Anthony F. Schmitz '55 is a World War II veteran and recipient of the Bronze Star and the French Legion of Honor. Inducted into the United States Army in 1943, Private Schmitz was shipped overseas and joined the celebrated Thunder Birds, part of the 5th U.S. Army.
He first saw combat at the Cassino Front. His division returned to southern Italy in January 1944 to prepare for the invasion of Anzio. During the fighting for Anzio, his battalion distinguished itself in combat and earned the coveted Presidential Unit Citation. After Rome fell and was liberated on June 4, 1944, the Thunder Bird Division began preparing for the invasion of southern France. On Aug. 15, 1944, Private Schmitz hit the beach at Sainte Maxime on the French Riviera with the 45th. The division then proceeded to the Alsace region of France with the German army fighting a delaying action the entire way up along the front of the old Maginot Line.
He was ultimately transferred to Belgium until the Germans capitulated to the Allies on V-E Day in 1945. Private Schmitz took part in the occupation of Germany until he was honorably discharged from the army in December of that year.
Private Schmitz’s many personal medals and decorations include:
• The Presidential Unit Citation
• The Combat Infantry Badge
• The Bronze Star Medal for Merit
• The American Campaign Medal
• The European-African-Middle Eastern Service Campaign Medal with Bronze Arrowhead (for southern France)
• Six Bronze Service Stars – for Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno, southern France, the Rhineland, and the Ardennes-Alsace campaigns.
• The World War II Victory Medal
• The Army Occupation Medal (Germany clasp) with the New York State Conspicuous Service Star
• The Honorable Discharge Pin
France’s Ambassador to the United States thanked Schmitz for his bravery in helping to liberate France from Nazi occupation and awarded him that country’s most prestigious decoration: the Legion of Honor, Chevalier.