Hugh A. Harter
Hugh A. Harter
Personal details
Birth nameHugh Anthony Harter
Born1922
Columbus, Ohio
Died13 August 2011
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
NativityUnited States
ReligionProtestant
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch United States Army
ASN35621396
RankCorporal
Camp RitchieClass 16 (6 February – 5 April 1944)
Section7D
EnlistedColumbus, Ohio
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Hugh Anthony Harter (1922 – 13 August 2011) was a Columbus-born Ritchie Boy (Class 16) who interrogated for Third Army in France and later became a noted translator and romance-languages professor.

Biography edit

Hugh Anthony Harter was born in 1922 in Columbus, Ohio, the son of Anthony and Georgiana (Hayes) Harter, and graduated from East High School. He entered the Army in January 1943, studied in Hamilton College’s ASTP program, and trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 16). Overseas he served as a French-speaking interrogator with Patton’s Third Army, XII Corps, working alongside CIC teams in France in 1944; he later wrote extensively about those interrogations and retraced the campaign in Return to Patton’s France.

After the war Harter earned a B.A. (1947) and Ph.D. (1959) from Ohio State University and an M.A. from Mexico City College (1951). He taught at Wesleyan, Elmira, Chatham, Loyola, and from 1966 to 1984 at Ohio Wesleyan University, chairing romance languages and holding the Robert Hayward professorship. An internationally known translator of French and Spanish literature—including works by Driss Chraïbi and Vicente Aleixandre—he also directed programs in Segovia, Spain. He died at home in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on 13 August 2011.

Research notes edit

  • Return to Patton's France
  • Fr 443

Gallery edit

Technical record edit

Field Imported value
Approx Age at Death 89
Nara ASN 35621396
Nara Name HARTER HUGH A
Nara State 53
Nara County 49
Nara POE 5325
Nara DOE 60143
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 53
Nativity.1 OHIO
Nara Year of Birth 22
Nara Race 1
Nara Race Description White citizen
Nara Education 5
Nara Civilian Occupation 105
Nara Marital Status 6
Nara Height (inches) 70
Nara Weight (lbs) 135
Class_ASN 35621396
Class_Name EARTER, Hugh A.
match_method asn_exact_name_compatible
row_source both

Timeline edit

  • 1922 — Born in Columbus, Ohio.
  • January 1943 — Entered Army; Hamilton College ASTP; Camp Ritchie Class 16.
  • 1944 — Interrogator, Third Army / XII Corps, France.
  • 1947 / 1951 / 1959 — B.A. Ohio State; M.A. Mexico City College; Ph.D. Ohio State.
  • 1966–1984 — Professor, Ohio Wesleyan University.
  • 13 August 2011 — Died in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Sources edit