Nickname(s) Luz Years of service 1942-1945 Service/branch United States Army | Allegiance United States Name George Luz | |
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Born June 17, 1921
Fall River, Massachusetts ( 1921-06-17 ) Place of burial Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery Battles/wars World War II
Battle of Normandy
Operation Market Garden
Battle of the Bulge Awards World War II Victory Medal
Presidential Unit Citation (2OLC)
Bronze Star
Purple Heart Died October 15, 1998, West Warwick, Rhode Island, United States Unit E Company, 506th Infantry Regiment Battles and wars Operation Overlord, Operation Market Garden, Battle of the Bulge, World War II Similar People Frank Perconte, Rick Gomez, Joe Toye | ||
George luz moments hd
Technician Fourth Grade George Luz, Sr. (17 June 1921 – 15 October 1998) was a non-commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. Luz was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Rick Gomez.
Contents
- George luz moments hd
- Band of brothers george luz the world spins madly on
- Youth
- Military service
- Later years
- Death and funeral
- References
Band of brothers george luz the world spins madly on
Youth
Luz was born in Fall River, Massachusetts to Portuguese descended parents, and grew up in West Warwick, Rhode Island. He had nine siblings while growing up. He dropped out during his junior year of high school and enlisted on 25 August 1942 at Providence, Rhode Island.
Military service
George Luz had a knack for causing trouble with his sense of humor, and his ability to imitate just about anyone. During a training exercise in England, Luz did an impression of one of the Regimental staff to Easy Company Commander Herbert Sobel, fooling him into cutting an English farmer's fence and letting loose a herd of cows.
Luz jumped into Normandy on 6 June 1944. Because he thought he would never manage to get out of the plane (he was 5th in the stick), he asked Roy Cobb to exchange seats, as he would jump out of his stick earlier this way. There was heavy flak; Cobb was hit and couldn't jump. Luz did after he had kicked out his leg bag containing his radio and other equipment. When Luz landed, he was alone and was unable to locate any of his comrades. Before his death in 1998, Luz recalled ducking behind a hedgerow for cover, looking up and seeing fellow paratroopers shot by tracer rounds.
Luz managed to regroup with his company the next day and assisted in the taking of Carentan. A few months later, Luz jumped into the Netherlands with the rest of Easy Company during Operation Market Garden. Near Christmas 1944, Luz and the rest of Easy Company participated in the Battle of the Bulge, where Luz lost several friends to German artillery. Luz is credited with keeping Easy Company morale up with his humor in dire times.
Later years
After returning home, Luz settled in West Warwick, Rhode Island and married Delvina. In Stephen E. Ambrose's book, Band of Brothers, it was wrongly stated that after the war, George became a handyman. His son revealed that he had worked as a maintenance consultant, and he was killed in an industrial accident.
Death and funeral
While working on a large 7,200 lb. industrial dryer, the machine slipped off its supports and fell on Luz. Doctors said he died immediately. In Luz's remembrance at the funeral home, there was a line down the street of 1,600 people waiting to pay their respects. Luz was buried with his medals on his chest, of which his family had no prior knowledge. Luz is buried at the Veterans Cemetery in Exeter, Rhode Island.