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Thomas O. Schlesinger
| Thomas O. Schlesinger | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 June 1925 Berlin, Germany |
| Died | 12 February 2012 Lebanon, New Hampshire |
| Nativity | Germany |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 32997730 |
| Rank | Major |
| Rank at Ritchie | Private |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 14 (2 December 1943 – 31 January 1944) |
| Section | 7B |
| Enlisted | New York City, New York |
| Team | MII 459-G |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Thomas O. Schlesinger (11 June 1925 – 12 February 2012) was a German-born United States Army intelligence soldier who trained at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, in Class 14 and later taught international relations at Plymouth State University.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Thomas O. Schlesinger was born on 11 June 1925 in Berlin, Germany. His Jewish family fled Nazi persecution via Italy and Switzerland, reaching the United States in 1940. Enlisting in 1943 at eighteen, he trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 14) and served with team MII 459-G. Family accounts place him in operations around the Battle of the Bulge and Remagen Bridge and later in interrogations of Nazi officials and camp guards preparing for the Nuremberg trials.
Schlesinger remained in the Army for a long career that included Korean War service, interpreting work on the Austrian State Treaty period, and instruction as a Green Beret–era officer at Fort Bragg, rising to major. He earned degrees from the University of Maryland (1958) and American University (M.A. 1966, Ph.D. 1967), taught at SUNY Fredonia, and then taught international relations at Plymouth State University, leading Sidore lectures and Model United Nations work. He died on 12 February 2012 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
Research notes[edit | edit source]
- Postwar career details retained from prior curated bio; WWII combat specifics follow daughter/Union Leader account.
Gallery[edit | edit source]
-
Thomas O. Schlesinger portrait (RB Archive)
Technical record[edit | edit source]
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 87 |
| Nara ASN | 32997730 |
| Nara Name | SCHLESINGER THOMAS O |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 61 |
| Nara POE | 2364 |
| Nara DOE | 120843 |
| 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 | 138 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 0 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 0 |
| Class_ASN | 32997730 |
| Class_Name | SCHLESNGER, Thomas O. |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_compatible |
| row_source | both |
Timeline[edit | edit source]
- 11 June 1925 — Born in Berlin, Germany.
- 1940 — Arrived in the United States after fleeing via Italy and Switzerland.
- 1943 — Enlisted; trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 14); team MII 459-G.
- 1944–1945 — European intelligence service (Bulge / Remagen accounts; Nuremberg-prep interrogations).
- 1958 — B.A., University of Maryland.
- 1966–1967 — M.A. and Ph.D., American University.
- 1970s– — Taught at Plymouth State University.
- 12 February 2012 — Died in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Thomas O. Schlesinger portrait (RB Archive)
- RB Archive ProQuest clip, Paula Tracy, “PSU community to pay homage to professor’s life,” Union Leader, 20 April 2012
- Laconia Daily Sun obituary, Thomas O. Schlesinger
- 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 2022-12-08 (1 post)
- Plymouth State magazine profile of Thomas Schlesinger