George Luz
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| George Luz | |
|---|---|
| June 17, 1921 – October 15, 1998 (aged 77) | |
| Nickname | Luz |
| Place of birth | Rhode Island |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1941-1945 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Unit | Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division |
| Awards | - World War II Victory Medal - Presidential Unit Citation (2OLC) - Bronze Star - Purple Heart |
| Other work | Maintenance Consultant |
George Luz (1921 - 1998) was a non-commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division. Luz was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Rick Gomez.
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[edit] Early years
Luz was born in 1921 and grew up in Rhode Island, before enlisting in the Paratroopers in 1941.
[edit] World War II
George Luz had a knack for causing trouble with his large 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 the Commander of Easy, Herbert Sobel, fooling him into cutting an English farmer's fence and letting loose a herd of cows.
George Luz jumped into Normandy On June 6, 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 and Cobb was hit. He couldn't jump. Luz did after he had kicked out his leg bag containing the 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 Holland 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.
[edit] After the War
Luz survived the war, and returned home and settled in West Warwick, Rhode Island with his wife Del. 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.[citation needed]
[edit] Death and funeral
Luz died on October 15, 1998 while working on a commercial clothes dryer at a state facility. In Luz's remembrance at the funeral home, there was a line down the street of people waiting to pay their respects. Luz was buried with his medals on his chest, of which his immediate family were not earlier aware.[citation needed]
Luz's burial at the Veterans Cemetery in Exeter, Rhode Island, was overseen by more than 1600 people.
