The Oklahoma Department of Transportation recently honored the late veteran William “Bill” Antrum Fox Jr. by naming a bridge after him.

The William A. Fox Jr. Memorial Bridge is on SH 9 East at Nine Marina and # 9 Landing.

On hand for placement of the sign on June 3 were his daughters, Vicki and Janis Haeberle.

The honor took place one week from the 81st anniversary that he landed on Normandy Beach – D-Day +4. D-Day took place on June 6, 1944.

Their father, who had lived in Longtown, passed away on Feb. 10, 2023, in Muskogee, and was buried with military honors at Fort Gibson National Cemetery.

He was born in Tulsa but grew up in Wichita, Kansas.

At the age of 17, on March 11, 1943, he joined the Army and trained as a radio operator before being assigned to the 113th Mechanized Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Troop “C.”

After Normandy, he participated in combat at the Battle of the Bulge, The Ardennes, Belgium, and in March of 1945, the XIX Corp and 9th Army captured 300,000 prisoners.

On VE Day, May 8, 1945, he volunteered to stay and help liberate Langenstein-Zwieberge Concentration Camp.

He was honorably discharged on Dec. 6, 1945, four years after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

Bill received the EAME Campaign Medal with 3 Bronze Stars, Good Conduct Medal and World War 2 Victory Medal.

In 2014, he received the 70th Anniversary Landing and the Battle of Normandy Honorary Medal.