 |
 |
 |
|
Norman F. Wurzburger was born on June 11, 1920, to Abigail (Abbie) M Oleary, age 35, and Charles M Wuerzburger, age 28. He had one younger brother Charles. Their mother Abigail (Abbie) M passed away on July 29, 1934, in Manhattan, at the age of 45, Norman was 14 years old. After their mother's deaths the boys moved to Rye with their father.
They lived at 667 Forest Ave and were members of the Church of the Resurrection. Norman attended Rye schools and was a Rye High School Graduate. Norman enlisted and served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II.
 Norman Wurzburger enlisted on December 29, 1941 with the United States Marine Corp. After advanced training, in January 1943 he was assigned to the First and later that year to the Second Parachute Battalion's, First Marine Parachute Regiment, First Marine Amphibious Corps, as a paramarine.
After the parachute Regiments were disbanded he was reassigned as a member of the 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division who served at Iwo Jima. View Muster Rolls
The 5th Marine Division was a United States Marine Corps ground combat division which was activated on 11 November 1943 (officially activated on 21 January 1944) at Camp Pendleton, California during World War II. The 5th Division saw its first combat action during the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945 where it sustained the highest number of casualties of the three Marine divisions of the V Amphibious Corps (invasion force).
The 5th Division was to be part of the planned invasion of the Japan homeland before Japan surrendered. Assault troops of the 5th Division were included in the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to the V Amphibious Corps for extraordinary heroism on Iwo Jima from 19 to 28 February 1945. The 5th Division was deactivated on 5 February 1946.
 The following is an excerpt from a book entitled Mission Raise Hell: U S Marines on Choiseuel, October to November, 1943. It was written by James F. Christ and was published on March 16, 2006 by the Naval Institute Press.
"Norman Wurzburger would be blown into the air by a Japanese Spigot mortar and take multiple shrapnel to his shoulder. Unconscious, he would be buried alive under the dirt, only his hand and wrist visible. A corpsman PM3 Greg Emory would see his hand sticking out and pull him from the earth, saving his life. ''
Norman was honorably discharge December 29,1945 View Discharge Record
 After the war he married Anne DeLorio and they would have two children.
Norman worked for many years for the NY Telephone Company and the family remaind local, living in Harrison,NY. Norman was active in the Boy Scouts and was a voulunteer driver for the Harrison Community Services.
Norman F. Wurzburger passed away on May 28, 2004. He was 83 years old.
At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife Anne (nee DeLorio), children Greg (Jean) Wurzburger and Cheryl (David) Duboff. He was also survived by four loving grandchildren, Kristin, Gregory, Andrea and Rachel.
A Mass of the Christian Burial was held at St. Gregory the Great Church. Entombment followed at St. Mary's Cemetery, Rye Brook.
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
Links to this Veterans History
|
|
|
|
|
|
|