Bill Rufty

Our Heroes: the Stories of Polk County Wwii Veterans Bill Rufty

?Our Heroes: the Stories of Polk?s World War II Veterans? includes the story of a topographical draftsman, a sailor on a destroyer in the Pacific, an infantry officer, a pharmacist?s mate aboard a troop carrier, a landing craft operator, a paratrooper, a fighter pilot and a B-17 tail gunner. Men in this collection fought in some of the most important battles and campaigns in the war, including the D-Day invasion, the Battle of the Bulge, and the invasions of Germany and Italy. Vivid stories of Pearl Harbor, Okinawa and the Pacific theater campaigns also grace these pages. The war broke down barriers for women and opened doors for African-Americans ? and the service of Polk County men and woman reflect this fact. Polk County women served as nurses, clerks and paymasters, and fulfilled any number of other important duties. All told more than 15 million men and women served in World War II. Contained in this volume are the stories of 25 participants of this conflict who now call Polk County home.