America lost another of the "Greatest Generation" Sgt. Virgil H. Dorr March 15, 2014 to pneumonia.
Virgil was born on August 29, 1919 in Glasgow, Montana the third of 5 children and spent most of his childhood in Great Falls, Montana. After graduating from Great Falls High School Virgil joined the Navy in 1938 and was the "Top Man" in his Navy Recruit Training Class. Virgil was given a medical discharge because of severe sea sickness in 1939. Upon his Navy discharge he immediately joined the Army. Prior to the start of WWII he was stationed in the Panama Canal Zone as an artilleryman. This is where he joined the famed 82nd Airborne's GOYAs 551st PIB. Virgil made 4 combat jumps with the 551st in Sicily, Italy, France and Belgium. Sgt. Dorr fought in the Battle of the Bulge where the 551st had 85% causalities and according to the unit's Presidential Unit Citation, "On 4 January, the battalion conducted a rare fixed bayonet attack of machine gun nests that killed 64 Germans" near Dairomont, Belgium.
Virgil was also an Virgil was also an
accomplished
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boxer and was All Services Welter-Weight Champion and as a pro was
California State Welter-Weight Champion.
After WWII Virgil settled in the Lakewood/ Long Beach, CA area where he had been stationed while in the Navy. After earning an AA in Accounting at Long Beach City College he married the love of his life Ina in 1948. Ina and Virgil were married for 57 years until Ina's passing in 2005. They had 3 daughters 11 grandchildren, 13 great- grandchildren and 7 great- great- grandchildren. Virgil was a CPA and was the Controller for several large printing companies over a 40 year career and after retirement moved to Meadow Valley in 1986.
Virgil was predeceased by his wife Ina, daughters Cleta Ross and Faye "Cleo" Flanery, and grandson Corey Bolt. He is survived by sister Betty Voytoski, daughter Joanne Bolt (Hank), grandchildren Debbi (Fred), Chuck (Bev), Cathy (Carl), Kerry (Don), Vicki (Jerry), Chris (Pam), Shawn (Maritsa), Scott (Stacy), Jason (Robin) and Stacy (James) along with 13 great-grandchildren and 7 great-great-grandchildren.
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Enlistments
Approved
Enlistment applications of Stewart Irvin
of Browning and Virgil H. Dorr of 214 Ninth street south have been
approved by the navy recruiting office office at Salt Lake City and both
will be called for enlistment when needed to fill district quotas,
according to word received Monday by J. A. Anderson, local recruiting
officer.
[Great Falls Tribune, Great Falls, MT, 22 Sep 1936,
Tue, Page 15 ]
Enlisted in Navy
Four youths, three of them from Great Falls, have been formally
enlisted In the United States navy following following passage of final
tests at Salt Lake City and are now at San Diego, Calif., for
preliminary training, according to J. A. Anderson, local navy recruiting
agent. The youths are Virgil H. Dorr, Walter O. Atkinson and Roy Oliver
Wilkinson, all of this city, and Roland Donovan of Gildford.
[Great Falls Tribune, Great Falls, MT, 25 Nov 1936, Wed, Page 16 ] |