 32175470
Class_Name AALTO, William E.
match_method asn_exact_name_exact
row_source both

Sources

  • Wikipedia: William Aalto
  • 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)