Ralph James Wickel

Ralph J. Wickel was born on November 28, 1921 and was raised in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. The family home was located on N. Towamencin Avenue in the town of Lansdale. The Wickel family were members of the Church of the Holy Trinity, North Broad Street. Ralph was educated in the Lansdale public school system and graduated from Lansdale High School.

Ralph participated in the Lansdale High School marching band. As tennis was not a varsity sport at Lansdale High School in the late 1930s, Ralph had to develop his skills on local tennis courts. The Pool and Sons Pants Factory, Second Street & Towamencin Avenue, Lansdale, maintained a tennis court. The Pool and Sons Pants Factory owner and operator, Irwin H. Pool, took notice of Ralph's tennis ability and mentored his development. Ralph participated in local amateur tennis tournaments and played at various private clubs in the Lansdale area. Ralph garnered the attention of Temple University (Philadelphia, PA) and was awarded a scholarship to participate on the varsity tennis team.

During the time Ralph was attending Temple University, the United States entered into World War II. Ralph enlisted in the United States Army in October 1942. Mustered into active service in May 1943, Ralph was stationed at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. Completing basic training and qualifying as a M1 rifle marksman, Ralph's occupational specialty was to be a radio operator with the 3132nd Sonic Company

The 3132nd Sonic Company was composed of US Army soldiers participating in a classified unit named the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops. The Special Troop's mission involved tactical deception activities in the European theatre of World War II. The 23rd Headquarters Special Troops were composed of the 603rd Engineer Battalion, 406th Combat Engineer, and the 3132nd Sonic Company; better known in history as the Ghost Army. The special troops were composed of artists, designers, actors, meteorologists, sound technicians, and their true mission was not to fight, but to deceive the German army. Their props were inflatable tanks and pyrotechnics; their tools camouflage, "spoof" radio plays, special effects, and sonic deception

Ralph departed with his company for the European theatre in May 1944. During his service, Ralph was involved in the battles of Northern France, Ardennes, Central Europe and the Rhineland. The 23rd Headquarters Special Troops military activities were highly classified during the war and the mission details were only recently declassified in 1996. Ralph earned the military position of Technician Fifth Grade (T/5). Receiving an honorable discharge from the United States Army, Ralph returned to civilian life in November 1945

Ralph returned to Temple University to compete on the varsity tennis team and earn a bachelor's degree. Upon graduation, Ralph and his wife, Georgine, continued to reside in the Philadelphia area. Ralph chose a career in education and the Wickel family expanded with the birth of their daughter, Kathleen.

As a member of the Middle States Lawn Tennis Association, a division of the United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA), Ralph competed successfully in amateur regional tennis tournaments. Ralph reached divisional rankings of 9th in single's (1954) and 1st in double's (1954 & 1955). Ralph competing in the USLTA men's singles United States National Championships; known currently as the United States Open Tennis Championships. Ralph competed in Round 1 of the tournament in 1952, 1954 and 1955.

Ralph changed careers joining the Holt, Rinehart and Winston Publishing Co. until his retirement in 1981. Retirement brought a change of residence to Vero Beach, Florida. Ralph and his wife Georgine were avid antique automobile collector, and were members of National Antique Automobile Club and the Indian River County Studebaker Club.

Ralph J. Wickel died on April 26, 2001 in Vero Beach, Florida at 79 years old.

Military Honors and Awards
Ralph Wickel's decorations include

United States Lawn Tennis Association - Middle States Lawn Tennis Association
Men’s Regional Singles Rankings:

1951 – 17th 1952 – 17th

1954 – 9th

1955 – 13th

1956 – 14th

Men’s Regional Doubles Rankings:

1952 – 19th (Wills and Wickel)

1954 – 1st (Stern and Wickel)

1955 – 1st (Hoffman and Wickel)

1956 – 6th (Meade and Wickel)

Tennis Career: Major Tournaments
Men's singles

1952 | 1952-08-29 - US Open

Round 1 - Wood Jr., Sidney Burr d. Wickel, Ralph J. (6-0 6-2 6-4)

1952 | 1952-07-15 - North Philadelphia Tennis Tournament 

Quarterfinals - Wickel, Ralph J. d. Hoffman, Harry (6-8 6-3 6-3)

1953 | 0000-00-00 - Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship

Round 1 - Eisenberg, Pablo S. d. Wickel, Ralph J. (6-2 6-0)

1954 | 1954-08-28 - US Open

Round 1 - Stewart, George d. Wickel, Ralph J. (6-3 6-4 6-2)

1954 | 0000-00-00 - North Philadelphia Tennis Tournament

Final - Hoffmann Jr., Harry d. Wickel, Ralph J. (4-6 6-4 7-5 6-4)

1954 | 1954-06-06 - Philadelphia and District Clay Courts

Quarterfinals - Hoffmann Sr., Harry d. Wickel, Ralph J. (6-1 6-3)

1954 | 1954-07-25 - Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship

Round 1 - Wickel, Ralph J. d. Clothier 2nd, William J. (Bill) (6-3 4-6 8-6)

Round 2 - Lesch, John J. d. Wickel, Ralph J. (6-3 7-5)

1955 | 1955-09-02 - US Open

Round 1 - Falkenburg, Robert (Bob) d. Wickel, Ralph J. (8-6 6-1 5-7 6-0 )

1955 | 1955-06-26 - West Jersey Open

Semifinals - Meade Jr., Newton B. d. Wickel, Ralph J. (2-2 ret.)

1955 | 1955-07-24 - Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship

Round 1 - Gaines, Richard (Dick) d. Wickel, Ralph J. (6-1 6-1)

1956 | 1956-06-03 - Water Tower TC Hard Courts

Quarterfinals - Clark, Straight d. Wickel, Ralph J. (?)

1956 | 1956-06-10 - Philadelphia and District Clay Courts

Round 3 - Wickel, Ralph J. d. Clothier 2nd, William J. (Bill) (6-3 6-1)

Quarterfinals - Meade Jr., Newton B. d. Wickel, Ralph J. (6-4 3-6 13-11)

1956 | 1956-07-29 - Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship

Preliminary Round - Schnaars, James d. Wickel, Ralph J. (6-3 6-2)

1957 | 1957-05-12 - Brockway Invitation

Round 2 - Short, Joseph P. (Joey) d. Wickel, Ralph J. (6-1 6-3)

1959 | 1959-06-14 - West Jersey Open

Semifinals - Boyer, Robert (Bob) d. Wickel, Ralph J. (w.o.)

1960 | 1960-05-08 Cheltenham Hardcourts

Round 2 - Wickel, Ralph J. d. Lieberman, Mike (6-4 6-1)

Quarterfinals - Dailey, Edward G. (Ed) d. Wickel, Ralph J. (7-5 6-2)

1960 | 1960-06-19 - Delaware Valley

Quarterfinals - Meade Jr., Newton B. d. Wickel, Ralph J. (6-4 6-4)