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Tuscaloosa Area Virtual Museum

A look at Al DuPont's life as a soldier during World War II

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Al DuPont's Military Portrait

Al DuPont entered the military after high school graduation and became a medic in the United States Army.  DuPont was trained at Abilene, Texas under harsh conditions. DuPont was then stationed at camps in Pennsylvania, New York, Scotland, and England.

After arriving in England, DuPont was assigned to the 104 Medical Battalion. On June 6, 1944, DuPont landed on Omaha Beach where he witnessed eighty percent of his infantry killed in action.  After surviving D-day, DuPont was wounded when an enemy shell hit a tree where he was standing. DuPont still carries metal fragments in both of his legs from the wounds he sustained on that day.

After recuperating in England, DuPont returned to fight in Europe where he was once again wounded, this time by a machine gun. DuPont says he was lucky the bullets were armor piercing and only hit his flesh but no bones. DuPont traveled around the United States to try to fix the injuries he sustained. In total he had fourteen operations.  For his bravery during the war he was awarded two purple hearts.

One of the hospitals he was sent to was Northington General Hospital in Tuscaloosa where he received skin grafts for his wounds. After being discharged from Northington, he married Susie Margaret McLeod and his attachment to the city of Tuscaloosa began to grow.

World War II Service
A look at Al DuPont's life as a soldier during World War II