October 20, 2021
Join Emerita Beverley Eddy for a discussion of her latest book, Ritchie Boy Secrets.
During World War II Camp Ritchie in Cascade, Maryland, served as a training camp for soldiers assigned to military intelligence. A good many of these soldiers were immigrants or the children of immigrants, and about 20% of them were refugees from Hitler’s Germany. All the soldiers who were brought to the camp were fluent in two or more languages. It was the belief of the camp commander that, as part of their intelligence training, these soldiers should be immersed as much as possible in a German war setting. About 400 soldiers were stationed permanently at the camp; they were trained to assume the roles of German soldiers and to demonstrate German tactics and weaponry. A good many well-known figures passed through the camp as students. These include Senator Frank Church, banker David Rockefeller, author J. D. Salinger and Hollywood mogul Eric Pleskow. Emerita Beverley Eddy taught in Dickinson’s German department from 1973 to 1977, and again from 1983 until her retirement in 2003. In the years since, Bev has pursued her interests in history and writing. She is especially intrigued with the ways an individual’s life intersects with crucial moments in history. This interest has led her to write a biography of Felix Salten, a Viennese Jew and author of Bambi; a dual biography of Thomas Mann’s two oldest children, Erika and Klaus, highlighting their struggles in America; and a history of Camp Sharpe, a World War II camp located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where soldiers were trained in psychological warfare. Her latest book, Ritchie Boy Secrets, is a history of Camp Ritchie published by Stackpole Press. The Zoom link will be provided the morning of the event to those who register. Please register by Monday, Oct. 18.
Further information
- Location: Webinar
- Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
- Cost: Free