William Gray Shultz was most likely born in 1919 to Dr. Frank Shultz and Constance Shultz (nee Gray) in Washington, DC. Dr. Frank Shultz was a Dentist and was born in Ohio. William had a younger brother Frank and the family lived in Ohio in 1930. By the late 1930s the family had moved back to the Washington DC in Chevy Chase Maryland. Dr. Frank practiced Dentistry. William attended local schools and graduated high school in Chevy Chase around 1936.

In the Fall of 1936 William made his way to Lexington, Virginia and signed the ledger with his Brother Rats (fellow classmates) for the Class of 1940 at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI). Cadet Shultz was a premedical student while at VMI. During his time at VMI Cadet Shultz was on the Polo Team, Pistol, and Rifle Teams. Cadet Shultz was also noted to be a “Five Year Man” at VMI, graduating late with the Class of 1941. When Cadet Shultz graduated with the VMI Class of 1941 he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant (2LT) of Calvary and after initial training assigned to the 3rd Calvary at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. 2LT Shultz was later transferred to the 10th Armored Division forming at Fort Benning Georgia in the Summer of 1942. During his time at Fort Benning in 1942 he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant (1LT) and married Frances L Wilcox of Look Out Mountain, Tennessee. They were married on 26 September 1942 at the Episcopal Chapel of the Good Shepard in Look Out Mountain. They had one child, a son, William G Shultz Jr. born in 1943.

The 10th Armored Division (10th AD) trained hard at Fort Benning and Fort Knox in preparation for deployment to Europe. The 10th AD was noted to be a highly trained Division it was nick named “The Tiger Division” by its first Division Commander. The 10th AD deployed to the European Theatre in September 1944. By the time of the 10th AD deployment William had been promoted to Captain (CPT) and was assigned to the 3rd Tank Battalion. The 3rd Tank BN participated in the attack on Metz and the drive to the Saar River. CPT Shultz as Captain was mostly assigned as an Armor Company Commander or a Battalion staff officer planning, supporting and leading armor units in combat. The 3rd Tank BN was equipped with M 4 Sherman Tanks of various variants and types.

CPT Shultz and the 10th Armored where redirected from their drive to the Sar on 19 December 1944 to the north to establish a holding positions around the road net work of Bastogne Belgium. Although the 101st Airborne Division (101st ABN DIV) is often heralded for its defense of Bastogne the 10th AD arrived first and took up covering and delaying positions to the east of Bastogne allowing the safe arrival of the 101st ABN DIV to the area. Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe the 101st ABN DIV Artillery Commander and during the Bastogne fighting its acting Divisional Commander highly praised the 10th AD and noted the 101st ABN DIV would never had made it into Bastogne if it were not for the 10th AD.

Captain William Gray Shultz was killed in action on 13 January 1945 in Belgium during offensive operations to push the Wehrmacht across the German border. He was 26 years of age and had been married for two years. He had one son who was an infant at the time of his father’s death. CPT Shultz is buried Luxembourg American Cemetery in Luxembourg. CPT Shultz was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. CPT Shultz also qualifies for the European Campaign Medal with at least one campaign star. CPT Schultz is also memorialized at VMI on the Plaque for the Class of 1940 on the Parapet in Memorial Gardens, The WW II Memorial Plaque Old Barracks at Washington Arch, and the VMI Hall of Valor.

Author’s Note:

No date of birth was located for CPT Shultz. “Brother Rat” is title given to all the members of a class at VMI. A 5 Year Man is noted at VMI for a Cadet who is toughing out longer than normal to graduate, normally after their Brother Rats have graduated. All 5 Year men are by their nature First Class Privates (Seniors without rank).

This story was written by Dennis V. Dupras of Alaska, former Paratrooper (Airborne Infantryman of the 1st BN 325th AIR, 82nd ABN DIV), Infantry Officer of 1st BN 17th Infantry, and graduate of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) Class of 1990. This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

SOURCES:

VMI Archives Historical Rosters: William G. Shultz

VMI Bomb 1940

VMI Bomb 1939

U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S., Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, 1942-1949 - AncestryInstitution.com

Capt William G Shultz (unknown-1945) - Find A Grave Memorial

U.S., World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas - AncestryInstitution.com

AncestryInstitution.com - 1930 United States Federal Census

U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 - AncestryInstitution.com

AncestryInstitution.com - U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S., Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, 1942-1949

Chattanooga Daily Times, Wednesday 7 March 1945

Chattanooga Daily Times, Tuesday, 20 October 1942

3rd Tank Battalion, 10th Armored Division - TracesOfWar.com

3rd Tank Battalion, 10th Armored Division: WWII Photo Feature 35 (Lone Sentry)

William G. Shultz | American Battle Monuments Commission (abmc.gov)

(9) TIGERS ON THE LOOSE - The 10th Armored Division in WWII (Part 1) - YouTube

WG Shultz 1939 Bomb 2nd Classman.PNG

William Gray Shultz, Captain, Armor, US Army, 10th Armored Division