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Ralph H. Baer
| Ralph H. Baer | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Rudolph Baer |
| Born | 8 March 1922 Rodalben, Palatinate, Germany |
| Died | 6 December 2014 Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Nativity | Germany |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Known for | Inventor, Video Game Designer, Engineer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 32887607 |
| Rank | Private |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 10 (23 July – 20 September 1943) |
| Section | 5D |
| Enlisted | New York City, New York |
| Specialty | Order of battle; weapons instruction |
| Unit / division | Military Intelligence, Tidworth And Normandy |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Ralph H. Baer (1922–2014), born Rudolph Baer in Pirmasens, was a German-born American order-of-battle specialist and weapons instructor. After serving in Europe, he became a pioneering electronics engineer known as the father of home video games.
Biography
Ralph H. Baer was born Rudolph Baer in Pirmasens, Germany, in 1922. Baer's technical aptitude, German fluency, and knowledge of the country led to his selection for Camp Ritchie.
In England, Baer was assigned to a military intelligence group at Tidworth. Baer later served in Normandy, where his knowledge of enemy equipment and organization supported the Allied campaign. After the war Baer built a career as an electronics engineer and inventor.
Baer received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2006 for his pioneering achievements.
His Jewish family escaped Nazi Germany and settled in New York City. Interested in electronics, he learned radio repair and worked in that trade before entering the Army. He trained as an order-of-battle specialist, learning to identify German formations, weapons, commanders, and deployment patterns so that scattered information could be assembled into a useful picture of enemy strength.
Working with fellow Ritchie Boy Mauksch, he helped establish a weapons museum and instructional collection. The displays gave American soldiers hands-on familiarity with German weapons they might encounter in combat. His duties made practical use of the electronics experience he had acquired in New York and the German military expertise taught at Camp Ritchie.
Research notes
- MIS London
- Tidworth
- OSS
- “Father of Video Games”; Odyssey; Pong
- Portrait and summary from Notable Ritchie Boys slides (source).
Gallery
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 92 |
| Nara ASN | 32887607 |
| Nara Name | BAER RALPH H |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 61 |
| Nara POE | 2364 |
| Nara DOE | 120443 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 583 |
| Nara Marital Status | 1 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 0 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 124 |
| Class_ASN | 32887607 |
| Class_Name | BAER, Ralph H. |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
| Census_HISTID | BA90D884-AFC9-48F6-B2E2-D53318E31A25 |
| Census_State | NEW YORK |
| Census_Relate | Child |
| Census_Sex | Male |
| Census_Age | 18 |
| Census_BirthYear | 1922 |
| Census_Marital | Never married/single |
| Census_Race | White |
| Census_BPL | 453 |
| Census_MBPL | 0 |
| Census_FBPL | 0 |
| Census_Citizen | Not a citizen |
| Census_Educ | Grade 11 |
| Census_OCC | 226 |
Sources
- Wikipedia: Ralph H. Baer
- 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 2016-09-30 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2026-02-27 (1 post)
- The Stories essay