Walter V. Bodlander

Walter V. Bodlander
Personal details
Born	Breslau, Germany
Died	2 February 2020
Nativity	Germany
Religion	Jewish
Awards	Purple Heart; French Legion of Honor
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Army
Arm / service	Field Artillery
ASN	01176890
Rank	Colonel
Rank at Ritchie	Second Lieutenant
Camp Ritchie	Class 11 (25 August – 23 October 1943)
Section	5A
Team	IPW 34

Awards and honors

Purple Heart	French Legion of Honor

Teammates

Team — IPW 34

These are other soldiers listed on the same team roster. People moved between teams; overlapping service dates are not always documented.

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.

Walter V. Bodlander (died 2 February 2020) (ASN 01176890) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 11 and served with IPW Team 34.

Biography

He worked as a author of “The Unauthorized Autobiography of W. He Graduated with 11th Class/5A as IPW-Ge. Worked in stock room of wholesale clothing concern. Bodlander (1920–2020) was a German-born Jewish Ritchie Boy who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 11 and served as captain of IPW Team 34, 4th Infantry Division, leading the team into battle on D-Day, 6 June 1944. Hansen, G-2 of the division (he is partly hidden behind a helmet in the image). He was awarded the French Legion of Honor (Chevalier), the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Purple Heart, and two Bronze Stars. He died on 2 February 2020 at age 99.

Research notes

• VI Corps. to Capt
• 11/30/1920-a

Gallery

• 
  Lt. Walter V. Bodlander (hidden behind the helmet) taken on July 25, 1944 at St. Lo, France, interrogating a German POW and interpreting for Lt. Col. Hansen, G-2 for the 4th Infantry Division

Technical record

Field	Imported value
Class_ASN	176890
Class_Name	BODLANDER, Walter V.
match_method	asn_partial_name_exact
row_source	both

Timeline

• 6-6-1944 Landed on Utah Beach on D-Day as Captain in charge of IPW Team 34 (4th Infantry Division / 8th Regiment) attached to the VII Corps.
• 2 to 7-43 Served as 2nd Lt., Mess Officer and Motor Officer, HQ Battery 310, FA y.
• Assigned to Camp Ritchie.
• Became naturalized U.S. citizen when volunteered to join Army.
• Bodlander was awarded the French Legion of Honor (Chevalier). He was also the recipient.
• Born in Breslau, Germany. (Religion: Jewish).
• Entered Army as Officer (ASN: 01176890).
• Naturalized as U.S. citizen.
• The 4th Infantry Division, which landed on Utah Beach on D-Day, was involved in many.
• assigned to the 4th Infantry Division included S/Sgt J.D. Salinger (Class SC B6) and the.
• of the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Purple Heart and two Bronze Stars.

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)
• Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2021-05-27 (1 post)
• Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2021-05-28 (1 post)
• Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2021-05-31 (2 posts)
• Facebook-linked source: YouTube video
• Dan Gross, Timeline of Walter V. Bodlander for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 2 source documents reviewed)
• Dan Gross, Timeline of Bodlander, Walter V. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 2 source files: WALTER V. BODLANDER (2021).doc, WALTER V. BODLANDER.doc)