Lucian Eugene “Gene" Peterson was born May 17, 1924 to Lucian R. and Mae L. Hasty Peterson. He died July 24, 2012 and is buried in Vinje Cemetery, Callender, IA.
Cpl. Peterson served in World War II with the U.S. Army, participating in the D-Day invasion of Omaha Beach, Normandy, France. He was originally to go ashore as a gunner in an amphibious armored vehicle. Unfortunately, rough seas caused the vehicle to sink before reaching land, forcing Gene and a crew mate to swim to shore. He then went on to fight the enemy (often in hand-to-hand combat) over a period of months, earning him two Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts and a number of theater decorations
Sources: ancestry.com
