Katzenstein, William B. (33722535)

William B. Katzenstein
Personal details
Born	1924
Died	2012
Nativity	Germany
Religion	Jewish
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Army
ASN	33722535
Enlisted	Baltimore, Maryland
Specialty	S-2 / airborne intelligence
Unit / division	505th Pir, 82nd Airborne

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William B. Katzenstein was a German-born refugee from Schenklengsfeld and a Camp Ritchie-trained airborne intelligence soldier. Serving in the S-2 section of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, he took part in the Normandy and Holland campaigns.

Biography

William B. Katzenstein grew up in Schenklengsfeld, Germany, as Nazi persecution made continued Jewish life increasingly dangerous. He left Germany in 1937 and settled in New York, beginning again in the United States several years before America entered the war.

After joining the U.S. Army, Katzenstein was selected for military intelligence training at Camp Ritchie. His German fluency and personal knowledge of the country prepared him to interpret enemy documents, question prisoners, and evaluate information about German forces.

Katzenstein volunteered for the paratroops and was assigned to the S-2 intelligence section of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. The assignment placed a refugee from Germany in one of the Army's most mobile combat formations, where reliable intelligence had to be collected and communicated quickly.

With the 505th, Katzenstein served in the Normandy campaign and later in Holland. He supported airborne operations by helping the regiment understand the enemy troops and material it encountered. His training connected German language and cultural knowledge directly to the needs of regimental headquarters in combat.

Katzenstein continued his intelligence career after the war. He worked for U.S. Army Intelligence in Washington, D.C., carrying the specialized skills developed at Camp Ritchie and in the 82nd Airborne into postwar government service.

See the full story.

Research notes

• "CIB; BS; The Enemy I Knew" "About Face"
• 505th PIR

Technical record

Field	Imported value
Approx Age at Death	88
Nara ASN	33722535
Nara Name	KATZENSTEIN WERNER B
Nara State	31
Nara County	7
Nara POE	3110
Nara DOE	230443
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	N1
Nara Year of Birth	24
Nara Race	J
Nara Race Description	White not yet a citizen
Nara Education	3
Nara Civilian Occupation	50
Nara Marital Status	6
Nara Height (inches)	24
Nara Weight (lbs)	111
row_source	demographics

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)
• The Stories essay