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John W. Kluge
| John W. Kluge | |
|---|---|
![]() | |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | John Werner Kluge |
| Born | 21 September 1914 Chemnitz, German Empire (today Chemnitz, Germany) |
| Died | 7 September 2010 Charlottesville, Virginia, United States |
| Nativity | Germany |
| Religion | Protestant |
| Known for | Chairman, Metromedia |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | |
| Branch | |
| Arm / service | Transportation Corps |
| ASN | 01577435 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Rank at Ritchie | Second Lieutenant |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 7 (15 April – 12 June 1943) |
| Section | 8 |
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John W. Kluge (1914–2010) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Protestant) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 7.
Biography
Kluge was born in 1914 to a Presbyterian family in Chemnitz, Germany, and emigrated to the United States in 1922. On 15 April 1943, he returned to Camp Ritchie. He , John “The Metromedia Story” Newcomen Society if North America (1974). John Werner Kluge (September 21, 1914September 7, 2010) was a German-American entrepreneur who became a television industry mogul in the United States. He had homes in New Rochelle, New York, Virginia and Palm Beach, Florida with his fourth wife, Maria Tussi Kluge, at the time of his death in 2010. She took out $65 million in loans and mortgaged the mansion to finance production expansion and a related real-estate venture, but defaulted and declared bankruptcy in 2011. John attended Economics from Columbia University, after getting a. He attended University, after getting a ‘double’ scholarship. He worked at various jobs in Dallas and other cities. When his father died in World War I, his. When his father died in. He world War I, his mother married Oscar Leitert and family moved to Scheinau. He was the founder and chairman of Metromedia. At one time he was the richest person in the U.S. He was of Scots-Irish, English, and German heritage. During World War II, Kluge served at the secret P.O. Kluge was a collector of contemporary Indigenous Australian art, and owned works by prominent artists including Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri. Kluge was married four times. His first wife was Theodora Thomson Townsend, his second was Yolanda Galardo Zucco, his third was Patricia Maureen Rose, and his fourth was Maria Tussi Kuttner. Kluge had three children, Joseph (whom he adopted), Samantha (with Zucco) and John Jr. He also had three step children who remained a part of his life until his death: Diane, Jeannette Brophy and Peter Lockwood Townsend. 8, a Journal of the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona.
Research notes
- Also Class 5 OB MIRS
- Metromedia owner; billionaire philanthropist
- Portrait and summary from Notable Ritchie Boys slides (source).
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 96 |
| Class_ASN | 577435 |
| Class_Name | KLUGE, John W. |
| match_method | asn_partial_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Timeline
- September 1942 — As 2nd Lt, assigned to head Army Transportation Unit in Aleutian Islands.
- September 1942 — As 2nd Lt, assigned to head Army Transportation.
- 15 April 1943 — Returned to Camp Ritchie.
- Chemnitz, Germany. When his father died.
- Placed in charge of black engineer aviation unit in California.
- Placed in charge of black engineer aviation unit in.
- Unit in Aleutian Islands.
- When his father died in World War I, his.
- When his father died in.
- World War I, his mother married Oscar Leitert and family moved to Scheinau.
- mother married Oscar Leitert and family moved to Scheinau.
Sources
- Wikipedia: John Kluge
- 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 2017-09-03 (1 post)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of John W. Kluge for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 2 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Kluge, John W. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 2 source files: JOHN W. KLUGE - 18.doc, JOHN W. KLUGE.doc)
