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Roy Alonzo Greenfield
| Roy Alonzo Greenfield | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 May 1915 Washington, D.C. |
| Died | 15 August 1994 |
| Nativity | United States |
| Religion | Catholic |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 33748614 |
| Rank | Private |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 16 (6 February – 5 April 1944) |
| Section | 7A |
| Enlisted | Ft Myer, Virginia |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Roy Alonzo Greenfield (7 May 1915 – 15 August 1994) was a United States Army soldier and later federal official who trained at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, in Class 16 as a French-language interpreter.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Roy Alonzo Greenfield was born on 7 May 1915 in Washington, D.C. He studied at Howard University (liberal arts and higher-education administration degrees) and at New York University (psychology), and he taught foreign languages at the State College for Colored Students in Dover, Delaware.
During World War II Greenfield graduated from Camp Ritchie (Class 16) as an interpreter of French. A later biographical entry in Who’s Who among African Americans described him as serving as a French and Spanish interpreter in wartime service associated with General Eisenhower’s headquarters—an uncommon path for an African American soldier in the segregated Army.
After the war he worked in federal service, including Veterans Administration and Federal Trade Commission roles in consumer education, and remained active in civic and language organizations. Greenfield died on 15 August 1994.
Research notes[edit | edit source]
- Eisenhower-headquarters interpreter claim is from Who’s Who self/compiled biography—published with hedging. Do not put private Rockville suite address from Who’s Who into the profile.
Gallery[edit | edit source]
-
Who's Who among African Americans entry for Roy Alonzo Greenfield (RB Archive)
Technical record[edit | edit source]
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 79 |
| Nara ASN | 33748614 |
| Nara Name | GREENFIELD ROY A |
| Nara State | 34 |
| Nara County | 1 |
| Nara POE | 3347 |
| Nara DOE | 11043 |
| 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 | 34 |
| Nativity.1 | DIST OF COLUMBIA |
| Nara Year of Birth | 15 |
| Nara Race | 2 |
| Nara Race Description | Negro citizen |
| Nara Education | 9 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 31 |
| Nara Marital Status | 1 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 0 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 0 |
| Class_ASN | 33748614 |
| Class_Name | GREENFIELD, Roy A. |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
| Census_HISTID | 3F66DF28-E7AA-4E93-82A2-3B78E1050BF1 |
| Census_State | DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA |
| Census_Relate | Head/Householder |
| Census_Sex | Male |
| Census_Age | 25 |
| Census_BirthYear | 1915 |
| Census_Marital | Never married/single |
| Census_Race | Black/African American |
| Census_BPL | DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA |
| Census_MBPL | 0 |
| Census_FBPL | 0 |
| Census_Educ | 4 years of college |
| Census_OCC | 6 |
Timeline[edit | edit source]
- 7 May 1915 — Born in Washington, D.C.
- Class 16 — Graduated Camp Ritchie as a French interpreter.
- Postwar — Federal career including VA and FTC consumer-education work.
- 15 August 1994 — Died.
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Who's Who among African Americans entry for Roy Alonzo Greenfield (RB Archive)
- Archive.org scan, Who’s Who among African Americans
- RB Archive extract from Who’s Who among African Americans (Roy Alonzo Greenfield entry)
- 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 2023-02-10 (1 post)