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| Painting depicting men of the 158th Infantry Regiment on the day Sgt. Reiman was killed. http://www.history.army.mil/html/topics/hispam/bushmasters.html |
Lloyd G. Reiman could have been 100 years old today.
He was born on March 2, 1917 in Minnesota. His parents were also both born in Minnesota. His father was a farmer. Lloyd had an older brother and an older sister. He had two younger brothers (who both served in the army during WW2) and two younger sisters. By 1940 he had completed school through 5th grade.
Lloyd was a sergeant in Company H, 158th Infantry Regiment (Bushmasters), which operated independently of any division level command. This regiment was specially trained for jungle warfare and knife fighting with machetes. It first participated in action in Arawe, New Guinea in December 1943. It later participated in fighting on Noemfoor Island and the invasion of Lingayen Gulf in the Philippines. The original Bushmasters were from Arizona and were mainly Mexican Americans and Native Americans, so Sgt. Reiman probably joined the unit as a replacement.
On April 1, 1945 Sgt. Reiman was part of his unit's landing at Legaspi. Sgt. Reiman died on April 4, 1945. On that day, his unit seized Kulian against heavy resistance and reconnoitered toward Mayon volcano.
His remains were returned to be buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
I LOVE LUCY TIE-IN
We will never know what Sgt Reiman could have accomplished with his life had he survived the war. But another serviceman, also born on March 2, 1917, became a huge success. His name was Desi Arnaz. Born in Cuba to an affluent family who moved to the United States after some political unrest, Arnaz made a name for himself as a singer before the war started. After a part in a hit Broadway play he moved to Hollywood where he made the movie version with RKO star Lucille Ball. They eloped in November 1940.
He was drafted into the Army in 1942 and served as a staff sergeant until 1945, assigned to the USO to boost up the morale of wounded soldiers.
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| Staff Sergeant Desi Arnaz with wife Lucille Ball https://www.pinterest.com/sapphire_869/lucille-ball/ |
Of course he is best known for starring with his wife in the groundbreaking TV comedy I Love Lucy. The couple started Desilu Productions which produced some of the best known TV programs of the 1960s including The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mission Impossible, and Star Trek.
Arnaz died in 1986.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
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