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Albert W. Miller
| Albert W. Miller | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Al Miller Dr. Al Miller Dr. Albert Miller |
| Born | 20 November 1922 Berlin, Germany |
| Died | 24 August 2023 Ohio |
| Nativity | Germany |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 35799290 |
| Rank | Technician Fifth Grade |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 29 (13 April – 12 June 1945) |
| Enlisted | Cincinnati, Ohio |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Albert W. “Al” Miller (20 November 1922–24 August 2023) was a Berlin-born Jewish refugee, Camp Ritchie interrogator (Class 29), and Hamilton, Ohio, optometrist who spoke widely about the Holocaust.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Albert W. “Al” Miller was born on 20 November 1922 in Berlin, Germany, where his family ran a clothing business. As Nazi restrictions mounted he was pushed out of school and sports; childhood friends joined the Hitler Youth and cut him off. In 1936 he attended the Berlin Olympics and saw Jesse Owens compete. In 1937, at about age fourteen, grandparents helped him reach Switzerland while his brother went to England; his parents remained in Berlin through Kristallnacht before the family reunited in England and immigrated to the United States in 1940 (he recalled seeing his father weep as they passed the Statue of Liberty).
Working in a factory in the Cincinnati area, Miller volunteered for the Army though he was not yet a citizen; he was drafted at Cincinnati on 14 April 1943 (ASN 35799290) and naturalized on 17 November 1943. After early service as a combat medic and jeep driver he told an officer he spoke fluent German and French and was ordered to Camp Ritchie, Maryland, for interrogator training (Class 29). He returned to Germany late in the war and afterward, using those skills to interrogate prisoners and suspected war criminals. Contemporary notices also associate his intelligence work with the 3rd Infantry Division.
After discharge he settled in the Hamilton / Cincinnati area of Ohio, practiced optometry for decades, and married Jane (a Viennese Holocaust survivor). He spoke widely about the Holocaust; his uniform was exhibited at the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center at Union Terminal, and his story is preserved in the Center’s Dimensions in Testimony exhibit. He celebrated his 100th birthday there on 20 November 2022 and died on 24 August 2023.
Research notes[edit | edit source]
- HHC memorial associates his intelligence service with the 3rd Infantry Division; roster class is 29 — keep both; no IPW team number confirmed in these sources.
- Interview already on Ritchie Boy Interviews (Landon Grove / YouTube 1wrxjCJTvjs).
Technical record[edit | edit source]
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Nara ASN | 35799290 |
| Nara Name | MILLER ALBERT |
| Nara State | 53 |
| Nara County | 61 |
| Nara POE | 5321 |
| Nara DOE | 140443 |
| Nara Grade Alpha | PVT |
| Nara Grade Code | 8 |
| Nara Branch Alpha | NO |
| Nara Branch Code | 2 |
| Branch | No branch assignment |
| Nara Term or Enlistment | 5 |
| Term of enlistment | Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law |
| Defer. Date | 0 |
| Nara Source | 0 |
| Nara Nativity | N1 |
| Nara Year of Birth | 22 |
| Nara Race | J |
| Nara Race Description | White not yet a citizen |
| Nara Education | 7 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 508 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 43 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 118 |
| row_source | demographics |
Timeline[edit | edit source]
- 20 November 1922 — Born in Berlin, Germany.
- 1936 — Attends Berlin Olympics.
- 1937 — Escapes to Switzerland; brother to England; parents remain in Berlin.
- 1940 — Family immigrates to the United States.
- 14 April 1943 — Drafted, Cincinnati (ASN 35799290).
- 17 November 1943 — Naturalized U.S. citizen.
- Camp Ritchie Class 29 (interrogator); later ETO / postwar interrogation work (sources also cite 3rd Infantry Division).
- Postwar — Optometrist in Hamilton, Ohio; Holocaust educator; HHC / Dimensions in Testimony.
- 20 November 2022 — 100th birthday celebration, Union Terminal (HHC).
- 24 August 2023 — Died (Find a Grave / funeral 25 August 2023).
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Ritchie Boy Interviews — conversation with Landon Grove
- Find a Grave — Dr. Albert W. Miller (20 Nov 1922–24 Aug 2023)
- WAMC — Ritchie Boy Al Miller interview feature (21 Mar 2022)
- HHC — Dimensions in Testimony exhibit (Dr. Al Miller)
- HHC — 100th birthday celebration at Union Terminal (20 Nov 2022)
- Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center — In loving memory of Dr. Al Miller
- WCPO — Holocaust survivor and Cincinnati veteran celebrates 100th birthday (Craig McKee)
- 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 2023-08-28 (1 post)
- Facebook-linked source: YouTube video
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Albert W. Miller for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Miller, Albert W. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: ALBERT W. MILLER.doc)