Rapaport, Joseph (1922-) | Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust

Joseph Rapaport was born May 30, 1922 in Vienna, Austria, and immigrated to the United States, where he became an American citizen. Rapaport earned an A.B. (Bachelors of Arts) in chemistry and an M.D. in medicine. Prior to his enlistment in the army, he worked as a physician for Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City, New York.

In January 1943, Rapaport began active service in the army, where he trained as a medic under the army specialized training program at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. He graduated from the program in November 1943. Rapaport was then transferred to the army specialized training unit at the University of Chicago to continue his training and foreign language studies.(Rapaport was fluent in several languages – English, German, and French.) In the summer of 1944, he began further training at Camp McCoy in Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. In the fall/winter of 1944, Rapaport was transferred overseas to London, England, and from there to Germany in early 1945. He resided in Germany during the American occupation, and travelled throughout the country. In 1946, he returned to the United States. Rapaport separated from the armed forces in 1954.