William Vlaanderen

Bill enlisted in the service on March 27, 1951, at Ft. Douglas Utah, and was stationed at Camp Roberts, California for basic training. Shortly after entering the war, he and a fellow soldier were situated on a slight incline of a hill in some brush, thinking they were well out of danger. They were preparing some powdered eggs for breakfast. He said that as soon as they were ready to eat, he lifted a forkful to his mouth and suddenly felt a terrible pain in his leg. When his buddy pulled him back to the ground, he immediately tried to stand, only to find that the bullet (shrapnel) had traveled through his torso before it passed through his leg. After recovering from his wounds, he returned to duty until he was honorably discharged on March 3, 1953.