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George W. Visko
| George W. Visko | |
|---|---|
 Sgt. George Visko interrogates a German POW in Dragoni, Italy, in the fall of 1943. | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1907 |
| Nativity | United States |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 32298547 |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 4 (6 January – 6 March 1943) |
| Section | 5 |
| Enlisted | Ft Jay Governors Island, New York |
| Teams | IPW 15, IPW 17 |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
George W. Visko (born 1907) was a Ritchie Boy (from United States) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 4 and served with IPW Team 15;17.
Biography
On June 16, 2022, Christopher Galen, son of Ritchie Boy Lt. Bill Galen, visited the site of Camp Ritchie. He shared with Landon Grove, the Ritchie Museum's Director, many stories about his dad's service as a Ritchie Boy and the amazing story attached to this photograph. The photo was taken in July 1943 in Sicily. Bill Galen is in the center wearing a helmet, and Ritchie Boy Sgt. Visko is on the far left. Both served with the 3rd Infantry Division. 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. Visko has rested for seven decades beneath a white cross in the U.S. military cemetery along the Italian coastline where he died. He left no family to speak of, no one to speak in his memory. 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."
One of the Ritchie Boys who was killed in action during WWII was Sgt. George Visko of New York City. Visko was a restaurant maître d' at Manhattan’s famous Stork Club before serving in the Army. After training at one of the earlier 8-week classes at Camp Ritchie, he was assigned to a G-2 intelligence team in the Army's 3rd Infantry Division, and was among the first Allied soldiers to invade Europe, landing in Sicily in July 1943. Visko saved the life of three other GIs in Palermo just a week later, when he talked a truckload of German soldiers into surrendering. Visko also distinguished himself as a front-line chef. One meal for his G-2 team in Sicily featured a menu of “aperitif of vermouth, salad of freshly stolen garden vegetables, pommes de terre ‘GI,’ turkey a la Sicilienne, tree fresh figs for dessert, topped off with coffee royale with Kummel.” Sgt. Visko’s luck turned from good to bad six months after the Sicilian campaign when he was at the Anzio beachhead south of Rome. He was mortally wounded by an artillery shell on March 27, 1944. He is buried just a few kilometers from where he fell, in the military cemetery in Nettuno. Visko’s friends, including Lt. Bill Galen, knew only a little about Visko's stateside ties in Manhattan. Visko had not spoken of siblings or parents, just a wife and daughter. 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.
Research notes
- 8/5/1907-?
Gallery
-
In the photo are three GI's and a number of captured German soldiers. -
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.
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Nara ASN | 32298547 |
| Nara Name | VISKO GEORGE W |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 61 |
| Nara POE | 2327 |
| Nara DOE | 70442 |
| Nara Grade Alpha | PVT |
| Nara Grade Code | 8 |
| Nara Branch Alpha | BI |
| Nara Branch Code | 0 |
| Branch | Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA |
| 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 | 23 |
| Nativity.1 | NEW YORK |
| Nara Year of Birth | 7 |
| Nara Race | 1 |
| Nara Race Description | White citizen |
| Nara Education | 4 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 107 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 67 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 150 |
| Class_ASN | 32298547 |
| Class_Name | Visko, George W. |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
| Census_HISTID | 0E325503-AE76-40A3-941F-3E1EF54A7D4E |
| Census_State | NEW YORK |
| Census_Relate | Other non-relatives |
| Census_Sex | Male |
| Census_Age | 33 |
| Census_BirthYear | 1907 |
| Census_Marital | Never married/single |
| Census_Race | White |
| Census_BPL | NEW YORK |
| Census_MBPL | 0 |
| Census_FBPL | 0 |
| Census_Educ | Grade 9 |
| Census_OCC | 780 |
Sources
- Camp Ritchie class roster (classes 1–31), merged research file
- 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 2026-06-24 (1 post)