Guy Stern // #WWII #RitchieBoy

We are eagerly anticipating our next Battlefield Return Program to #Berlin in November 2025, where we will return with 5 #wwii #veterans. Here is a short clip from our last Berlin program with #ritchieboy Guy Stern. #takingcareoftheoneswhotookcareofus

Guy Stern was a prominent Ritchie Boy, a German-Jewish Holocaust survivor who became a U.S. Army intelligence officer, trained at Camp Ritchie, Maryland during World War II to gather intelligence from German prisoners of war. After the war, he became a distinguished professor and scholar of German studies, and he was known for sharing his experiences as a refugee and soldier. He passed away in December 2023 at the age of 101.

Who were the Ritchie Boys?
They were a group of young men, many of whom were German or Austrian Jews, who fled Nazi persecution and were recruited by the U.S. Army.
They were trained at Camp Ritchie in Maryland as interrogators for intelligence and psychological warfare.
Their linguistic and cultural knowledge of Germany allowed them to gather over 60% of the actionable intelligence on the Western Front, significantly contributing to the Allied victory.

Guy Stern's Role as a Ritchie Boy
Born in Germany in 1922, Stern's family sent him to the U.S. in 1937 to escape the Nazis.
He was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in an intelligence unit where he interrogated German prisoners of war after D-Day, earning a Bronze Star for his service.

Post-War Life
After the war, Stern pursued a distinguished academic career, earning advanced degrees from Columbia University and becoming a professor of German studies at several universities.
He was a prominent Holocaust scholar and co-created the academic field of exile studies, recognizing the contributions of those forced from their homelands.
He was dedicated to sharing his story and the story of the Ritchie Boys, appearing in documentaries and writing a memoir.

Видео Guy Stern // #WWII #RitchieBoy канала Best Defense Foundation