You can suggest corrections to the following fields for item Van Luyn, William (Interview outline and video, 1 of 2), 2011.

You can also leave general comments or suggestions in the "comments" section. An administrator will review your contribution.

Thank you for taking the time to improve this site!

Please describe the nature of this correction, or anything about it that we should know. Thanks!

Check this box if it is okay for us to contact you about this correction.

An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource

Current data for Contributor

Smither, James (Interviewer

An entity primarily responsible for making the resource

Current data for Creator

Van Luyn, William

A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource

Current data for Date

2011-08-25

An account of the resource

Current data for Description

William Van Luyn was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1925, and was drafted into the Army in 1943. He wanted to go, and was disappointed when he was rejected due to an eye problem, but later talked his way past the recruiter and sent to Camp Ellis, Illinois, to train as an engineer. He joined the 1303rd Engineer General Service Regiment and was assigned to B Company, which specialized in bridge construction. He shipped out to England with his unit in the spring of 1944, and deployed to Normandy shortly after D-Day. After the Normandy breakout, his regiment followed Patton's 3rd Army across France, building and rebuilding bridges all along the way, sometimes under fire from enemy artillery or aircraft. His unit got caught up in the Battle of the Bulge, and then participated in the invasion of Germany, building their longest bridge across the Rhine near Remagen. Shortly after the Germans surrendered, the unit was deployed to the Philippines in preparation for the invasion of Japan.

A related resource from which the described resource is derived

Current data for Source

Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)