 Lawrence (Larry) G. Fitzpatrick – Private to Staff Sergeant.
Served with distinction in the Hq1 Light Machine Gun Platoon from October 20, 1942 to October 13, 1945
Larry Fitzpatrick was an outstanding, courageous soldier, a competent leader, and a dependable comrade, respected by everyone.
Larry Fitzpatrick was awarded the Silver Star Medal for heroic action in the Netherlands
during
Operation Market - Garden. See Chapter II, Combat Operations – Holland.
Larry Fitzpatrick is most assuredly a distinguished member of the “Great-est of the Greatest Generation.”
Among the Hq1 men, Larry was a quite, modest, achiever that seldom revealed his private thoughts. Larry’s submission for the album was limit-ed to his date and place of birth; his in and out service dates, and the award of the Purple Heart Medal w/oak leaf cluster. Therefore, Larry’s WW II comrades contributed information for this summary.
Larry Fitzpatrick was born September 1, 1923 in DuBois, PA. He entered the service October 19, 1942, and volunteered for airborne training.
Instead of receiving basic training and then going to Fort Benning, GA for parachutist training, Larry was sent to Camp Blanding, Florida where the Army was conducting a test program.
The Army wanted to ascertain whether entire units could be trained at the parachute school, rather than continue qualifying individuals as parachutists, and then assigning them to airborne units.
The 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment (508th PIR) was activated tat Camp Blanding to conduct the test.
When Larry got to Blanding, the 508th PIR consisted of a cadre of parachute qualified officers and noncommissioned officers, and only enough “recruits” to activate the Regimental Headquarters & Headquarters company, a Service company, and the First Battalion. Larry was assigned to the Hq1 Light Machine Gun Platoon and served therein throughout World War II. | 
