Our website was created to help the family members of those who died and participated in Exercise Tiger. Dean Small, son of the late Ken Small, continues with his father's legacy. We are endorsed by the survivors and the families.
Winfred Polzin - LST 507
Sgt. Winfred Polzin
9/3/1918 - 2/24/2019
1st Engineer Special Brigade
478th Amphibious Truck Co.
Winfred Celebrated his 100th Birthday on September 3, 2018
Sadly, he passed away on February 24, 2019
Photos below from his 100th Birthday Celebration
1945 Willys MB lovingly restored in Winfred's Honor
for his 100th birthday by his son-in-law Paul Dorow
Please see the historic photographs and memorbilia below from Winfred's WWII Collection
478th Amphibious Truck Company photo taken in November 1942
Sgt. Winfred Polzin (Front, Far Right)
478th Amphibious Truck Co.
Winfred and fellow soldiers regroup in a bunker after the D-Day Landing on June 6, 1944
Please Sroll down to see Video Excerpts of Interviews with Winfred Polzin
and Newspaper Articles
Landing Site of the 478th Amphibious Truck Co. on Utah Beach
Note the Sign "478 DUKW", Bottom Left
Winfred is second from the left. He is wearing a tankers jacket and it
has the amphibian command patch on it. This particular unit also wore paratrooper boots.
Winfred's Honorable Discharge
On his WWII Army Uniform, Winfred Polzin has on his left sleeve, the French Croix De Guerre
with palms that was given to all participants of the Normandy invasion
LINKS to Newspaper Articles about Winfred's WWII Story:
http://www.startribune.com/nazi-torpedo-couldn-t-sink-minnesota-man/3751...
https://www.hometownsource.com/isanti_county_news/news/local/d-day-veter...
Newspaper Article & Photos of Winfred Polzin, and his grandson,
Erich Dorow, former U.S. Air Force Combat Controller 2009-2015:
http://www.presspubs.com/pine_city/news/article_21af3d92-88b8-11e5-8fef-...
Recent Video Interviews:
See the Link below for excerpts of a video interview with Briana Fiandt, Curator of Collections at
the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center in Superior, Wisconsin
https://player.vimeo.com/video/232240689
Photo of Winfred Polzin, and his grandson,
Erich Dorow, former U.S. Air Force Combat Controller 2009-2015
On October 21, 2017, John & Barbara Arndt, along with their daughter, Kim,
visited Winfred to talk to him about Exercise Tiger. Barbara's uncle, Pvt. Thomas C. Reibel, died
in Exercise Tiger and was also in the 478th Amphibious Truck Co.
Link to a very short edited video clip from their visit:
https://vimeo.com/253583460
Winfred with his WWII Photograph Album
Seated on his right is son-in-law, Paul Dorow, husband of Mary.
Standing are Winfred's daughters, Carol Barenz (left) and Mary Jo Dorow (right)