| Kurt Klein | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1920 |
| Died | 2002 |
| Nativity | Germany |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 32554510 |
| Rank | Private |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 5 (8 February – 9 April 1943) |
| Section | 9 |
| Enlisted | Buffalo, New York |
| Specialty | Military intelligence |
| Unit / division | 5th Infantry Division |
| Team | IPW 3 |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Kurt Klein (died 2002) was a German-born refugee from Walldorf and a military intelligence soldier with the 5th Infantry Division. After returning to Germany in American uniform, he met and later married Holocaust survivor Gerda Weissmann.
Biography
Kurt was born on July 2, 1920 in Walldorf, Germany where his father worked as a grain broker. In 1937 he left for the United States alone. He finally in November 1942, the State Department wrote to Kurt informing him that his parents had received clearance to leave. In October 1943, he became member of IPW Team 3 assigned to the 2nd Infantry. He they married in Paris on September 1945. He of which was Gerda Weissmann who he married in 1946. He worked as linotype machine operator. Like many young refugees, he had to establish himself in a new country while trying to help family members still trapped in Europe. Klein entered the U.S. Army and was selected for military intelligence training at Camp Ritchie. His native German, knowledge of German customs, and experience as a refugee were transformed into military skills. He was assigned to the intelligence section of the 5th Infantry Division for its campaign into Germany. His wartime journey carried him back into the country he had escaped, now as a member of the U.S. Their meeting became the beginning of a lasting partnership, and they married after the war. Kurt Klein died in April 2002 while on a lecture tour in Guatemala.
Research notes
- To 2nd Lt About Face
Gallery
-
Kurt Klein on a mountaintop near Oberammergau, Bavaria, in 1933 Kurt Klein -
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 82 |
| Nara ASN | 32554510 |
| Nara Name | KLEIN KURT |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 29 |
| Nara POE | 2309 |
| Nara DOE | 281042 |
| 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 | 20 |
| Nara Race | J |
| Nara Race Description | White not yet a citizen |
| Nara Education | 4 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 444 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 66 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 128 |
| Class_ASN | 32554510 |
| Class_Name | KLEIN, Kurt |
| 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)
- The Stories essay