Walter V. Bodlander

Walter V. Bodlander
Personal details
Died	2 February 2020
Nativity	Germany
Religion	Jewish
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Army
Arm / service	Field Artillery
ASN	01176890
Rank	Second Lieutenant
Camp Ritchie	Class 11 (25 August – 23 October 1943)
Section	5A
Team	IPW 34

Teammates

Team — IPW 34

These are other soldiers listed on the same team roster. People moved between teams; overlapping service dates are not always documented.

Research notes on this page are compiled from the source file and later edits. They may be unverified, incomplete, or incorrect, and should not be treated as established fact. Please correct the article or add sources on the talk page. For class-roster terms, see About the data.

Sources & confidence: Treat Research notes as leads, not settled fact. Prefer NARA, the class roster, newspapers, Find a Grave, or published histories for contested claims. Mark unsourced claims with {{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.

Walter V. Bodlander (died 2 February 2020) (ASN 01176890) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 11 and served with IPW Team 34.

Biography

Walter V. Bodlander (1920–2020) was a German-born Jewish Ritchie Boy who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 11 and served as captain of IPW Team 34, 4th Infantry Division, leading the team into battle on D-Day, 6 June 1944. A photograph from 25 July 1944 shows him at St. Lô, France, interrogating a German prisoner of war and interpreting for Lt. Col. Hansen, G-2 of the division (he is partly hidden behind a helmet in the image).

He was awarded the French Legion of Honor (Chevalier), the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Purple Heart, and two Bronze Stars. He gave an interview to the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles in July 2018. He died on 2 February 2020 at age 99.

Research notes

• The Unauthorized Autobiography
• VI Corps. to Capt
• 11/30/1920-a

Gallery

• 
  Lt. Walter V. Bodlander (hidden behind the helmet) taken on July 25, 1944 at St. Lo, France, interrogating a German POW and interpreting for Lt. Col. Hansen, G-2 for the 4th Infantry Division

Technical record

Field	Imported value
Class_ASN	176890
Class_Name	BODLANDER, Walter V.
match_method	asn_partial_name_exact
row_source	both

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 2021-05-27 (1 post)
• Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2021-05-28 (1 post)
• Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2021-05-31 (2 posts)
• Facebook-linked source: YouTube video