William "Bill" Edwin Reitz
December 20, 1924 — January 17, 2015
William "Bill" Edwin Reitz,90, of Columbus, GA, passed away after a short illness on Saturday, January 17, 2015 at St. Francis Hospital in Columbus, GA.
Memorial services with full military honors will be held at 2:00 pm EST, on Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at McMullen Funeral Home, 3874 Gentian Blvd. Columbus, GA 31907 with Dr. Frank Parr officiating. A private interment will be held at Ft. Mitchell National Cemetery in Ft. Mitchell, AL.
Mr. Reitz was born December 20, 1924 in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania the son of the late Daniel and Mary Reitz. He joined the Navy in 1942 when he was 17 years old and spent 2 ½ years in the Pacific aboard the USS Leedstown APA56 as coxswain of a LCVP landing craft where he earned 6 battle stars for participation in six island invasion campaigns in Kwajalein, Peleliu, Leyte, Luzon, and Iwo Jima. His ribbons and awards included the Pacific Theater Ribbon with 6 stars, Good Conduct Ribbon, American Theater Ribbon, Victory Ribbon, and the Phillippine Liberation Ribbon with 2 stars. He joined the Army as a Corporal in 1946 and took basic at Fort Dix, N.J. After that he was assigned to Able Company, 504th PIR, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He served as a Mortar Section Leader, Platoon Sergeant, and First Sergeant of Able. Later he shot on the 82nd Airborne Team in 1955 and was gunsmith for the team. He made the 3rd Army and All Army Teams from 1956-1959 when he was assigned to United States Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort Benning, Georgia. Bill joined the shop as a Non Commissioned Officer in Charge of Service Rifles. He built M-1Garand rifles, repaired and rebarreled bolt guns. Bill was Gunsmith for the 8th Army Team and later the USARPAC Team through Camp Perry. He was assigned to Korea in 1962. He returned to Fort Benning after Korea as Gunsmith of the 3rd Army Team until he retired from the Army in January, 1966. At that time he opened a business, The Accuracy Gun Shop in Columbus. During his time in the service he had many commendations and awards. Some of these were Distinguished Rifleman, President's 100, Master Wings, and Glider Wings. He is also listed on the United States Army Marksmanship Unit Hall of Fame. He was an avid outdoorsman and loved to hunt and fish.
Bill is survived by his wife of 65 years, Joanne, who he married on Christmas Day in 1949. He is also survived by his two daughters, Virginia Toelle (Forrest) and Mary Frances Reitz (Daniel), five grandchildren, Ryan Toelle (Amanda), Matthew Toelle, Nicholas Reitz (Rebecca) of State College, PA, Peter Reitz (Austin) of Athens, GA, and Joshua Reitz of Asheville, NC, two great grandchildren, Austin William Toelle and Evan Kristopher Toelle, as well as his sister, Jean Ergott (Lowell) of Avis, PA.
Memorial services with full military honors will be held at 2:00 pm EST, on Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at McMullen Funeral Home, 3874 Gentian Blvd. Columbus, GA 31907 with Dr. Frank Parr officiating. A private interment will be held at Ft. Mitchell National Cemetery in Ft. Mitchell, AL.
Mr. Reitz was born December 20, 1924 in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania the son of the late Daniel and Mary Reitz. He joined the Navy in 1942 when he was 17 years old and spent 2 ½ years in the Pacific aboard the USS Leedstown APA56 as coxswain of a LCVP landing craft where he earned 6 battle stars for participation in six island invasion campaigns in Kwajalein, Peleliu, Leyte, Luzon, and Iwo Jima. His ribbons and awards included the Pacific Theater Ribbon with 6 stars, Good Conduct Ribbon, American Theater Ribbon, Victory Ribbon, and the Phillippine Liberation Ribbon with 2 stars. He joined the Army as a Corporal in 1946 and took basic at Fort Dix, N.J. After that he was assigned to Able Company, 504th PIR, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He served as a Mortar Section Leader, Platoon Sergeant, and First Sergeant of Able. Later he shot on the 82nd Airborne Team in 1955 and was gunsmith for the team. He made the 3rd Army and All Army Teams from 1956-1959 when he was assigned to United States Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort Benning, Georgia. Bill joined the shop as a Non Commissioned Officer in Charge of Service Rifles. He built M-1Garand rifles, repaired and rebarreled bolt guns. Bill was Gunsmith for the 8th Army Team and later the USARPAC Team through Camp Perry. He was assigned to Korea in 1962. He returned to Fort Benning after Korea as Gunsmith of the 3rd Army Team until he retired from the Army in January, 1966. At that time he opened a business, The Accuracy Gun Shop in Columbus. During his time in the service he had many commendations and awards. Some of these were Distinguished Rifleman, President's 100, Master Wings, and Glider Wings. He is also listed on the United States Army Marksmanship Unit Hall of Fame. He was an avid outdoorsman and loved to hunt and fish.
Bill is survived by his wife of 65 years, Joanne, who he married on Christmas Day in 1949. He is also survived by his two daughters, Virginia Toelle (Forrest) and Mary Frances Reitz (Daniel), five grandchildren, Ryan Toelle (Amanda), Matthew Toelle, Nicholas Reitz (Rebecca) of State College, PA, Peter Reitz (Austin) of Athens, GA, and Joshua Reitz of Asheville, NC, two great grandchildren, Austin William Toelle and Evan Kristopher Toelle, as well as his sister, Jean Ergott (Lowell) of Avis, PA.
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