| William R. Galen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1914 |
| Died | 1994 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| Arm / service | Coast Artillery Corps |
| ASN | 01044825 |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 3 (2 November – 23 December 1942) |
| Section | D |
| Team | IPW 15 |
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.
William R. Galen (1914 – 27 March 1944) was a Ritchie Boy who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 3 and served with IPW Team 15.
Biography
"Bill" Galen (1914–1994) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 3 and served with IPW Team 15. A Signal Corps photograph shows him with the 6695 Military Intelligence Service (center, wearing a helmet).
Research notes
- 85th Infantry
Gallery
-
RB Lt. Bill Galen is in the center wearing a helmet, and Ritchie Boy Sgt. George W. Visko is on the far left -
Sgt. George Visko interrogates a German POW in Dragoni, Italy, in the fall of 1943. -
-
Visko's gravesite in the Sicily–Rome American Cemetery and Memorial in Nettuno, Italy. -
Galen paid a photographer to take this studio portrait in Rome, summer 1944, shortly after he was promoted to captain. -
The Cleveland Press newspaper also took Galen's picture in the summer of 1944, as he interrogated German POWs. -
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Galen at center with officers under his command at the 5th Army HQ IPW detachment in Florence, Christmastime 1944. Most are known to be Ritchie Boys. At lower left are: Eigen, Hobelman, Galen, Hergenreter, Allen; the back row includes Jacobson and Nielsen.
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 80 |
| Class_ASN | 44825 |
| Class_Name | GALEN, William R. |
| match_method | asn_partial_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
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)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-08-29 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-09-02 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2026-05-05 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2026-06-24 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2026-08-13 (1 post)
- Facebook-linked source: g2warletters.com