Admin/Biog History	Earl Valentine Muza was born in Oshkosh, WI November 24, 1915. He attended Oshkosh High School and worked for Deltox Rug Company. He married May Ruth Granberg on September 21, 1940. He entered the United States Navy on November 24, 1943. After completing his training at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, he was assigned to the USS LST (Landing Ship Tank) 289 in the European Theater. During practice landings for the D-Day Invasion, his ship and others were attacked by German E-boats off the coast of England near Slapton Sands. Earl rescued one shipmate and was attempting to rescue another when he received a compound fracture to the head. He died shortly after and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.
Classification	Archives
Collection	World War II Small Collections
Dates of Accumulation	1954
Abstract	Letter to May Ruth Muza from A. J. Hobday, Assistant Head Casualty Branch. DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY BUREAU OF NAVAL PERSONNEL WASHINGTON 25, D. C. IN REPLY REFER TO Pers-G23-hmm 869 53 48 14 June 1954 Mrs. May Muza l07 1/2 Central Avenue Oshkosh, Wisconsin Dear Mrs. Muza: The former Commanding Officer of the USS LST 289 to which your husband, the late Earl Valentine MUZA, Seaman second class, 869 53 48, United States Naval Reserve was attached at the time of his death during World War II, as a result of enemy action in the Atlantic Area, has requested that the enclosed picture be sent to you. In forwarding the above mentioned picture, Lieutenant Harry A. Mettler, USNR, Inactive, c/o The Globe Hotel, Mount Gilead, Ohio, has advised that he had made arrangements through the Naval Attache, British Embassy, Washington, D. C., to have thirteen roses and a wreath put into the water off Portsmouth, England, on 28 April 1954, the tenth anniversary of the loss of the thirteen members of the crew of the USS 1ST 289. This was done by a British Motor Launch, near the scene of the incident, and pictures were made of the memorial ceremony. By direction of Chief of Naval Personnel: Sincerely yours, A. J. Hobday Assistant Head Casualty Branch Encl: (1) Picture - Memorial Ceremony
Event	World War II
Category	8: Communication Artifact
Legal Status	Oshkosh Public Museum
Object ID	SC411.11.1.4
Object Name	Letter
People	Muza, Earl Valentine Muza, May Ruth
Subjects	World War II United States Navy Ships Shipwrecks Casualties European Theater of Operations Heroes Awards
Title	Letter to May Ruth Muza

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Last modified on: December 12, 2009