| Rene Eugene Menzel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 November 1919 The Hague, Netherlands |
| Died | 10 May 2017 Williamsburg, Virginia |
| Nativity | Netherlands |
| Religion | Catholic |
| Awards | Bronze Star; Purple Heart |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| Arm / service | Coast Artillery Corps |
| ASN | 01054061 |
| Rank | First Lieutenant |
| Rank at Ritchie | Second Lieutenant |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 11 (25 August – 23 October 1943) |
| Section | 6B |
| Team | MII 415-G |
|
|
| Bronze Star | Purple Heart |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Rene Eugene Menzel (22 November 1919 – 10 May 2017) was a Ritchie Boy (from Netherlands; Catholic) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 11.
Biography edit
René Eugene Menzel was born on 22 November 1919 in The Hague, Netherlands, to Jean and Erna Menzel, and grew up largely in Brussels. He graduated from the University of Brussels as World War II began. When the German invasion forced the family to flee, Menzel enlisted in the Free French Army, was wounded by shrapnel, escaped occupied France on a falsified pass, reached Casablanca, and rejoined his parents in New York by way of a ship bound for Guadeloupe.
He entered the U.S. Army, became a naturalized citizen while at Camp Ritchie (Class 11), and served with MII Team 415. Overseas he screened Channel crossers for intelligence risks, landed in Normandy on D-Day, and took part in liberating France; his detachment helped free tens of thousands of Allied prisoners. U.S. awards included the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star (with oak leaf cluster); France awarded him the Croix de Guerre.
After the war Menzel worked for IBM World Trade, lived for years in Darien, Connecticut—chairing Planning and Zoning and later active in SCORE—and then in Williamsburg, Virginia. He died there on 10 May 2017.
Research notes edit
- See notes
- Bronze Star and Purple Heart are explicit in the Darienite obituary (Eisenhower orders). Croix de Guerre kept in prose only. Oak leaf cluster noted in prose; awards tuple lists Bronze Star once. Live rank_final 2nd Lt upgraded to First Lieutenant per obituary wartime grade.
Gallery edit
-
Rene E. Menzel portrait (RB Archive)
Technical record edit
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 98 |
| Class_ASN | 54061 |
| Class_Name | MENZEL, Rene E. |
| match_method | asn_partial_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Timeline edit
- 22 November 1919 — Born in The Hague, Netherlands.
- 1940 — Graduated from the University of Brussels as war began in Europe.
- 1940–1941 — Free French service, wound and escape through France and Morocco; reunited with family in New York.
- August 1943 — Assigned to Camp Ritchie (Class 11); naturalized while stationed there.
- 1944–1945 — Served with MII Team 415; Channel screening, Normandy landing, liberation of France / POW recovery.
- Postwar — Career with IBM World Trade; later Darien civic service and SCORE.
- 10 May 2017 — Died in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Sources edit
- Rene E. Menzel portrait (RB Archive)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Rene E. Menzel for Camp Ritchie (private research document; selected non-private findings)
- Legacy / Virginia Gazette — René Menzel obituary
- Darienite, 17 May 2017 — René Menzel obituary feature
- 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 2022-12-13 (1 post)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Rene E. Menzel for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Menzel, Rene E. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: RENE E. MENZEL.doc)