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Eighty-one years ago, Doug Graul was stationed in Portsmouth, England, awaiting transport to Omaha Beach on D-Day +4. Born in Fairbury on February 5th, 1925, he served as an infantry bazooka carrier in the 116th Regiment, 29th Infantry Division, U.S. XIX Corps, 1st U.S. Army. His citations included the Combat Infantry Badge, the European Campaign Medal, the Distinguished Unit Citation, the WW2 Victory Medal, and the Army Good Conduct Medal. The 29th Infantry Division served as the sharp point of the "Big Red 1" First Army's battle spear, with the 116th as one of its leading edges, spearheading the Division's assault on Omaha Beach and enduring 341 casualties on D-Day. Luckily, Doug was not part of that first wave, landing on D-Day +4. He was quickly thrown into combat as the regiment and the rest of the 29th advanced on St. Lo.
Despite heavy casualties and ongoing resistance in the Bocage, the 116th reached St. Lo. After fierce and bloody fighting from house to house, what remained of the French town was finally seized from German defenders on July 19. Next, the regiment joined the battle to capture Brest. In September, they moved east, attacking positions along the Siegfried Line. The 29th I.D. was the first unit to reach the Roer River, where it remained until it crossed to support assaults in the Ruhr Pocket. That April, the 116th reached the Elbe River, where they made contact with Soviet forces moving in from the East. Among all the Allied forces liberating Europe, the 29th Division faced some of the heaviest casualties, with nearly 29,000 killed, wounded, or imprisoned. They gave as good as they got, capturing more than 38,000 German infantrymen as prisoners of war.
Doug returned to the USA, married, and had five children, ten grandchildren, and fourteen great-grandchildren. He worked for both the U.S. Postal Service and the UP Railroad. Doug is proud to have served his country and is proud of the USA. On May 5th, 2025, Doug will celebrate his 100th birthday at the veterans' home in Kearney, NE.
