This year’s Father’s Day was an incredibly memorable experience for Jewish World War II veteran Paul Weitzenkorn as he celebrated his 100th birthday on Sunday with family and friends in Fort Lauderdale.
Weitzenkorn was joined by his 94-year-old brother Paul, who also served during World War II, as well as three younger generations of Weitzenkorns.
“I kind of expected [everyone to come], but it’s a good feeling,” Weitzenkorn said.
During World War II, Weitzenkorn served in a secret United States Army unit that played a pivotal role in gathering intelligence on the western front. Born in Germany, Weitzenkorn was 16 when he and his family escaped the country and fled to to the United States in 1939.
Soon after, he joined a special Army unit known as “The Ritchie Boys,” which comprised 20,000 men, “many of whom were immigrants and refugees from more than 70 countries, including 2,800 German and Austrian refugees who fled Nazi persecution,” according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
The men were referred to as “The Ritchie Boys,” after being trained in intelligence-gathering at Fort Ritchie in Maryland. According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the men were responsible for obtaining nearly 60% of actionable intelligence in Europe.
Weitzenkorn would later be a part of the United States’ liberation of Germany, arriving in his hometown of Mayen in West Germany to interrogate Nazi soldiers.
Earlier this year, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum announced they would be recognizing the Ritchie Boys with the Elie Wiesel Award, the museum’s highest honor.
“The Ritchie Boys were one of World War II’s greatest secret weapons for US Army intelligence,” said Museum Chairman Stuart E. Eizenstat said in a release earlier this year. “Many had fled Nazi Germany but returned as American soldiers, deploying their knowledge of German language and culture to great advantage. They significantly helped the war effort and saved lives.”
On having his unit receive such a special honor, Weitzenkorn humbly said, “I’m grateful for the experience and I hope I contributed during the victory of the United States.”
Weitzenkorn’s daughter, Judy Miller, said she’s incredibly proud of her father, not only for his military’s heroics, but for the way he carried himself as a role model for his family.
“He has always been an a example of positive thinking, kindness to others and just all-around hardworking example for me, my brother, my sister and all the grandkids,” Miller said.
“He’s never drank, he’s never smoked. Just lived a very forthright life and that has left a lasting impression on all of us and set an example for all of us to try and live up to.”
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