March 2020 • Nebraskaland 39
the Siegfried Line, the bunker-studded defensive line on
Germany's western border. Green was posthumously awarded
the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
He was 19 years old.
Worldwide, tens of millions of families were grieving in
those years and for decades after. Green's parents kept his
letters, photographs, scouting uniforms and other eff ects. He
had been a promising artist in addition to studying vertebrate
paleontology at the University of Nebraska before he entered
military service.
The family eventually donated the collection to History
Nebraska; Green's letters are digitized and can be read online
as part of "The War: Nebraska Stories" at nebraskastudies.org.
While it is impossible to collect more than a representative
sample from the thousands of Nebraskans who served, the
stories and objects of individuals such as Bill Green help
personalize the overwhelming scope and vast numbers of
World War II.
N
Visit History Nebraska's website at history.nebraska.gov.
Green's parents received this telegram on March 14, 1945. History Nebraska RG2025AM
Less than a decade separated Bill Green the Cub Scout from
Bill Green the soldier. History Nebraska 9234-45
