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"I was moved to give him the drawing. I tried to rescue it from his body some months later." (Video Interview, 6:23)

   William A. Foley, Jr.
Image of William A. Foley, Jr.
William Foley [detail from video]
War: World War II, 1939-1946
Branch: Army
Unit: 304th Infantry Regiment, 94th Infantry Division, 3rd Army
Service Location: France; Germany
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Eighteen-year-old infantry soldier William Foley had a talent for drawing, and he put it to good use while serving in the European Theater of the Second World War. Foley sketched scenes from memory or as they unfolded and managed to save most of his work. Some of his best work came from his experiences during the Battle of the Bulge, with its eerie landscapes and moments of intense combat. After the war, he became a professional artist, and his WWII work was published as part of his 2003 memoir, Visions From a Foxhole: A Rifleman in Patton's Ghost Corps. His video interview features Foley providing background commentary on much of his work.

Interview (Video)
»Interview Highlights  (3 clips)
»Complete Interview  (23 min.)
 Creative Works
»View Creative Works (4 items)
 Other Materials
»Untitled biographical information
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»The War
 Video (Interview Excerpts) (3 items)
Inspiration for beginning to draw; fate of his buddy Dan (02:54) Losing his emotional reactions to death, pain, and destruction. (00:48) Leading a squad up a hill; exchanging grenades with the enemy; literally seeing red; killing a German officer who had just shot a soldier trying to surrender; taking the officerÂ’s possessions (01:30)
  
 
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  The Library of Congress
  May 29, 2007
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