Soft launch: Soldier biographies and research notes vary in completeness. Prefer class-roster, NARA, newspapers, and other cited sources for contested facts — treat Research notes as leads, not settled history. Anyone can correct a page; contact us with questions.
Robert A. Potash
| Robert A. Potash | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1921 Boston |
| Died | 2016 |
| Nativity | United States |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 31224431 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Rank at Ritchie | Technician Fourth Grade |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 19 (16 May – 13 July 1944) |
| Section | 6A |
| Enlisted | Boston, Massachusetts |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Robert A. Potash (1921–2016) was a Ritchie Boy (from United States; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 19.
Biography
Robert A. Potash (1921–2016) was a U.S.-born Jewish Ritchie Boy who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 19 and served overseas as a technician fourth grade. He enlisted from Boston, Massachusetts. After the war he became a historian at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, specializing in Argentine history. His memoir Looking Back at My First Eighty Years was published in 2008.
The timeline research also records Harvard College (AB, History). Harvard College graduate studies.
Research notes
- Also Class 18 JapOB
- Looking Back
- OB 41
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 95 |
| Nara ASN | 31224431 |
| Nara Name | POTASH ROBERT A |
| Nara State | 13 |
| Nara County | 17 |
| Nara POE | 1306 |
| Nara DOE | 171042 |
| 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 | 13 |
| Nativity.1 | MASSACHUSETTS |
| Nara Year of Birth | 21 |
| Nara Race | 1 |
| Nara Race Description | White citizen |
| Nara Education | 4 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 992 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 69 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 141 |
| Class_ASN | 31224431 |
| Class_Name | POTASH, Robert A. |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Timeline
- 1/2/1921 Born in Boston. Religion: Jewish.
- 5/16/1944 Started Class 19 (PI).
- 8/20/1944 Completed Class 18 Jap OB. Classified as Japanese OB Analyst.
- 1/26/1945 Promoted to T/Sgt.
- 10/1943 ASTP as T/4 (‘3652 SU STAR’).
- Assigned to OB Team 41 attached to Tenth Army (SO 20).
- Inducted into Army as Pvt (ASN: 31224431).
- OB Team 41 consisted of Capt Leonard T. Vader (1915-1996), T/Sgt Robert A.
- Potash (1921-2016) and T/3 Howard J. Kalmus (1924-2010).
Sources
- 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 2016-09-30 (1 post)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Robert A. Potash for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Potash, Robert A. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: ROBERT A. POTASH.doc)