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Menzel, Rene E. (01054061): Difference between revisions

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|death_date=10 May 2017
|death_date=10 May 2017
|arm_or_service=Coast Artillery Corps
|arm_or_service=Coast Artillery Corps
|birth_place=Netherlands
|birth_place=The Hague, Netherlands
|rank_final=2nd Lt
|rank_final=First Lieutenant
|teams=MII 415
|teams=MII 415
|death_place=Williamsburg, Virginia
|awards=Bronze Star; Purple Heart
|awards_grid=Bronze Star;;Purple Heart
|awards_ribbons=Ribbon_Bronze_Star_Medal_ribbon.png;Ribbon_Purple_Heart_ribbon.png
|awards_ribbon_rows=Ribbon_Bronze_Star_Medal_ribbon.png;;Ribbon_Purple_Heart_ribbon.png
}}
}}


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== Biography ==
== Biography ==
Rene was born November 22nd 1919 in The Hague, Netherlands. While his parents and Georges were evading the Nazis by sleeping out in remote farm houses, Rene enlisted in the Free French Army. From Morocco he made his way to the US through a ship that was going to Guadeloupe where he was reunited with his parents who had previously escaped war torn Europe and were living in New York City.
René Eugene Menzel was born on 22 November 1919 in The Hague, Netherlands, to Jean and Erna Menzel, and grew up largely in Brussels. He graduated from the University of Brussels as World War II began. When the German invasion forced the family to flee, Menzel enlisted in the Free French Army, was wounded by shrapnel, escaped occupied France on a falsified pass, reached Casablanca, and rejoined his parents in New York by way of a ship bound for Guadeloupe.


Rene attended high school and university in Belgium. Rene graduated from the University of Brussels just as WWII was breaking out in Europe.
He entered the U.S. Army, became a naturalized citizen while at Camp Ritchie (Class 11), and served with MII Team 415. Overseas he screened Channel crossers for intelligence risks, landed in Normandy on D-Day, and took part in liberating France; his detachment helped free tens of thousands of Allied prisoners. U.S. awards included the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star (with oak leaf cluster); France awarded him the Croix de Guerre.


Rene immediately enlisted in the US Army and rose to the rank of First Lieutenant.
After the war Menzel worked for IBM World Trade, lived for years in Darien, Connecticut—chairing Planning and Zoning and later active in SCORE—and then in Williamsburg, Virginia. He died there on 10 May 2017.
 
He became a naturalized US citizen while stationed at the Military Intelligence Training Center in Camp Ritchie, Maryland.
 
He worked as tabulating machine operator. He also served as an Investigating Officer with the War Crimes Branch. He served as interviewer of people fleeing the continent.
 
Rene Eugene Menzel was a Ritchie Boy. Rene's father, Jean was an industrialist, art collector, and champion horse owner. He and his family were forced to flee Belgium during the Nazi blitzkrieg.
 
He was subsequently injured during a skirmish by shrapnel and convalesced in a hospital in Nazi occupied France. He escaped through falsifying a pass that allowed him to travel freely throughout German occupied France. He eventually made his way to Casablanca Morocco which at that time was not under Vichy government control.
 
Rene was assigned back to Europe where he was part of military intelligence interviewing people fleeing across the English Channel to insure they were not spies. Rene was part of D-Day and landed in Normandy under extreme conditions. He participated in the liberation of France where his detachment assisted in the freeing of over 50,000 Prisoners of War.
 
One of Rene's favorite war stories detailed how he and his Sergeant got ahead of the other allied troops and much to their surprise would arrive in their jeep in towns that hadn't been officially liberated yet. Rene was awarded the highest honors for his performance throughout the war. From the provisional French Government under General Charles de Gaulle, Rene was awarded the Croix de Geurre for his contribution to the liberation of the French Republic.
 
From the USA under the orders of General Eisenhower, Rene was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star and the Oak Leaf Cluster. At the conclusion of the war, Rene reunited with his family who were already residing in Manhattan, NY. It was a fascinating period in their lives as they traveled frequently throughout the Orient.
 
On the volunteer side, Rene became very involved in the local town government; heading up the Planning and Zoning Committee as well as becoming a Power Squadron instructor. Rene was awarded the SCORE Connecticut Chapter executive of the year award. He was very fond of helping small business succeed.
 
Rene Eugene Menzel died May 10th, 2017 at the age of 97.


== Research notes ==
== Research notes ==
* See notes
* See notes
* Bronze Star and Purple Heart are explicit in the Darienite obituary (Eisenhower orders). Croix de Guerre kept in prose only. Oak leaf cluster noted in prose; awards tuple lists Bronze Star once. Live rank_final 2nd Lt upgraded to First Lieutenant per obituary wartime grade.


== Technical record ==
== Technical record ==
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* Born 22 November 1919 in Netherlands.
* 22 November 1919 — Born in The Hague, Netherlands.
* August 1943 — Assigned to Camp Ritchie.
* 1940 — Graduated from the University of Brussels as war began in Europe.
* Assigned as CO of MII 415 attached to 2nd Infantry Division.
* 1940–1941 — Free French service, wound and escape through France and Morocco; reunited with family in New York.
* Graduated as 2nd Lt. (ASN 01054061) with Class 11 PI and SC 1 Fr.
* August 1943 — Assigned to Camp Ritchie (Class 11); naturalized while stationed there.
* 1944–1945 — Served with MII Team 415; Channel screening, Normandy landing, liberation of France / POW recovery.
* Postwar — Career with IBM World Trade; later Darien civic service and SCORE.
* 10 May 2017 — Died in Williamsburg, Virginia.
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== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Rene E. Menzel for Camp Ritchie'' (private research document; selected non-private findings)
* [https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/vagazette/name/rene-menzel-obituary?id=20095962 Legacy / Virginia Gazette — René Menzel obituary]
* [https://darienite.com/rene-menzel-97-one-adventure-another-ww-ii-later-darien-pz-chairman-22200 Darienite, 17 May 2017 — René Menzel obituary feature]
* 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
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