About George
George T. Butler served with the U.S. Army Combat Engineers in World War II. He trained at Camp Carson, Colorado, then shipped overseas in late 1943, serving across England, France, Belgium, and Germany with a combat engineer battalion (his V-mail lists Co. B, 49th Engineers). He was wounded in early 1945 and awarded the Purple Heart, and came home after the war in Europe ended.
These letters — written home to his sisters Ann and Marian between 1942 and 1945 — are his own account of that time: training in the Rockies, the long wait to ship out, England and the Channel, France just after D-Day, the winter in Belgium, and Germany at war's end.
Some details here are reconstructed from the letters and an obituary; corrections are welcome.
Medals & decorations
Most of these are the campaign and service medals earned across the European theater — including the Army of Occupation Medal (Germany) for his time there at war's end. The Purple Heart is the personal one — awarded for wounds received in action.
