Born in 1918, William Junior Bos, was the oldest son of William B. and Minnie Bos of Muskegon, Michigan. Bill was ineligible for the draft when World War II war began (tradesman), but by 1944 the military needed all the bodies they could get. Upon his enlistment July 1944, he chose to serve in the navy, but the military had other plans for him. Men were needed on the ground in Europe and he was assigned to the Army Infantry, first training at Fort Hood in Texas and then at Fort George Meade in Maryland. After his training in mid-January 1945, William was shipped to France as part of the 50th Infantry Battalion, 6th Armored Division “Super Sixth” under General Patton. He quickly moved through Luxembourg to Germany with the Battle of The Bulge but was tragically killed by an artillery shell in Germany on February 23, 1945 barely six weeks later. Word of William’s death did not arrive in Muskegon until March 11, 1945. Bill Bos still remembers the visit from the Army on a cold winter night, informing his mother, June, of her husband’s death. Bill was three years old and can recall seeing his mother crying in the doorway of their home in front of two standing soldiers. Bill remembers giving his little comfort blanket to his mother in an attempt to console her. Private Bos was awarded the Purple Heart, a treasured item that his only son Bill retains today. Tragically, only a week prior on March 4, William’s mother, Minnie, passed away. Neither Minnie nor her son learned of each other's deaths. Bill's grandfather William B Bos suffered two losses in only seven days but had to carry on for his other four children – two of whom were married and two that were under 12.
Bill’s cousin, Mary Van Voorst, a flutist in the band, notified him that there were extra seats available for the band’s Europe trip, which included a visit to the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial in Luxembourg where William’s body was moved after his original internment elsewhere in Hamm. June Bos was never able to make the trip to Europe to visit her husband’s grave and Bill had always wanted to see it. So, he and his wife Diana enthusiastically signed up for the trip. The band had arranged for a wreath to be laid at William’s grave. It was a beautiful and emotional day for Bill and Diana. Mary and her husband, the Rev. Bob Van Voorst, were able to commemorate this visit to William’s grave with Bible verses and prayer.
World War II was hard on the Bos family. Only a month after Bill arrived at Camp Hood, Texas, his brother-in-law Eddie Lulofs was killed over Italy in July 1944. He was a gunner in the Army Air Corps. During a mission over Italy the pilot of his plane was convinced they would crash. When Eddie jumped, it was too late, and he fell to his death. As it turned out, the pilot was able to land the plane safely, without the crew. At that same time, another of Bill’s brother-in-laws was in his own peril. In March 1942 Charles “Red” Oosting of Muskegon, was one of 534 soldiers from the 131st Field Artillery, 36th Infantry Division. They, along with 368 survivors of the sunken cruiser Houston were captured by the Japanese on the island of Java (now part of Indonesia). Their whereabouts remained unknown to the United States for over two years - thus they were called “The Lost Battalion”. Prisoners of war for 42 months, most of the men were sent to Thailand to work on the Burma Railway - the building of which is portrayed in the film The Bridge on the River Kwai. Of the 902 soldiers and sailors taken captive, 163 died in captivity. Red was repatriated from a Thai POW camp in September 1945. He spent 6 months in hospital until February 1946 when he was finally able to return home. Another serving brother-in-law, Captain Jim Lulofs (Army Air Corp, 14th Air Force, 14th Air Service Command), was stationed in both India and China as a member of The Flying Tigers. Another of the family, Robert Lulofs, was stationed in Alaska as a meteorologist for the Army Air Force.
Bill’s cousin, Mary Van Voorst, a flutist in the band, notified him that there were extra seats available for the band’s Europe trip, which included a visit to the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial in Luxembourg where William’s body was moved after his original internment elsewhere in Hamm. June Bos was never able to make the trip to Europe to visit her husband’s grave and Bill had always wanted to see it. So, he and his wife Diana enthusiastically signed up for the trip. The band had arranged for a wreath to be laid at William’s grave. It was a beautiful and emotional day for Bill and Diana. Mary and her husband, the Rev. Bob Van Voorst, were able to commemorate this visit to William’s grave with Bible verses and prayer.
World War II was hard on the Bos family. Only a month after Bill arrived at Camp Hood, Texas, his brother-in-law Eddie Lulofs was killed over Italy in July 1944. He was a gunner in the Army Air Corps. During a mission over Italy the pilot of his plane was convinced they would crash. When Eddie jumped, it was too late, and he fell to his death. As it turned out, the pilot was able to land the plane safely, without the crew. At that same time, another of Bill’s brother-in-laws was in his own peril. In March 1942 Charles “Red” Oosting of Muskegon, was one of 534 soldiers from the 131st Field Artillery, 36th Infantry Division. They, along with 368 survivors of the sunken cruiser Houston were captured by the Japanese on the island of Java (now part of Indonesia). Their whereabouts remained unknown to the United States for over two years - thus they were called “The Lost Battalion”. Prisoners of war for 42 months, most of the men were sent to Thailand to work on the Burma Railway - the building of which is portrayed in the film The Bridge on the River Kwai. Of the 902 soldiers and sailors taken captive, 163 died in captivity. Red was repatriated from a Thai POW camp in September 1945. He spent 6 months in hospital until February 1946 when he was finally able to return home. Another serving brother-in-law, Captain Jim Lulofs (Army Air Corp, 14th Air Force, 14th Air Service Command), was stationed in both India and China as a member of The Flying Tigers. Another of the family, Robert Lulofs, was stationed in Alaska as a meteorologist for the Army Air Force.