Thursday, October 20, 2005
World War II hero Arthur 'Dutch' Schultz, 82, dies
By TRACIE TROHA
Staff Writer
HELENDALE — D-Day paratrooper, counterintelligence agent and former director of several drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs Arthur B. "Dutch" Schultz has died at 82.
Dutch died at 3:40 p.m. on Sunday at his Helendale home, said wife Gail Schultz.
"He had a really lovely life. We had lots of fun," Schultz said. "He was a man with a great spirit."
Dutch Schultz earned a Bronze Star for his heroics on the beaches of Normandy and two Purple Hearts for combat in France and the Battle of the Bulge.
His other adventures as a counterintelligence agent trailing Roy Cohn, chief counsel to Sen. Joseph McCarthy, and as a private detective in Philadelphia were among many other journeys that made him bigger than life, so much so that his adventures flowed onto pages of several books, the halls of museums and the big screen in Hollywood.
Historian Cornelius Ryan interviewed Dutch for three books, "A Bridge Too Far," "The Last Battle" and "The Longest Day," which was published in 1959 before being made into the 1962 Hollywood movie.
Schultz is portrayed in the movie by Richard Beymer. Interestingly, the movie producers were so impressed with Dutch that he is the only enlisted man called by his full name in the film.
Schultz is also in three World War II books authored Stephen Ambrose, "Citizen Soldiers," "The Victors" and "D-Day," where one will find several pages graced by the heroic and oftentimes comical antics of "Dutch."
Schultz, never one to stay idle for long, did research for Ambrose and director Steven Spielberg for the 1998 movie "Saving Private Ryan."
His recorded voice can be heard in the halls of The National D-Day Museum in New Orleans. There Schultz tells thousands of visitors a day about his experience on D-Day.
Longtime friends of Schultz recall his larger-than-life personality and his humanitarianism.
Longtime friend Joe Losi, a history teacher at Riverview Middle School in Helendale, said Schultz would speak to the students in his World War II class about his experiences during the war.
"The kids were always mesmerized by him," Losi said. "Lots of them would stay after class to talk to him. He would get very animated. He would forget he was talking to kids. It was like he was talking to a bunch of old friends."
Todd Anton, history teacher at Heritage School, said Schultz was the "definition of compassion."
"Through his struggles he made me realize I can accomplish anything," Anton said. "He told me that paratroopers always go one step forward, never a step back. America didn't just lose Dutch Schultz. America lost a big piece of itself."
Last year, Anton arranged for Schultz, an avid baseball fan, to throw out the opening pitch at an Angels game on the 60th anniversary of D-Day.
"He had tears in his eyes (when he threw the pitch)," Anton said. "I can't think of any better way to honor Dutch."
Schultz, a native of Detroit, moved in California in 1973 and wed Gail, his third wife, two years later. They were married for 30 years.
"We read a lot, talked a lot and traveled a good bit," Gail Schultz said. "He was a terrifically interesting guy."
A recovered alcoholic since the 1960s, Dutch Schultz operated a drug and alcohol-rehabilitation program at Fort Irwin until his retirement in 1984.
Along with his wife Dutch Schultz is survived by his daughter Carol Vento, granddaughter, Rosemary, two sisters and a brother.
Another daughter, Rosemary, died in 1973.
Gretchen Losi contributed to this story.
Tracie Troha may be reached at 955-5358 or ttroha@vvdailypress.com.
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