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Art Fiala




Fiala was born in Kewaunee, Wisconsin . Fiala originally worked at the Nash auto plant in Kenosha . After his co-workers fabricated a story that he was about to unionize the work force, Fiala was fired from the plant.

Art Fiala served in World War I as member of the 20th Engineering Battalion, and was stationed in France (March - June 1918). While stationed in the French Alps, the soldiers of Fiala's battalion had little more than their uniforms and blankets to keep them warm - a shipment of warm clothes had caught fire and burnt during the transfer across the Atlantic Ocean .
During his work of cutting logs for the trenches Fiala was injured. This occurred when the team of horses he was driving went over an embankment. He became a cook after the injuries.

In 1999, Fiala received the French legion of honor.

In the final years of his long life Fiala resided in a Wisconsin nursing home. He took part in several parades a year.


SEE ALSO


Veterans Of The First World War Who Died In 2005


EXTERNAL LINK


News item about his 106th birthday