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Personal info

Full name
KRANTZ, Luther Edward
Date of birth
25 August 1924
Age
20
Place of birth
Brandonville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
Hometown
Temple, Berks County, Pennsylvania

Military service

Service number
33618365
Rank
Private
Function
unknown
Unit
D Company,
2nd Battalion,
504th Parachute Infantry Regiment,
82nd Airborne Division
Awards
Purple Heart with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
26 December 1944
Place of death
Floret, Belgium

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Henri-Chapelle
Plot Row Grave
A 15 15

Immediate family

Members
William Krantz (father)
Rebecca C. Krantz (mother)
Ruth Krantz (sister)
Albert C. Krantz (brother)
Adam F. Krantz (brother)
Ethel Krantz (sister)
Edna Krantz (sister)

More information

Pvt Luther E. Krantz enlisted in Allentown, Pennsylvania on 3 March 1943. Before going overseas he was stationed at Camp Wolters in Texas and Fort Benning in Georgia. He went across September, 1943 and served in Africa, Sicily and Italy where he was twice wounded on the Anzio beach for which he received the Purple Heart.
From there he was sent to England where he stayed about eight months before going to Holland with an airborne division and within the last four months he was in Holland, Germany, France and Belgium. Two weeks before his death, his mother received a package of him containing a swastika, two arm bands, some women's workers pins.
His brother Pfc Albert F. Krantz served with the Coast Artillery in the Aleutian Islands and Pvt Adam F. Krants was stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Pvt Krantz was killed by a mortar shell dropdown. He was virtually killed instantly.

Source of information: Tjarco Schuurman, Frank van Lunteren, Astrid van Erp, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ww2-airborne.us, http://aad.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - Veteran Compensation Application File / 1930 Census, www.newspapers.com - Standard-Sentinel

Photo source: Peter Schouteten