What to know about Milwaukee's Bill Pekrul, a decorated WWII veteran and RNC speaker

Zoe Jaeger, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Updated ·2 min read

One of the speakers scheduled for the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night is Sgt. William Pekrul, a Milwaukee native and decorated World War II veteran.

The theme for the third night of the convention is "Make America Strong Once Again." Pekrul is scheduled to speak between 8:30 and 9 p.m.

Pekrul, 98, was awarded two Bronze Stars and a Silver Star for his service in WWII. He has received additional recognition locally since, including in 2019 when he served as Grand Marshall of Milwaukee's Veterans Day Parade.

A Milwaukee native, Pekrul signed up for the U.S. Army at Boys Tech High School (now Bradley Tech), according to an interview with the War Memorial Center that he gave as part of the Wisconsin Veterans Story Project. Pekrul fought with the 29th Infantry in the second wave of troops during the Normandy Invasion on D-Day.

In his interview with the War Memorial Center, Pekrul spoke to generations that came after him, saying, "There were more patriotic guys in my time than there are today."

He also said Americans have a duty to serve in war if they are called, but ultimately, "wars don't solve nothing."

Pekrul also described his time serving in Belgium, when his feet froze overnight after a heroic act. He had pulled his platoon leader, who had been shot, into a basement, where they waited all night in below-zero temperatures as German soldiers walked across the floors above. Pekrul survived and was awarded the Silver Star for the act.

He spent a month-and-a-half in an English hospital, where his feet healed. He then went back into the 75th Infantry and fought until the war's end. He was discharged in 1946 and met his wife one week after he returned. They have been married for 76 years and have 11 children.

At the end of his story, Pekrul became emotional and said, "I thought I'd never get back."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about WWII veteran, RNC speaker William Pekrul of Milwaukee