| Joseph Leon Edel | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Leon Edel |
| Born | 9 September 1907 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | 5 September 1997 Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Nativity | United States |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Known for | Biography of Henry James |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 32982708 |
| Rank | Technical Sergeant |
| Rank at Ritchie | Private |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 13 (30 October – 23 December 1943) |
| Section | 7A (13); E (13) |
| Enlisted | New York City, New York |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Joseph Leon Edel (1907–1997) was a Ritchie Boy (born Leon Edel; from United States; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 13.
Biography
I came across an excerpt from Ritchie Boy Leon Edel's memoirs. In it Edel, who was born in Pittsburgh to Russian parents, writes about his arrival to Camp Ritchie, his training at the MITC, and then his transfer to Camp Sharpe, where we joined one of the Mobile Radio Broadcasting teams. "(Hans Habe, an instructor) spoke about opposition within the army to psychological warfare. Old army hands regarded us as superfluous. Bullets, not words, were the staples of combat. However, the military had to reckon with the comparatively new media of broadcasting. A special kind of communication was required if we were to reach our fighting enemy, our occupied allies, or newly liberated populations. This was the supreme and not very secret mission of psychological warfare."
There are many good non-fiction books and short stories that describe the experiences of Ritchie Boys during their training at Camp Ritchie and their service in WWII. Books by such authors as Nina Wolff Feld, Bruce Henderson, Beverley Eddy, and K. Lang Slattery are just a few that come to mind. I especially enjoy the first-hand stories written by Ritchie Boys, only a few of which I have read. Recently I read and wrote about The Visitable Past written by Pulitzer Prize winning author Leon Edel. Today, I finished a book by Max Lerner, Flight and Return, A Memoir of World War II. Also an excellent book and easy read.
Back on February 9, I wrote the following: "There are many good non-fiction books and short stories that describe the experiences of Ritchie Boys during their training at Camp Ritchie and their service in WWII. Books by such authors as Nina Wolff Feld, Bruce Henderson, Beverley Eddy, and K. Lang Slattery are just a few that come to mind. I especially enjoy the first-hand stories written by Ritchie Boys, only a few of which I have read. Recently I read and wrote about The Visitable Past written by Pulitzer Prize winning author Leon Edel. Today, I finished a book by Max Lerner, Flight and Return, A Memoir of World War II. Also an excellent book and easy read." Today, I finished a novel by Ritchie Boy Maximilian, The Expendable Spy. Here is an excerpt from the review on Amazon: From the deserts of Libya and Egypt to the icy lakes of Scotland, from London under the Blitz to German occupied France, from Alpine glaciers to the stately homes of Britain, the book ranges over the landscapes of World War II.
Research notes
- Henry James Scholar
- to 3rd MRBC, 12/31/43
- Henry James scholar
- Author, "The Visitable Past"
- Portrait and summary from Notable Ritchie Boys slides (source).
Gallery
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| MRBC3 | 3 |
| Approx Age at Death | 90 |
| Nara ASN | 32982708 |
| Nara Name | EDEL JOSEPH L |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 61 |
| Nara POE | 2364 |
| Nara DOE | 120743 |
| Nara Grade Alpha | PVT |
| 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 | 32 |
| Nativity.1 | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Nara Year of Birth | 7 |
| Nara Race | 1 |
| Nara Race Description | White citizen |
| Nara Education | 7 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 6 |
| Nara Marital Status | 2 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 83 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 993 |
| Class_ASN | 32982708 |
| Class_Name | EDEL, Joseph L.; Edel, Joseph L. |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Sources
- Wikipedia: Leon Edel
- 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 2020-01-20 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2020-02-09 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2020-03-23 (1 post)