William B Breuer

William B. Breuer, 87, author and military historian passed away Wednesday, August 18, 2010. He was born in Rolla, Missouri. After high school, Bill volunteered for combat duty during WWII as a 20 yr old platoon sergeant. He landed with the 1st Assault waves on D-Day in Normandy. He saw five campaigns in the European Theatre of operations including the Battle of the Bulge. His unit was awarded two Presidential unit citations. Breuer took great pride in his country and the men and women who fought for our freedoms. After the war, Bill became publisher and owner of The Rolla Daily Herald newspaper in Rolla, Mo. Bill decided to take on larger challenges, so he sold the Herald newspaper and moved with his wife Vivien to St. Louis to open a national public relations firm, William B. Breuer and Associates. Ronald Reagan, then the governor of California, became one of Bill?s clients at this time. Mr. Breuer moved to Chicago in 1982 and launched a new career writing nonfiction books. His books have focused on World War II, the FBI, the moon landing, The Korean War, and the feud between Castro and the Kennedy Brothers. One of the reasons he started writing was to show his patriotism and preserve history so future generations would always remember the sacrifices these men made. In the early 90?s Bill and his loving wife Vivien adopted Cleveland, TN as their new home. In the forthcoming years, he went on to write 41 non-fiction books. Twenty-six titles have been book club selections. Many have been translated into foreign languages. Most recently, Breuer became a consultant for movies. In 2005 his bestseller book, ‘The Great Raid’, was made into an epic movie. The premier of this movie was celebrated in Cleveland, TN. The Missouri native has also been a guest speaker before hundreds of organizations, clubs, and universities. In 2009, the Federal Bureau of Investigation awarded Breuer a medal for his on going support. In 2010, the Pentagon leadership presented him a Freedom Team Salute decoration for his combat service as a platoon sergeant and a second award for continuing support as an author. His military research papers, writings, and documents are housed in a Special Collection at the US Army history Military Institute in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. Friends and family will best remember Bill for his witty sense of humor. He always had a great story to tell. Historical and military stories were among his favorite topics for discussion. Bill will be sadly missed by family, friends and his faithful dog Barney. He was preceded in death by his wife, Vivien Cornelia Breuer; father, Louis H. Breuer and mother, Mary L. Breuer. He is survived by his sister, Mary L. Nickel of Chicago; nieces and nephew, Elizabeth (Aaron) Russ, Patricia Hepburn, Sheila (Daniel) Stojak, William (Pamela) Nickel, also survived by great nieces and nephews, companion Rescued Dog Barney. Memorial services will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, August 21, 2010 in the chapel of Ralph Buckner Funeral Home with Father Michael Maples and Mayor Tom Rowland presiding. Inurnment will follow in Hilcrest Memorial Gardens with military honors. His family will receive friends from 12-2 p.m. Saturday, August 21, 2010 at the funeral home prior to the service. We invite you to send a message of condolence and view the Breuer family guestbook at www.ralphbuckner.com.