As a matter of fact, Wikipedia is not very reliable. It is extremely hard to change a wrong information. In the minute, you try to change a single word, some sort of robot coming from nowhere reverts the edit as vandalism. You can talk with the robot but as I don't have time to waste, I consider this is not my business to deal with it.
For instance :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_G._Turrou
In the paragraph, early life, it is written : "From 1916 to 1920, Turrou served with the French Army and was soon sent to fight on Eastern Front. He was wounded in an engagement with the Germans."
I tried to replace with the following :
From 1916 to 1919, Turrou travelled to Asia, Singapore, China, Russia. He got married in Vladivostok Russia in oct 19, 1917. He had two boys, born in Taïga Siberia in 1918 and 1919. He went back to the USA in November 1919
After 1 minute, there is the visit of Glane23 :
- curprev 12:52, 11 October 2022 Glane23 talk contribs m 5,784 bytes −55 Reverted edits by 90.32.47.118 (talk) (HG) (3.4.10) undo Tag: Rollback
- curprev 12:51, 11 October 2022 90.32.47.118 talk 5,839 bytes +12 →Early life undo Tag: Reverted
- curprev 12:50, 11 October 2022 90.32.47.118 talk 5,827 bytes +43 →Early life undo Tag: Reverted
The investigation done by the FBI and other governemental agencies in 1938 showed Leon Turrou never served in the french army and he never fighted in France during WW1. As Leon Turrou was in Asia at that time, it is physically possible he joined the Russian White army.
Below is a more comprehensive and accurate biography :
1916
Turrou leaves the US voyaging to Singapore, China and Russia. (Davidowsky)
July 27 : Leon Turrou's mother and brother, Rebecca and Rudolf Turovsky arrive to Seattle aboard the SS Sado Maru from Yokohama, Japon and Singapour.
On the immigration form :
Rebecca
Turovsky : 41 years old born in Minsk (Bielorrusse) Russia. Hebrew.
Rudolf Turovsky 16 years old.
Rebecca's brother, (Turrou's uncle) : Skudin address listed as : 1016 Pitking Av Brooklyn NY
Turrou indicated that he enlisted in the French Foreign Legion and that he fought on the Eastern front and was injured twice. He met his future wife Teresa Zakrzewski during his convalescence in Paris. He had been decorated with the War Cross (la croix de guerre)with palms. Research conducted by the American and French governments were unable to verify these statements. In addition, Teresa Zakrzewski never came to France before 1923. At the time, Turrou lived mostly in the far east in the area of the Russian / Chinese border.
However, Turrou was infact injured in a leg that he claimed was shrapnel. In 1938, Turrou asserts that he enlisted in the Russian Imperial Army.
1917
Turrou works at the Chinese Eastern Railway as a translator.
(FBI file 1 section 1 page 271 Turrou)
October 19 : Marriage of Teresa Zakrzewski and Leon Turrou in Vladivostok, Russia. (Teresa's passport)
1918
June 1918 : Taiga (Novossibrik zone reclaimed by the white army)
They live Taïga, Siberia (Teresa's passport)
November 10 : birth of Edward Turrou in Taiga, Siberia
1919
Leon and Teresa Turrou live in China (Teresa's passport in 1919-1920)
Around
September-October : Leon Turrou returns alone to the US from Shanghai by
way of France.
November 8 : Turrou leaves from Le Havre on the SS Lafayette to New York.
November 17 : Arrival in New York SS La Fayette from Le Havre and Shanghai. He gave the name of the mother, Rebecca Turovsky, 381 Alabama Ave NY. He is in possession of $700. His occupation is translator for the US Red-Cross in Shanghai.
His wife lives in Taïga, Siberia.
Novembre : The Red Army has retaken control of Taïga.
December 9 : birth of Victor Turrou in Taïga, Siberia.
Concerning this time period, Turrou states in 1939 during a radio conference, that in 1918 Russia was in civil war. His wife stayed in Russia while he was in China. He states that he made an inquiry with the American Consulate and was informed that all of the inhabitants of the small village where his family lived had been massacred. He then decides to return to the US. (This version of events has been recounted many times. There are too many inaccuracies to be considered credible.)
December 13 : Marriage of Rebecca Turovsky (Turrou's mother) and David Marcus in New York.