Joseph W. Eaton

Joseph W. Eaton
Personal details
Born	28 September 1919 Germany
Died	15 October 2012 Theresienstadt
Nativity	Germany
Religion	Jewish
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Army
ASN	32498461
Rank	Private
Camp Ritchie	Class 17 (11 March – 8 May 1944)
Enlisted	Ft Jay Governors Island, New York

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Joseph W. Eaton (1919–2012) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie.

Biography

Eaton, born Josef Wechsler (September 28, 1919 – October 15, 2012), was an American sociologist who published widely in the fields of social work, sociology, public health, and public and international affairs. After the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, Joseph's parents arranged for him and a younger brother to emigrate to the United States by themselves, with the assistance of the German Jewish Children's Aid program; By that time he had changed his last name to Eaton (the name of his foster family), out of concern for the safety of his parents, who were then living in the Netherlands, under Nazi occupation. Joseph’s parents, Jacob and Flora, were murdered in Sobibor killing center and his maternal grandmother, Cilli Goldschmidt, died of starvation in Theresienstadt.

Eaton was born in Nuremberg, Germany, the son of Jakob Wechsler and Flora Wechsler (née Goldschmidt).

Eaton graduated from Cornell University in 1940, and completed his Ph.D. He spent most of his professional career at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was appointed professor of social work research in the School of Social Work in 1959. Joseph attended Cornell University (BA, Liberal Arts).

He is credited with the creation of a masters of social work research major there, and, in the 1980s, organized the dual degree program between Pitt's School of Social Work and the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.

After joining the Army in 1942, he was trained in military government and psychological warfare at Camp Ritchie. He in September 1942, he entered the US Army and was trained in military government and psychological warfare at Camp Ritchie.

On 25 May 1943, Eaton served as T/5 as General Clerk at 269 Station Hosp, Camp Ellis. They were killed in Sobibór in 1943. Joseph was editor of the weekly paper in Straubing.

He worked as Research Director for Social Work organization.

He , 26, presumably after the war in Schwandorf displaced persons camp in Germany.

Research notes

• 12th Army Group
• USHMM
• to 4th MRBC, 4/20/44
• See USHMM 'Curator's Corner

Gallery

• 
  All the men identified in the pix are "Ritchie Boys." Seated - Hans Habe. Standing L-R - Unknown, Ernest Wynder, Konrad Kellen, unknown, Stefan Heym, Louis Atlas, Peter Weidenreich (last name later changed to Wyden), unknown, Joseph Eaton
• 
• 

Technical record

Field	Imported value
MRBC4	4
Approx Age at Death	93
Nara ASN	32498461
Nara Name	EATON JOSEPH W
Nara State	23
Nara County	61
Nara POE	2327
Nara DOE	90942
Nara Grade Alpha	PVT
Nara Grade Code	8
Nara Branch Alpha	BI
Nara Branch Code	0
Branch	Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
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	19
Nara Race	J
Nara Race Description	White not yet a citizen
Nara Education	8
Nara Civilian Occupation	27
Nara Marital Status	6
Nara Height (inches)	63
Nara Weight (lbs)	112
row_source	demographics

Timeline

• Born 28 September 1919 in Germany.
• 1938 — Served as Pvt with ROTC (2 years).
• 9 September 1942 — Enlisted at Fort Jay NY as Pvt (ASN: 32498461).
• 25 May 1943 — Served as T/5 as General Clerk at 269 Station Hosp, Camp Ellis.
• Joseph’s parents, Jacob and Flora, were murdered in Sobibor killing center and his maternal grandmother, Cilli Goldschmidt, died of starvation in Theresienstadt in March 1943.).
• 25 May 1944 — Promoted to T/3 (S.O. 125).
• Joseph’s parents, Jacob and Flora, were murdered in Sobibor killing center and his maternal grandmother, Cilli Goldschmidt, died of starvation in Theresienstadt.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Joseph W. Eaton
• 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)
• Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2021-08-11 (1 post)
• Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-10-06 (6 posts)
• Dan Gross, Timeline of Joseph W. Eaton for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
• Dan Gross, Timeline of Eaton, Joseph W. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: JOSEPH W. EATON.doc)