PVT Heinz Julius Grunig

courtesy of Jen

PVT Heinz Julius Grunig was born in Dresden, Germany on 6 Jun 1923. He was the first of 2 sons born to Albert and Erna Anna Marie (Hasler) Grunig. The family immigrated in November 1925 and Albert supported his family as a plasterer and the family lived for a while in an apartment at 214 East 126th Street in New York City. Now a parking lot, the site is only a couple of blocks west of the Harlem River. After completing just 1-year of high school, Heinz went to work as an elevator operator and was working at 110 East 126th Street in 1943. 

Heinz was drafted in March 1943. He was sent to South Carolina, perhaps Camp Croft, for his basic military training. While there he met and married Lois Carter later that same year.  The couple would have a daughter on 22 May 1944 and Heinz left for England about 2-weeks earlier and never saw his daughter. He arrived just in time to participate in the D-Day assault on the French coast at Omaha Beach on 6 Jun 1944. It is reported that an artillery or mortar shell burst in their landing craft and PVT Grunig was killed in action. 

PVT Grunig rests forever in the Normandy American Cemetery.