
Wings Over Wendy’s veteran group member, Private First Class Samuel Schultz, U.S. Army, WWII was born in Brooklyn, NY on Veterans’ Day, November 11, 1923.
Schultz enlisted in the U.S. Army in July 1942 and deployed to England with the 385th Anti Aircraft Separate Battalion. After four months, the unit was sent to Utah Beach, July 7, 1944, to protect the Normandy beaches from enemy aircraft.
Fighting their way across France, Holland, Belgium, and Germany protecting Army units at bridges and airfields on their drive to Germany. Then, the 385th moved into Belgium where they were involved in the Battle of the Bulge.
After the Battle of the Bulge, the 385th went through Holland and Germany where they stayed through the end of the war.
Schultz’ awards are numerous: The French Legion of Honor medal, presented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs (the highest French order of merit for military and civil merits established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, )the EAME Campaign Medal with four battle stars (European- African-Middle Eastern campaign medal created in 1942 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt), the WWII Victory Medal, the American Campaign Medal, and the Belgium Fourragere (created by Prince Charles of Belgium in 1940 to honor certain military formations distinguished during WWII).
After the war, he and his wife, Ruth, moved to Los Angeles where he became an electrician and then a journeyman in 1950. He worked for an electric company for 17 years and then for the County of Los Angeles for 20 years. Later, he did volunteer work for Kaiser Hospital in Woodland Hills and Panorama City for 26 years.
Sam has three children, three grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
He and Ruth enjoyed 72 years of happiness together. Now, he enjoys his Monday mornings as a proud member of Wings over Wendys with numerous friends and his son, Bruce.