Born in San Francisco, California, United States to Robert Lutge and Harriet Van Laak. Married Shirley Faye Maybee of Nebraska City, Nebraska in 1948 until his passing in 2005.
Served 7 years in the military. Enlisted August 1942, as a private, sent to Alaska in 1943, he was assigned to the Headquarters 1st Battalion, 198th Regiment, 206th Infantry of the Alaskan Defense Command and attached to the AAA Costal Artillery Searchlight Unit during the Dutch Harbor engagement. Earlier during the "Battle of Attu" he was wounded in the leg, receiving his first Purple Heart.
Re-assigned to the 53rd Replacement Battalion in 1944. He was shipped to England in June 1944, then to France, in Sept 1944. Now assigned to the 38th Armored Infantry Battalion 7th Armored Division. There he was engaged in no less than nine battles including Sillegny, France; Overloon, Holland; and Meijel, Holland. After he was transferred to Company B, 48th Armored Infantry Batallion. During a fierce three day "Battle of the Canals" during hand to hand combat, he was stabbed in the back while on the road between Asten and Meijel, Netherlands in 1944 receiving a second Purple Heart.
He was taken as a Prisoner Of War on October 29, 1944, near Meijel Netherlands and was sent to a work camp near Stalag XI B (11 B)work camp # 53-09,in the small village of Oerbke, just east of Fallingbostel, Lower Saxony, Germany ( ironically, 42 miles from were his father was born). The camp only housed 2500 P.O.W's with another 40,000 housed in tents in nearby work camps. His statement to me was he escaped the camp (date unknown) with assistance from a Russian P.O.W. but this can not be verified now.
Due to harsh conditions and very little medical treatment by his captors, he was hospitalized upon return to the U.S. (length and location unknown at this time). Being honorably discharged in October 5, 1945.
The camps were liberated on April 16, 1945 the 8th Reconnaissance Regiment (14th Canadian Hussars) 2nd Canadian Infantry Division.
After the end of WWII, he enlisted in the 10th Army Air Force (USAAF) obtaining the rank of Sergeant from July 31, 1946 until August 1, 1949. One of his duties was as a driver for Brigadier General Raymond Walter Peck , (memorial # 3423740) at Fort Crook, Nebraska.
Other duties during during his military time were, Lt truck driver (2 1/2 tons ) with maintenance and repairs, and installing detonators and fuses in 3" shells.
After the military, he worked with the San Francisco Municipal Railway system for 27 years before retiring.
The medals and commemorative medals earned are; Combat Infantry, P.O.W., Good Conduct, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, Asiatic Pacific with a star, WWII Victory, Combat Service, American Campaign, European Campaign.
Born in San Francisco, California, United States to Robert Lutge and Harriet Van Laak. Married Shirley Faye Maybee of Nebraska City, Nebraska in 1948 until his passing in 2005.
Served 7 years in the military. Enlisted August 1942, as a private, sent to Alaska in 1943, he was assigned to the Headquarters 1st Battalion, 198th Regiment, 206th Infantry of the Alaskan Defense Command and attached to the AAA Costal Artillery Searchlight Unit during the Dutch Harbor engagement. Earlier during the "Battle of Attu" he was wounded in the leg, receiving his first Purple Heart.
Re-assigned to the 53rd Replacement Battalion in 1944. He was shipped to England in June 1944, then to France, in Sept 1944. Now assigned to the 38th Armored Infantry Battalion 7th Armored Division. There he was engaged in no less than nine battles including Sillegny, France; Overloon, Holland; and Meijel, Holland. After he was transferred to Company B, 48th Armored Infantry Batallion. During a fierce three day "Battle of the Canals" during hand to hand combat, he was stabbed in the back while on the road between Asten and Meijel, Netherlands in 1944 receiving a second Purple Heart.
He was taken as a Prisoner Of War on October 29, 1944, near Meijel Netherlands and was sent to a work camp near Stalag XI B (11 B)work camp # 53-09,in the small village of Oerbke, just east of Fallingbostel, Lower Saxony, Germany ( ironically, 42 miles from were his father was born). The camp only housed 2500 P.O.W's with another 40,000 housed in tents in nearby work camps. His statement to me was he escaped the camp (date unknown) with assistance from a Russian P.O.W. but this can not be verified now.
Due to harsh conditions and very little medical treatment by his captors, he was hospitalized upon return to the U.S. (length and location unknown at this time). Being honorably discharged in October 5, 1945.
The camps were liberated on April 16, 1945 the 8th Reconnaissance Regiment (14th Canadian Hussars) 2nd Canadian Infantry Division.
After the end of WWII, he enlisted in the 10th Army Air Force (USAAF) obtaining the rank of Sergeant from July 31, 1946 until August 1, 1949. One of his duties was as a driver for Brigadier General Raymond Walter Peck , (memorial # 3423740) at Fort Crook, Nebraska.
Other duties during during his military time were, Lt truck driver (2 1/2 tons ) with maintenance and repairs, and installing detonators and fuses in 3" shells.
After the military, he worked with the San Francisco Municipal Railway system for 27 years before retiring.
The medals and commemorative medals earned are; Combat Infantry, P.O.W., Good Conduct, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, Asiatic Pacific with a star, WWII Victory, Combat Service, American Campaign, European Campaign.
