Private William Edward Lund Junior was born on December 11th, 1919 in Biloxi, Mississippi. He was born to William Edward Lund and Mary Antonia Rererich Lund and was baptized at the local Church of the Nativity. He was the oldest child with four other siblings: Audrey Mercedes Lund born in September 6, 1923; Irma Lund born in 1927; James Lund born in October 1931; and the youngest, Eugene Lund, born in June 1934.
Lund completed grammar school at Sacred Heart Academy in May 1933 and went on to complete only two years of high school at Sacred Heart High School.
As a teenager, Lund was an active Boy Scouts member. He attended all-scout swimming meets in Biloxi and was best at back stroke. At times, Lund liked to go out and fish in the nearby bayou with some of his friends. Lund worked as driver for the Biloxi Transfer & Storage Company. In his early twenties, Lund met Mildred Premeaux whom he would later marry and have two children, a son and a daughter, with before being called to service. The names of their children are Kenneth P. Lund and Sandra Lund, respectively. His son was born before he left, but Lund was overseas when his daughter born and never got the chance to see her.
Lund enlisted at Camp Shelby on May 24th, 1944, and after about five months’ worth of training, he was transported across Atlantic circa November 1st, 1944 to Belgium as part of a reserve unit.
The Church of Nativity where Lund was baptized.
The Boy Scout crest (Second Class) that Lund wore when he was a member.
Boy Scout members preparing to dive into the water at a swim meet.
Camp Shelby, Mississippi
Call of the Colors - the induction ceremony of newly enlisted men