OK SR115

Virgil Van Dyck, born August 27, 1912, in Ramona, Oklahoma, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1940 and served in the 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Division

Van Dyck landed in the assault wave on D-Day at Utah Beach on June 6, 1944, as a bazooka man and fought in four campaigns across France: Normandy, Northern France, Alsace-Lorraine, and Heurtgen Forest

Awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European Theater Campaign Medal with arrowhead and four campaign stars, World War II Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, and two Presidential Unit Citations

At 97 years of age, Van Dyck is the oldest surviving Oklahoma veteran of the D-Day Normandy invasion and resides in Edmond, Oklahoma

The Oklahoma State Senate declared May 10, 2010, as Virgil Van Dyck Day in Oklahoma to honor his courage, valor, and bravery in defense of the country