Sons and Soldiers begins in Germany during the menacing rise of Hitler and the Nazis, as Jewish families were trying desperately to get out of Europe. It tells the heartbreaking stories of parents choosing to send their young sons away to safety but uncertain futures in America, knowing they would perhaps never see them again. When these boys came of age, they were determined to join the fight in Europe. Utilizing their unique mastery of the enemy’s language, culture and psychology, the U.S. Army trained them to be interrogators of German prisoners.
Though these young men — named the Ritchie Boys after Camp Ritchie, Maryland, where they trained — knew what the Nazis might do to them if they were captured, they were willing to be sent in small, elite teams to join every combat unit in Europe. They collected key tactical intelligence on enemy strength, troop and armored movements, and defensive positions, all of which saved American lives and helped the Allies win the war. A postwar Army report found that more than sixty percent of the credible intelligence gathered in Europe came from the Ritchie Boys.
Sons and Soldiers draws on original interviews and extensive archival research to vividly recreate the stories of six of these men, tracing their stories from childhood through their escapes from Europe, their feats and sacrifices during the war, and finally their desperate attempts to find their missing loved ones. Sons and Soldiers is an epic story of heroism, courage, and patriotism that will not soon be forgotten.
