| Felix Herbert Kocem | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Felix Herbert Kojcem |
| Born | 25 October 1923 Vienna, Austria |
| Died | 15 July 2021 Hilton Head Island, South Carolina |
| Nativity | Austria |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Awards | Purple Heart |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 32972884 |
| Rank | Private |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 14 (2 December 1943 – 31 January 1944) |
| Section | 5B |
| Enlisted | New York City, New York |
|
| Purple Heart |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Felix Herbert Kocem (born Felix Herbert Kojcem; also known in the Army as Felix H. Kent; 25 October 1923 – 15 July 2021) was a Vienna-born Ritchie Boy who trained at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, in Class 14 and was wounded in France in October 1944 while serving in intelligence with the Counter Intelligence Corps. Felix enlisted at New York City, New York.
Biography
Felix Herbert Kocem was born Felix Herbert Kojcem in Vienna on 25 October 1923 into a Jewish family; in the Army he was also known as Felix H. Kent. He attended elementary school in Austria until 1937 and fled after the Nazi takeover, traveling through Zagreb and Le Havre to the United States in February 1939. He lived in New York City, worked as an assistant in a law office, and from 1942 studied law at New York University without completing the degree.
Kocem enlisted at New York City on 22 June 1943 as a private (ASN 32972884) and went through the Induction Center at Camp Upton, New York, to basic and medical training with Company C, 34th Medical Training Battalion, 8th Medical Training Regiment, at the Medical Replacement Training Center at Camp Grant, Illinois. On 9 October 1943 he became a naturalized citizen and was transferred to the Military Intelligence Training Center at Camp Ritchie, where he trained as a German-language prisoner-of-war interrogator in Class 14 (section 5B, IPW German; certificate 5155), specializing as a document examiner and clerk.
In February 1944 Kocem sailed from Fort Slocum at the New York Port of Embarkation for Europe and joined the 81st Replacement Battalion, probably at the 17th Replacement Depot in Yeovil, England. In June the 487th Replacement Company sent him as an intelligence observer to the tenth class of the Combat Intelligence School, and in July he was transferred from the 487th Replacement Company of the 89th Replacement Battalion to a provisional replacement company and assigned to its intelligence platoon; in August he served with various detachments and companies of the 12th Replacement Depot, probably near Tidworth. He probably worked as an interrogator or translator with the Counter Intelligence Corps in the XV Corps area in France, and in October 1944, near Lunéville, he was wounded by artillery fire during a simultaneous vehicle accident, for which he received the Purple Heart. He was evacuated through Marseille to the 300th General Hospital in Naples, Italy, returned to the United States by hospital ship in December 1944, and was treated further at Charleston, South Carolina, and at Battey General Hospital in Rome, Georgia. He was probably discharged in early 1945; his last known rank was private. He died in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, on 15 July 2021.
Gallery
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Timeline
- 25 October 1923 — Born Felix Herbert Kojcem in Vienna, Austria.
- February 1939 — Emigrated through Zagreb and Le Havre to the United States.
- 1942 — Law studies at New York University.
- 22 June 1943 — Enlisted in Army in NYC as Pvt (ASN: 32972884); medical training at Camp Grant, Illinois.
- 9 October 1943 — Became naturalized citizen; transferred to Camp Ritchie, Class 14 (section 5B, IPW German). Certificate # 5155.
- February 1944 — Sailed for Britain; 81st Replacement Battalion.
- June 1944 — Combat Intelligence School (10th class).
- October 1944 — Wounded near Lunéville, France. Purple Heart.
- December 1944 — Returned to the United States by hospital ship.
- 15 July 2021 — Died in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
- Served with Counter Intelligence Corps (XV Corps area, France).
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Nara ASN | 32972884 |
| Nara Name | KENT FELIX H |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 61 |
| Nara POE | 2364 |
| Nara DOE | 220643 |
| Nara Grade Alpha | P5T |
| 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 | N2 |
| Nara Year of Birth | 23 |
| Nara Race | J |
| Nara Race Description | White not yet a citizen |
| Nara Education | 6 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 68 |
| Nara Marital Status | 1 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 44 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 666 |
| Class_ASN | 32972884 |
| Class_Name | KOCEM, Felix H. |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Sources
- 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 Felix H. Kocem for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 2 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Kocem, Felix H. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 2 source files: FELIX H. KENT (KOCEM).docx, FELIX H. KOCEM (KENT).docx)
- Austriansoldiers biography: Felix H. Kocem, Austriansoldiers / Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Research on Consequences of War (in German; accessed 25 September 2026)
- Felix H. Kocem in uniform (photo: Laurie Kapp)