| Ralph Valtin | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Wiegelmesser |
| Born | 1925 |
| Died | 2018 |
| Nativity | Germany |
| Religion | Quaker |
| Awards | Silver Star |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 32979839 |
| Enlisted | New York City, New York |
| Team | IPW 24 |
|
| Silver Star |
- Listed in By The Numbers/Awards (from Ritchie Boy Secrets by Beverley Driver Eddy).
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Ralph Valtin (1925–2018) was a Ritchie Boy (born Wiegelmesser; from Germany; Qu) who trained at Camp Ritchie and served with IPW Team 24.
Biography
Ralph Valtin (born Rolf Wiegelmesser; died 1 August 2018, age 93) was born in Hamburg and immigrated to the United States in 1938 because of his family's Jewish and Quaker background. During World War II he served in the U.S. Army as an interrogator of German prisoners of war and trained as a Ritchie Boy. He was an all-American soccer player at Swarthmore College and a member of the U.S. Olympic soccer team at the 1948 Summer Games. He worked as a federal labor mediator and arbitrator in Philadelphia, moved to the Washington area in 1965, and opened his own arbitration practice, retiring in 2013. He died at his home in Alexandria, Virginia.
Research notes
- Silver Star; BS; also 2nd Lt 02015843
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 93 |
| Nara ASN | 32979839 |
| Nara Name | VALTIN RALPH |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 61 |
| Nara POE | 2364 |
| Nara DOE | 60743 |
| 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 | 25 |
| Nara Race | J |
| Nara Race Description | White not yet a citizen |
| Nara Education | 4 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 992 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 0 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 0 |
| row_source | demographics |
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 2019-12-17 (1 post)