#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran William F. Kamsler

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran William F. Kamsler, who served in World War II from 1943 to 1946 and received two Purple Hearts.

When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, William Kamsler was still in high school. His father was a retired Army officer who served in World War I, and through various connections secured William an appointment at West Point. But the younger Kamsler wasn’t physically strong enough for West Point, and was soon sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, for basic training and Officer Candidate School.

After graduating from basic training, Kamsler was told he was too small for a combat unit, so he enrolled in classes at the University of Dayton, where he learned about municipal governments and European history in preparation for occupational duty after the war. Eight months later, he was assigned to the 405^th Regiment of the 102^nd Infantry Division, in Texas. From there, in September 1944, he was assigned to a reconnaissance unit and sent to France to be a French interpreter–as he had said he took some French in high school during his initial interview. However, he didn’t speak it very well and had to find a French civilian who could speak English to help him.

Kamsler was wounded in the leg while on patrol, earning him a Purple Heart. His unit was the first to cross the Roer River, facing German artillery fire. The unit received the Presidential Unit Citation and Kamsler received a Bronze Star Medal. They also crossed the Elbe River to find an entire German battalion surrendering to them. Kamler was again wounded and received a second Purple Heart. After the war, he was discharged, and returned to the states, where he found work with the CIA.

William Kamsler died in 2014. More of his story can be found at: http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.81888/

We honor his service.

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Veterans History Project

This #VeteranOfTheDay profile was created with interviews submitted to the Veterans History Project. The project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war Veterans so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and better understand the realities of war. Find out more at http://www.loc.gov/vets/.

Contributors

Editor: Kaylee Hogsed

Fact checker: Andre Willey

Graphic artist: Joe Misko