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Szego, George C. (37357304): Difference between revisions

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Normalize place format (birth_place: Budapest -> Budapest, Hungary)
RB Archive batch-5 enrichment: Chronological regen from WaPo; DOD Dover; solar/White House
 
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|birth_place=Budapest, Hungary
|birth_place=Budapest, Hungary
|teams=MII 457-G
|teams=MII 457-G
|death_date=23 April 2008
|death_place=Dover, Delaware
|rank_final=Sergeant
}}
}}


<div class="soldier-lead">
<div class="soldier-lead">
'''[[Szego, George C. (37357304)|George Charles Szego]]''' (1919–2008) was a Ritchie Boy (from Hungary) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 14.
'''[[Szego, George C. (37357304)|George Charles Szego]]''' (1919 – 23 April 2008) was a Budapest-born Ritchie Boy (Class 14) who landed in Normandy, interrogated high-value prisoners, and later founded a solar company that put collectors on the White House roof.
</div>
</div>


== Biography ==
== Biography ==
George Charles Szego was born in Budapest and was 2 when his political emigre parents brought him to the United States.
George Charles Szego was born in Budapest in 1919 and was two when his political-émigré parents brought him to the United States. After Brooklyn Technical High School he entered City College of New York, ran out of money after two years, and took a metals-recovery plant job in Sheridan, Wyoming.


After graduating from Brooklyn Technical High School, he enrolled at City College of New York.
Enlisting after Pearl Harbor, he first went to Camp Sibert, Alabama, for chemical-warfare training, then—because he spoke Hungarian and German—to Camp Ritchie (Class 14). As a sergeant he landed at Omaha Beach in June 1944 a few weeks after D-Day, fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and led an intelligence detachment that captured German teams impersonating GIs. Before Nuremberg he interrogated prisoners at Oberursel, including Hermann Göring.
 
After enlisting in the Army, he was sent to Camp Sibert, Ala., for chemical warfare training, but when Army brass realized he was fluent in Hungarian and German, he was transferred to the Army Intelligence Center at Camp Ritchie, MD.
 
Szego, then a Sergeant, landed at Omaha Beach in June 1944, a few weeks after D-Day, and he fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Szego interrogated a number of captured Nazis at Oberursel, including Hermann Goering. Szego recalled, was "a mere shadow of his former 320-pound self.
 
He was a chemical engineer who founded a pioneering solar technology company and who persuaded former President Jimmy Carter to install solar panels on the roof of the White House. A child of the Depression, he ran out of money after two years at CCNY and took a job in a plant in Sheridan, Wyo., that recovered non-ferrous metals. The job was supposed to be a brief hiatus from higher education, but the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor altered his plans.
 
During combat operations, he led an intelligence detachment that captured teams of Nazis impersonating GIs. Driving stolen Jeeps and wearing U.S. Uniforms, the Germans were bent on assassinating highranking American officers.
 
Before the Nuremberg trials, Dr. The Luftwaffe commander, Dr.
 
Army (Ret'd) of Dover died Wednesday, April 23, 2008.


He earned degrees from the University of Denver (1947) and the University of Washington (M.S. 1950, Ph.D. 1956), worked for GE, TRW, and the Institute for Defense Analyses, and in 1970 founded InterTechnology/Solar Corp. in Warrenton, Virginia. In 1979 his firm installed solar collectors on the White House West Wing. He died on 23 April 2008 in Dover, Delaware.


== Technical record ==
== Technical record ==
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== Timeline ==
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
<div class="soldier-timeline-body">
* 1919 — Born in Budapest; to the United States at age two.
* Brooklyn Tech; CCNY (two years); metals plant, Sheridan, Wyoming.
* After Pearl Harbor — Enlisted; Camp Sibert chemical warfare; Camp Ritchie Class 14.
* June 1944 — Omaha Beach (sergeant); Battle of the Bulge; captured German impersonator teams.
* Pre-Nuremberg — Interrogations at Oberursel, including Hermann Göring.
* 1947 — B.S., University of Denver; 1950 / 1956 — M.S. and Ph.D., University of Washington.
* 1970 — Founded InterTechnology/Solar Corp., Warrenton, Virginia.
* 20 June 1979 — White House West Wing solar collectors inaugurated.
* 23 April 2008 — Died in Dover, Delaware.
</div>
</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* Washington Post, 14 May 2008 — Joe Holley, “George C. Szego, 88; Solar Energy Leader, ‘Mr. Space Power’” (RB Archive ProQuest PDF; private copy, not uploaded)
* 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

Latest revision as of 18:07, 16 September 2026

George Charles Szego
Personal details
Born1919
Budapest, Hungary
Died23 April 2008
Dover, Delaware
NativityHungary
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch United States Army
ASN37357304
RankSergeant
Rank at RitchiePrivate
Camp RitchieClass 14 (2 December 1943 – 31 January 1944)
Section5D
EnlistedFt Francis E Warren Cheyenne, Wyoming
TeamMII 457-G
Teammates
Team — MII 457-G
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.


George Charles Szego (1919 – 23 April 2008) was a Budapest-born Ritchie Boy (Class 14) who landed in Normandy, interrogated high-value prisoners, and later founded a solar company that put collectors on the White House roof.

Biography[edit | edit source]

George Charles Szego was born in Budapest in 1919 and was two when his political-émigré parents brought him to the United States. After Brooklyn Technical High School he entered City College of New York, ran out of money after two years, and took a metals-recovery plant job in Sheridan, Wyoming.

Enlisting after Pearl Harbor, he first went to Camp Sibert, Alabama, for chemical-warfare training, then—because he spoke Hungarian and German—to Camp Ritchie (Class 14). As a sergeant he landed at Omaha Beach in June 1944 a few weeks after D-Day, fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and led an intelligence detachment that captured German teams impersonating GIs. Before Nuremberg he interrogated prisoners at Oberursel, including Hermann Göring.

He earned degrees from the University of Denver (1947) and the University of Washington (M.S. 1950, Ph.D. 1956), worked for GE, TRW, and the Institute for Defense Analyses, and in 1970 founded InterTechnology/Solar Corp. in Warrenton, Virginia. In 1979 his firm installed solar collectors on the White House West Wing. He died on 23 April 2008 in Dover, Delaware.

Technical record[edit | edit source]

Field Imported value
Approx Age at Death 89
Nara ASN 37357304
Nara Name SZEGO GEORGE C
Nara State 79
Nara County 33
Nara POE 7931
Nara DOE 160743
Nara Grade Alpha PVT
Nara Grade Code 8
Nara Branch Alpha NO
Nara Branch Code 2
Branch No branch assignment
Nara Term or Enlistment 5
Term of enlistment Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
Defer. Date 0
Nara Source 0
Nara Nativity N3
Nara Year of Birth 19
Nara Race 1
Nara Race Description White citizen
Nara Education 8
Nara Civilian Occupation 101
Nara Marital Status 2
Nara Height (inches) 10
Nara Weight (lbs) 0
Class_ASN 37357304
Class_Name SZEGO, George C.
match_method asn_exact_name_exact
row_source both

Timeline[edit | edit source]

  • 1919 — Born in Budapest; to the United States at age two.
  • Brooklyn Tech; CCNY (two years); metals plant, Sheridan, Wyoming.
  • After Pearl Harbor — Enlisted; Camp Sibert chemical warfare; Camp Ritchie Class 14.
  • June 1944 — Omaha Beach (sergeant); Battle of the Bulge; captured German impersonator teams.
  • Pre-Nuremberg — Interrogations at Oberursel, including Hermann Göring.
  • 1947 — B.S., University of Denver; 1950 / 1956 — M.S. and Ph.D., University of Washington.
  • 1970 — Founded InterTechnology/Solar Corp., Warrenton, Virginia.
  • 20 June 1979 — White House West Wing solar collectors inaugurated.
  • 23 April 2008 — Died in Dover, Delaware.

Sources[edit | edit source]

  • Washington Post, 14 May 2008 — Joe Holley, “George C. Szego, 88; Solar Energy Leader, ‘Mr. Space Power’” (RB Archive ProQuest PDF; private copy, not uploaded)
  • 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)
  • Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-11-23 (1 post)
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