Alaska Highway, Company D. Born: 3 May 1920, Moulon, Claracq, Basses Pyrenees, France. Died: 26 February 2011, Lima, Ohio. He is buried at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery.
Enlisted on 4 May 1942 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Service dates are 4 May 1942 to 30 June 1942; 1 July 1942 to 28 November 1945; and 29 November 1945 to 7 March 1946.
Spouse: Margaret Louise Hamill and Anthony were married on 24 July 1948.
His father, Anthony K. Pranses, was born in Finland on 13 June 1889. He was employed by American Graves Registration Service in Paris. The process for naturalized citizenship was completed in Chicago in 1922 and Anthony returned to the U.S. in April 1923.
His mother, Georgette Pilon Prances, was born 2 August 1897 in Montarges, France. She married Anthony on 18 January 1919 at La Rochelle, France.
Anthony Louis received his engineering degree from Carnegie-Mellon University. He worked on the Alaska Highway in Company D under Commander Lowry. Later he was assigned to the Aleutians. He was a member of the Corps of Engineers and the highest rank achieved was Captain.
After the war, he took up his violin and played for the Lima Symphony Orchestra for ten years. His career was with the Westinghouse Electric Company. He held the position of manager of manufacturing of the small motor division and retired after 35 years.
His hobbies and passions were flying, canoeing, skiing, backpacking, mountain climbing and most of all cycling. He is a world traveler visiting seven continents, all 50 states and 142 countries.
On his bicycle, he raced as an amateur and a professional. In 1986 he fulfilled a dream and completed a 3,770 mile solo bicycle trip crossing the United States. Total cycling miles completed during his lifetime was 125,000-a monumental achievement.
Serial #O-444866.