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Description

Oral history interview of William Lichtler. Interview conducted by Patrick LaFlam-McFall and Schuyler Howell at Orlando, Florida.

Log

0:01 Graduated high school; 0:10 Enlisted with friend Louis; 0:30 Failed Eye Exam; 1:30 Joined Army June 6,1944; 2:00 17 (19?) week basic training in Georgia; 3:00 Didn't prepare him for combat; 4:00 Went to VA for deployment; 4:30 Crossed Atlantic without incident; 5:30 Landed in Naples, Italy; 6:00 Sent to replacement camp between Pisa & Florence; 6:45 10th Mountain Division replacement; 7:45 Assigned to capture Mt. (LOG DOES NOT PROVIDE NAME) from Germans; 8:30 Pre-battle prep talk; 10:00 Mountain assult begins, intended as surprise; 12:00 Describes BAR squad; 13:10 Describes first engagement; 14:30 Describes German strategy and strong point; 16:00 Capturing of important hill and POWs; 17:00 Casualties for the squad; 18:30 Describes second engagement for second hill; 19:00 Describes foxholes; 20:00 American advances; 24:00 Recon assignment; 25:00 Unit relief and break; 25:30 Harsh living conditions; 26:50 Final Allied assault; 28:00 Start of battle; 29:50 Injured by surprise German attack (bullet); 32:00 Describes rest of battle and Germans; 32:30 Medic treatment; 33:20 Felt bad about leaving outfit (others jealous); 34:00 Evacuated to hospital; 36:30 Climbed Leaning Tower of Pisa; 37:00 Returned home at Miami; 37:30 Reunited with family, brother in Germany; 38:20 Discharged on Dec. 4, 1945; 39:00 Healing injury; 41:30 Personal story in Italy; 48:30 Experience as a replacement into existing unit; 51:00 Personal hospital story; 53:00 Disabled status; 55:00 Homecoming story.

Date of Birth

1924-12-29

Place of Birth

Port Lee (N.J.)

Gender

Male

Race

White - Non Hispanic

Home State

New Jersey

War or Conflict

World War II

Status

Veteran

Begin/End date of Service - 1st

1945-12-04

Type

Audio; Sound

1946-12-04

Entrance into Service

Drafted

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Unit of Service

1st Squad 2nd Platoon I Company 85 Regiment 10 Mountain Division

Location of Service

Italy

Highest Rank

Private First Class; PFC

Prisoner of War

No

Service Related Injury

Yes

Battles

Mt. Belvedere

Medals

Combat Infantryman Badge; Purple Heart; Good Conduct Medal; Brown Star

Achievements

See video for details.

Note

Not applicable

City of Birth

Port Lee

Country of Birth

United States

Interviewer

LaFlam-McFall, Patrick; Howell, Schuyler

Interview Date

4-7-2011

Location of Interview

Orlando, FL.

Subjects

Lichtler, William F.; United States. Army; World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives; World War II; Basic Training; Georgia; Pisa; Florence; Germany; Foxholes; Combat Injuries; Medic

Collection Description

Contains logs, audio and video recordings of interviews with Central Florida's veterans as part of a history class project for the students at the University of Central Florida (UCF). The UCF Community Veterans History Project(CVHP) started in fall 2010. It collects, preserves, and makes accessible to the public the experiences of Central Florida's veterans so that future generations will better understand the realities of conflict. It is a collaborative endeavor supported by multiple departments and offices at UCF. The veterans' histories are archived and made digitally available through the UCF library and selected materials are contributed to the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress.

Contributor Affiliation / Organization

RICHES; University of Central Florida

Contributors

LaFlam-McFall, Patrick; Howell, Schuyler

Length of Interview

70 minutes

Publisher

Department of History, University of Central Florida

Type

audio

Rights

All rights are held by the respective holding institution. This material is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. For permission to reproduce and/or for copyright information contact Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, (407) 823-2576. http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/

Repository

University of Central Florida Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives

Contributing Project

UCF Community Veterans History Project

Document Type

Interview

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