Fred Fitzke

ASN: 36693091

PFC Fred Fitzke

Fred Herman Fitzke registered for the draft in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Born October 8, 1916, he was 5-8, 135 pounds with a light complexion, blue eyes, and brown hair. Other physical characteristics noted was a scar on his forehead. At the time he was employed by American Woodcarving Company in Chicago, Illinois. He enlisted in the army on October 9, 1943.

Following basic training PVT Fitzke was shipped out to the European Theatre of Operations arriving in England. He was assigned as a replacement soldier to A-Battery, 319th Field Artillery Group, 82nd Airborne Division. This was effective June 2, 1944, MOS 531, antitank gun crewman. The 319th was stationed at Papillon Hall, Market Harborough, England.

Company Morning Reports

Company Morning Reports were produced every morning by the individual Army units to record personnel matters. The following events were reported for PVT Fitzke: 

  • June 2, 1944, assigned to A-Battery, 319 Glider Field Artillery, 82nd Airborne Division. Station: Papillon Hall, Market Harborough, England.

  • April 1, 1945, appointed to Private First Class, MOS 531 (Anti-tank Crewman). Station: Combat position near Cologne, Germany, firing battalion concentrations all during the day.

  • April 13, 1945, departed for a new position at Hurth, Germany. The men were assigned billets. Outposts were established. Guards were established to include the Goldenberg Power Station. Some beer was served to the enlisted men.

Fred Fitzke fought in the following battles and campaigns: Normandy, Holland, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe.

While on combat duty he appeared in three photos below at the Battle of the Bulge with the A-Battery gun section, December 27, 1944. And while posing with other soldiers in Epinal, France, June 1945.

PFC Fitzke (standing center), Epinal, France, and Private Duel Elmore. (standing left)

below slideshow fashion with side controls to the next or previous image

Donald Swanson (L-R), SGT Mahlon Sebring and Fred “Pops” Fitzke - Lubtheen, Germany May/June 1945

The US Army used the Adjusted Service Rating Score (ASR) at the end of the war to determine when soldiers were eligible for discharge.

By August 1945, PFC Fitzke was now stationed in Berlin, Germany for occupational duty with other 319th soldiers having an ASR score of less than 85.

PFC Fitzke and the A-Battery men returned to the USA in December 1945. He was honorably discharged from the service on December 23, 1945.

Fred Fitzke was awarded 5 Bronze Battle Stars, Bronze Arrowhead, Good Conduct Medal, the Belgian Fourragere, Presidential Unit Citation Badge, Victory Ribbon and the European-African-Middle East Theatre Ribbon.

He married Elsie Schultz and had two sons. They resided in Walkerton, Indiana, where Fred was employed as a painter for Drewry’s Limited in South Bend, Indiana. Fred was the commander of the American Legion Post 189 and a charter member of the 82nd Airborne Association, at the time of his death.

Fred Fitzke, 52, died November 8, 1968.

God bless this hero.

Photos courtesy of Charlotte Provenza Sartain, Mahlon Sebring and William Bonnamy collections.