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Karl W. Hornung
| Karl W. Hornung | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1907 Germany |
| Nativity | Germany |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 32348002 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 3 (2 November – 23 December 1942) |
| Enlisted | Fort Jay, Governors Island, New York |
| Specialty | Military intelligence (early generalist curriculum) |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Karl W. Hornung (born 1907) was a German-born U.S. Army sergeant who trained at Camp Ritchie in Class 3 during the MITC’s first year, when the camp was still expanding and teaching a broad intelligence curriculum.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Karl W. Hornung was born in Germany in 1907. He was drafted into the U.S. Army on 3 June 1942 at Fort Jay, Governors Island, New York.
Hornung entered Camp Ritchie with Class 3 on 2 November 1942, while the former National Guard post was still under heavy construction for its new War Department role. In that early period trainees studied a generalist intelligence course—U.S. Army organization and staff channels, distinguishing raw information from finished intelligence, weather and terrain analysis, map reading (including Allied and captured German symbology), aerial photography with stereoscopes, and prisoner-of-war interrogation—often in small classrooms of about 18–24 men. Local towns such as Sabillasville, Maryland, and Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania, were used for mapping and field exercises; final weeks included war-game “invasions” of nearby Maryland and Pennsylvania communities and practice interrogations of role-playing “German” prisoners.
He was promoted to sergeant. Research notes record a later transfer to Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
Research notes[edit | edit source]
- Transferred to Fort Jackson, SC
- Civilian occupation on import: salesperson
- Aughinbaugh’s 2018 article draws heavily on the Karl Hornung Papers at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (Carlisle)
Gallery[edit | edit source]
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Technical record[edit | edit source]
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Nara ASN | 32348002 |
| Nara Name | HORNUNG KARL W |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 81 |
| Nara POE | 2327 |
| Nara DOE | 30642 |
| 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 | N1 |
| Nara Year of Birth | 7 |
| Nara Race | 1 |
| Nara Race Description | White citizen |
| Nara Education | 0 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 175 |
| Nara Marital Status | 2 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 66 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 185 |
| row_source | demographics |
Timeline[edit | edit source]
- 1907 — Born in Germany.
- 3 June 1942 — Drafted at Fort Jay, Governors Island, New York, as private (ASN 32348002).
- 2 November 1942 — Entered Camp Ritchie Class 3 (early MITC generalist curriculum).
- Promoted to sergeant.
- Transferred to Fort Jackson, South Carolina (research notes).
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Kevin M. Aughinbaugh, “The Castle of Intelligence: Camp Ritchie Maryland and the Military Intelligence Training Center during the Second World War,” The Gettysburg Historical Journal 17 (2018), art. 5 (PDF)
- 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)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Karl W. Hornung for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Hornung, Karl W. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: KARL W. HORNUNG.doc)