Soft launch: Soldier biographies and research notes vary in completeness. Prefer class-roster, NARA, newspapers, and other cited sources for contested facts — treat Research notes as leads, not settled history. Anyone can correct a page; contact us with questions.
Simon J. Lewen
| Simon J. Lewen | |
|---|---|
_press_TANGRAM.jpg) | |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Lewin Si |
| Born | 8 November 1918 Lublin, Poland |
| Died | 2016 |
| Nativity | Poland |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 12138008 |
| Rank | Technician Fifth Grade |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 16 (6 February – 5 April 1944) |
| Enlisted | Albany, New York |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Simon J. Lewen (1918–2016) was a United States Army soldier who trained at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, in Class 16.
Biography
Simon (“Si”) Lewen was born in Lublin, Poland, in 1918; two years later his family moved to Berlin. When Hitler came to power in 1933, the fourteen-year-old left Germany for France with his elder brother. The family later obtained U.S. visas, and Lewen arrived in New York in 1935, where he enrolled in art school.
He volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1942 and trained at Camp Ritchie. In France he was assigned to loudspeaker work at the front, urging German soldiers to surrender—work that left him exhausted and broken down by the end of the war. After returning to the United States in 1945 he became a sought-after artist, published, and taught; in 1985 he decided never to sell a painting again.
Research notes
- Ritchie Boy
- Artist of the Holocaust; Si Lewen Museum
- Portrait and summary from Notable Ritchie Boys slides ( )
Gallery
-
Earlier profile photograph (retained after press-photo update)
.jpg)
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| MRBC3 | 3 |
| Approx Age at Death | 98 |
| Nara ASN | 12138008 |
| Nara Name | LEWIN SIMON J |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 5 |
| Nara POE | 2302 |
| Nara DOE | 40942 |
| Nara Grade Alpha | PVT |
| Nara Grade Code | 8 |
| Nara Branch Alpha | SC |
| Nara Branch Code | 90 |
| Branch | Signal Corps |
| Nara Term or Enlistment | 0 |
| Term of enlistment | Unknown |
| Defer. Date | 3 |
| Nara Source | 0 |
| Nara Nativity | N0 |
| Nara Year of Birth | 18 |
| Nara Race | 1 |
| Nara Race Description | White citizen |
| Nara Education | 4 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 783 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 62 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 114 |
| row_source | demographics |
Timeline
- Born 8 November 1918 in Poland.
- c. 1920 — Family moved from Lublin to Berlin.
- 1933 — Left Germany for France with his elder brother.
- 1935 — Arrived in New York; enrolled in art school.
- 1942 — Volunteered for the U.S. Army.
- 6 February 1944 — Entered Class 16 at Camp Ritchie.
- 1945 — Returned to the United States.
- 1985 — Stopped selling his paintings.
- Became naturalized citizen.
- Transferred to 2nd Mobile Radio Broadcasting Company (also 3rd MRBC).
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 Simon J. Lewen for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Lewen, Simon J. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: SIMON J. LEWIN.doc)
- The Ritchie Boys: Si Lewen
- The Ritchie Boys film site — press photos (© TANGRAM (Harald Stuckmann); high-res https://ritchieboys.com/DL/photos-highq/boys/lewen.jpg)
