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Defourneaux, Rene J. (32764692): Difference between revisions

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Expand exact roster rank codes (class_rank: Pvt -> Private)
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|awards_ribbon_rows=Ribbon_Silver_Star_Medal_ribbon.png
|awards_ribbon_rows=Ribbon_Silver_Star_Medal_ribbon.png
|awards_extra=Listed in [[By The Numbers/Awards]] (from ''Ritchie Boy Secrets'' by Beverley Driver Eddy).
|awards_extra=Listed in [[By The Numbers/Awards]] (from ''Ritchie Boy Secrets'' by Beverley Driver Eddy).
|birth_place=France in
|birth_place=France
|rank_final=MAJOR
|rank_final=Major
|death_date=1 April 2010
|death_date=1 April 2010
|birth_date=29 April 1921
}}
}}


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== Biography ==
== Biography ==
Rene Defourneaux retired from the US Army as a Major in February 1965. Rene worked as a on completion, he was shipped to Londonderry, Northern Ireland, and then quickly transferred to the British Army’s Special Operations Executive (SOE) in London. He uS ARMY, RETIRED (DECEASED). He passed away on April 1, 2010 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. After the war in the Pacific ended, Defourneaux again returned to the US and was discharged. He in retirement, he wrote four books: The Winking Fox, The Tracks of the Fox, The Raven Dropped His Cheese, and The Mark of the Buceros. He mission completed, 2LT Defourneaux returned to the US, where he received the Silver Star for his actions in France.
René J. Défourneaux was born on 29 April 1921 in France and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1939. He volunteered for the Army in 1943 and, because of his French, trained as an interrogator at Camp Ritchie (Class 14).
 
Shipped overseas, he transferred to British Special Operations Executive training and then to the Office of Strategic Services. Commissioned a second lieutenant at SHAEF, he parachuted into occupied France on the night of 8 August 1944, joined the Licensee (Leon) resistance net in the Nièvre, destroyed the Saint-Thibault bridge on the Loire, and helped deny German armor routes against Patton’s Third Army. For those actions he received the Silver Star (12 April 1945) and the French Croix de Guerre with Silver Star. In 1945 OSS sent him to the China-Burma-India theater with the Deer Team training Viet Minh guerrillas near Hanoi under the cover name Raymond Douglas.
 
Recalled in 1947 for Counter Intelligence Corps and later intelligence assignments in Europe and Asia, Défourneaux retired as a major in February 1965. In retirement he wrote several books, including ''The Winking Fox''. He died on 1 April 2010 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.


== Research notes ==
== Research notes ==
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* Jedburgh
* Jedburgh
* Winking Fox
* Winking Fox
* Fixed malformed live birth_place. Silver Star retained. French Croix de Guerre kept in prose only (not in the U.S. ribbon filename list). City of birth within France is not asserted.


== Gallery ==
== Gallery ==
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
<div class="soldier-timeline-body">
<div class="soldier-timeline-body">
* Born 1921.
* 29 April 1921 — Born in France.
* 2019 — Inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame.
* 1939 — Immigrated to the United States.
* Born Rene Defourneaux was born in France in 1921 and immigrated to the United States in 1939. He volunteered for the US Army in 1943 and, because of his French language skills, he was sent to the Military Intelligence Training Center at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, to become an interrogator. On completion, he was shipped to Londonderry, Northern Ireland, and.
* 1943 — Volunteered for the U.S. Army; trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 14).
* Rene Defourneaux was born in France in 1921 and immigrated to the United States in 1939. He volunteered for the US Army in 1943 and, because of his French language skills, he was sent to the Military Intelligence Training Center at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, to become an interrogator. On completion, he was shipped to Londonderry, Northern Ireland, and then.
* 8 August 1944 — Parachuted into occupied France on an OSS/SOE resistance mission.
* See: “The Winking Fox: Twenty-Two Years in Military Intelligence” Indiana Creative 1997.
* 12 April 1945 — Awarded the Silver Star at the Pentagon.
* He passed away on April 1, 2010 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
* 1945 — China-Burma-India / Deer Team assignment in French Indochina.
* After the war in the Pacific ended, Defourneaux again returned to the US and was discharged.
* November 1947 — Recalled to active duty for CIC / intelligence assignments.
* Awarded Silver Star.
* February 1965 — Retired as a major.
* Drafted into Army as Pvt (ASN: 32764692).
* 1 April 2010 — Died; buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
* Here's a photo of the OSS Deer Team members, the two Viet Minh leaders and troops.
* Joined OSS. Assigned to Jedburgh Team.
* Mission completed, 2LT Defourneaux returned to the US, where he received the Silver Star for his actions in France.
* Transferred to SHAEF as 2nd Lt.
 
</div>
</div>
</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>
</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* Folder identity dates: 29 April 1921 – 1 April 2010
* RB Archive note “LT. DEFOURNEAUX DROPS INTO FRANCE, 8 August 1944” (Silver Star; Croix de Guerre)
* RB Archive Military Intelligence Corps biographical profile of Major René J. Défourneaux
* 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

Revision as of 23:23, 16 September 2026

Rene J. Defourneaux
Personal details
Born29 April 1921
France
Died1 April 2010
NativityFrance
ReligionCatholic
AwardsSilver Star
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch United States Army
ASN32764692
RankMajor
Rank at RitchiePrivate
Camp RitchieClass 14 (2 December 1943 – 31 January 1944)
Section7B
Awards and honors
Silver Star
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.


Rene J. Defourneaux (1921–2010) was a United States Army Private who trained at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, in Class 14.

Biography

René J. Défourneaux was born on 29 April 1921 in France and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1939. He volunteered for the Army in 1943 and, because of his French, trained as an interrogator at Camp Ritchie (Class 14).

Shipped overseas, he transferred to British Special Operations Executive training and then to the Office of Strategic Services. Commissioned a second lieutenant at SHAEF, he parachuted into occupied France on the night of 8 August 1944, joined the Licensee (Leon) resistance net in the Nièvre, destroyed the Saint-Thibault bridge on the Loire, and helped deny German armor routes against Patton’s Third Army. For those actions he received the Silver Star (12 April 1945) and the French Croix de Guerre with Silver Star. In 1945 OSS sent him to the China-Burma-India theater with the Deer Team training Viet Minh guerrillas near Hanoi under the cover name Raymond Douglas.

Recalled in 1947 for Counter Intelligence Corps and later intelligence assignments in Europe and Asia, Défourneaux retired as a major in February 1965. In retirement he wrote several books, including The Winking Fox. He died on 1 April 2010 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Research notes

  • OSS As 2nd Lt SS to Major
  • Jedburgh
  • Winking Fox
  • Fixed malformed live birth_place. Silver Star retained. French Croix de Guerre kept in prose only (not in the U.S. ribbon filename list). City of birth within France is not asserted.

Gallery

After you are autoconfirmed, upload a photo and add [[File:Example.jpg|thumb|caption]] here, or set |photo=Example.jpg in the infobox.

Technical record

Field Imported value
Approx Age at Death 89
Class_ASN 32764692
Class_Name DEFOURNEAUX, Rene J.
match_method asn_exact_name_exact
row_source both

Timeline

  • 29 April 1921 — Born in France.
  • 1939 — Immigrated to the United States.
  • 1943 — Volunteered for the U.S. Army; trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 14).
  • 8 August 1944 — Parachuted into occupied France on an OSS/SOE resistance mission.
  • 12 April 1945 — Awarded the Silver Star at the Pentagon.
  • 1945 — China-Burma-India / Deer Team assignment in French Indochina.
  • November 1947 — Recalled to active duty for CIC / intelligence assignments.
  • February 1965 — Retired as a major.
  • 1 April 2010 — Died; buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Sources

  • Folder identity dates: 29 April 1921 – 1 April 2010
  • RB Archive note “LT. DEFOURNEAUX DROPS INTO FRANCE, 8 August 1944” (Silver Star; Croix de Guerre)
  • RB Archive Military Intelligence Corps biographical profile of Major René J. Défourneaux
  • 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)
  • Dan Gross, Timeline of Rene J. Defourneaux for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
  • Dan Gross, Timeline of Defourneaux, Rene J. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: RENE J. DEFOURNEAUX.doc)
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