Sample Biography
William Robert Frederick was born in 1922 in Allentown, PA. He enlisted in the Navy at age 18 and was trained as a corpsman. For most of WWII, he was stationed on the USS Sumner, a map-making ship that charted unknown harbors in the Pacific and relayed those maps, via airplanes, to battleships preparing to engage with the enemy.
The Sumner was anchored in Pearl Harbor during the attack. Within four minutes of the sounding of General Quarters, the crew was at their battle stations and firing at incoming Japanese aircraft. The Sumner was one of the first ships responsible for downing an enemy plane that day.
Affectionately known as “Doc,” Bill and others formed search parties to scan the debris and wreckage for injured personnel and brought them onboard for medical care. Throughout the war, “Doc” continued to care for ill and wounded servicemen on the ship and on land, during and after battles. He received the Purple Heart for an injury he sustained while caring for wounded Marines on the beach during the Battle of Guadalcanal.
Bill Frederick died on May 22, 2001 in Portland, OR, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Please write the biography in third person and be mindful of your audience. This is a children’s book after all. Graphic details should be saved for another publication.
What to include in a veteran’s biography.
- Name
- Rank
- Birth/Death place and date
- Date enlisted
- Branch of military, classification, division
- Military locations, stations
- Memorable experiences
- Awards/Medals
- Date Discharged
- Family Data (spouse, children, marriage date, etc.)
Please proofread your biography carefully. We will not edit. A book order for A Medal with a Heart – Personalized Edition is required.
Biographies up to 200 words and one photo are included in the price of your personalized book.
You will be contacted to pay $0.06 for each additional word over 200 up to 600. 600 word max.
Photos should be 300 dpi at 4 x 6 inches or the equivalent. Scans of originals are best. Web images are typically only 72 dpi and are not suitable for reproduction in this type of publication. Newspaper scans or scans of photos printed on a home printer do not reproduce well even if scanned at a high resolution. If you have questions about if your photo is quality enough, please contact our office and we can help.
* Please EMAIL your biography and photo to us.