Lawrence Wiltgen Wounded In France On Invasion Day
Staff Sgt. Lawrence Wiltgen, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Wiltgen of Alton, was “slightly” wounded in the June 6th invasion, according to a cablegram from the War Department received here by his parents and forwarded to them in California where they are visiting their daughters, one of whom is with the WACs in San Francisco.
The message read:
“Regret to inform you your son, Lawrence J. Wiltgen, was on six June slightly wounded in action in France. You will be advised as reports of condition are received. ~Ulio, the Adjutant General.”
S/Sgt. Wiltgen has three brothers and one sister in the service, giving the family a 5-star service flag. He is a paratrooper and was an instructor at Ft. Benning before being assigned to a regiment for combat duty. It was long his ambition to “get into the scrap.”
T/Sgt. Jos. Wiltgen, after two years in the Aleutians, is now at Camp Jos. T. Robinson, Ark.; Sgt. Charles Wiltgen is with an ordnance regiment in Italy; Pvt. Eugene Wiltgen is in the Army Air Corps at Amarillo , Texas; Pvt. Vivian Wiltgen is with the 814th WAC Hq. Co. Gardner Field, Calif.
Source: The Alton Democrat, June 22, 1944
Lawrence Wiltgen Wounded 2nd Time
Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Wiltgen of Alton received a message Wednesday stating that their son, S/Sgt. Lawrence Wiltgen was wounded in action over Belgium January 7th. He is in a hospital and his parents will be notified of his condition.
A paratrooper, Sgt. Wiltgen, was wounded over France on D-Day last June. His wounds at that time were considered slight, although some 27 pieces of shrapnel were imbedded in his body. His many friends here hope that his present wounds will not prove serious.
Lawrence is one of six Wiltgen children in service, four of them overseas. Cpl. Vivian Wiltgen has just notified her parents of her arrival with the WACS in Dutch New Guinea after a “swell” voyage.
Source: Alton Democrat, January 25, 1945
