| William R. Galen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1914 |
| Died | 27 March 1944 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| Arm / service | Coast Artillery Corps |
| ASN | 01044825 |
| Rank | Private |
| Rank at Ritchie | Second Lieutenant |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 3 (2 November – 23 December 1942) |
| Section | D |
| Team | IPW 15 |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
William R. Galen (1914 – 27 March 1944) was a Ritchie Boy who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 3 and served with IPW Team 15.
Biography
On June 16, 2022, Christopher Galen, son of Ritchie Boy Lt. Bill Galen, visited the site of Camp Ritchie. Bill Galen is in the center wearing a helmet, and Ritchie Boy Sgt.
In the article, Chris Galen describes how RB Visko was killed in action in Anzio, Italy, on March 27, 1944, and how Chris' father was unable to locate any family members of RB Visko after the war. For Visko, then, perhaps the only tribute can be seen in the faces of those whose lives and livelihoods were made possible by his short time on Earth." Earlier this week, we wrote about Christopher Galen's visit to the Ritchie Museum and the stories he shared about his father's service as Ritchie Boy Lt.
The Signal Corps photo caption says Galen is with the 6695 Military Intelligence Service. Bill Galen, knew only a little about Visko's stateside ties in Manhattan. But when Galen’s brother back in Illinois reached out to her, he was informed that Visko’s “wife” was married -- but not to Visko -- and the little girl was not Visko's daughter.
Galen was unable to find out more about any connections Visko had, meaning that his memory is (as far as we know) only preserved in these photos. Lieutenant Bill Galen was trained in the third Camp Ritchie class of World War II, from which he graduated two days before Christmas 1942. Galen was a native of Cleveland and grew up speaking some German because of his family heritage.
Galen was shipped to North Africa in April 1943, then was among the first wave of Allied troops to invade Sicily in July. In all, Galen served with the 3rd, 36th and 85th divisions, along with II Corps and the 5th Army HQ, and earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star in the process. After the victory in Europe, Galen was assigned to the U.S. Occupation force in Austria that summer, finally coming back to the states in November 1945.
Research notes
- 85th Infantry
Gallery
-
RB Lt. Bill Galen is in the center wearing a helmet, and Ritchie Boy Sgt. George W. Visko is on the far left -
Sgt. George Visko interrogates a German POW in Dragoni, Italy, in the fall of 1943. -
-
Visko's gravesite in the Sicily–Rome American Cemetery and Memorial in Nettuno, Italy. -
Galen paid a photographer to take this studio portrait in Rome, summer 1944, shortly after he was promoted to captain. -
The Cleveland Press newspaper also took Galen's picture in the summer of 1944, as he interrogated German POWs. -
-
Galen at center with officers under his command at the 5th Army HQ IPW detachment in Florence, Christmastime 1944. Most are known to be Ritchie Boys. At lower left are: Eigen, Hobelman, Galen, Hergenreter, Allen; the back row includes Jacobson and Nielsen.
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 80 |
| Class_ASN | 44825 |
| Class_Name | GALEN, William R. |
| match_method | asn_partial_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Timeline
- 4 August 1941 — Enlisted at Toledo, OH as Pvt (ASN: 35019688).
- 23 December 1942 — Graduated with Class 3.
- Assigned to IPW Team 15 attached to 85th Infantry Division.
- Born Born in.
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 2022-08-29 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-09-02 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2026-05-05 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2026-06-24 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2026-08-13 (1 post)
- Facebook-linked source: g2warletters.com
- Dan Gross, Timeline of William R. Galen for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Galen, William R. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: WILLIAM R. GALEN.docx)