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.
John Joseph Ciluzzi
| John Joseph Ciluzzi | |
|---|---|
![]() | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1923 New York City |
| Died | 6 May 2017 |
| Nativity | United States |
| Religion | Catholic |
| Awards | European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | |
| Branch | |
| ASN | 12204941 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Rank at Ritchie | Private |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 12 (27 September – 25 November 1943) |
| Section | 7C |
| Enlisted | Newark, New Jersey |
| European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal | Good Conduct Medal | World War II Victory Medal |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
John Joseph Ciluzzi (1923 – 6 May 2017) was a Ritchie Boy (from United States; Catholic) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 12.
Biography
From 1941 to 1943, Ciluzzi attended Seton Hall College (Engineering). John attended Owned and operated the Masthead Resort in Provincetown, MA. Attended Seton Hall College (Engineering). John served in the US Army's 10th Mountain Division "ski troops". Born in New York City on September 25 1923, he spent his early childhood in the US before relocating with his father to Italy in the 1930s. He attended school in Rome and made the journey across the Atlantic between Italy and the US numerous times with his brother Ralph. He later returned to the US, living with his mother, sister and stepfather while he finished high school. After Camp Hale, he went to Camp Ritchie for interpreter and interrogating training at Camp Ritchie, taking the 8 week course for Italian Interpreters. His records show he served as an "intelligence NCO and Italian-English interpreter during the war, and his responsibilities included collecting, evaluating, interpreting, and disseminating enemy information secured by intelligence and reconnaissance units. He was stationed in Italy, Germany, and France where he was awarded battle stars for Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe battles as well as the European-African-Middle Eastern Ribbon and US Army Good Conduct Medal. After the war he returned to New York and worked with the Ford Motor Company during the early 1950's before moving to Provincetown, MA, where he purchased The Masthead Resort in 1959. For close to 60 years he ran the Masthead with his wife Valerie and was an active member of the Provincetown community, where he could often be seen bicycling around town well into his eighties.
Research notes
Gallery
- OCR (100%) of `5800255109996362.jpg` (DISCHARGE, GOOD CONDUCT) — dated 11 MAY 1943; 25 SEP 1923.
- OCR (95%) of `5800255119996361.jpg` (gallery document) — dated 15 July 1944.
- OCR (84%) of `5800255116663028.jpg` (Discharge) — dated 10 JANUARY 1946 — rank mentioned: Major.
- OCR mentioned officer rank Major (not auto-filled — verify).
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 94 |
| Nara ASN | 12204941 |
| Nara Name | CILUZZI JOHN J |
| Nara State | 22 |
| Nara County | 13 |
| Nara POE | 2252 |
| Nara DOE | 151242 |
| Nara Grade Alpha | PVT |
| Nara Grade Code | 8 |
| Nara Branch Code | 0 |
| Branch | Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA |
| Nara Term or Enlistment | 0 |
| Term of enlistment | Unknown |
| Defer. Date | 3 |
| Nara Source | 0 |
| Nara Nativity | 23 |
| Nativity.1 | NEW YORK |
| Nara Year of Birth | 23 |
| Nara Race | 1 |
| Nara Race Description | White citizen |
| Nara Education | 5 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 992 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 66 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 145 |
| Class_ASN | 12204941 |
| Class_Name | CILUZZI, John; CILUZZI, John J. |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Timeline
- 9 April 1944 — Half the Battalion sent to Braunton for training, then back at Weston.
- Attached to 457th AAA Battalion (3rd Army, also 1st Army, 12th Army Group, ).
- Basic training with 86th Infantry Division.
- First Bofors unit to land at Omaha Beach.
- Half the Battalion sent to Braunton for training, then back at Weston.
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 2022-10-24 (1 post)
- Facebook-linked source: capecodtimes.com
- OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 5800255109996362.jpg
- OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 5800255119996361.jpg
- OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 5800255116663028.jpg
- Dan Gross, Timeline of John J. Ciluzzi for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 3 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Ciluzzi, John J. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 3 source files: JOHN CILUZZI.doc, JOHN J. CILUZZI.doc, JOHN J. CILUZZI.docx)




