The Lantow Brothers from Claremore, Oklahoma

On the first vertical granite stone is the words “All Gave Some” with Larry Lantow and Bill Lantow picture and their biography. On the second vertical granite stone is “Some Gave All” with the names of Robert a. Lantow and Norman D. Lantow and their biography. A bench between the vertical granite stones says “The Lantow Brothers from Claremore, Oklahoma Courage – Honor – Strength”. The Lantow brothers of Claremore — Robert, Norman, Larry and William “Bill” — were all veterans of the wars. On June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops stormed the beaches along a 50-mile stretch of heavily fortified French coastline more than 9,000 soldiers lost their lives, among them were 748 Oklahomans. A visit to the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Normandy, France will find the headstone of two Claremore men, who proudly served their nation, but lost their lives. Robert and Norman Lantow, who both served in the 501th paratrooper division of the 101st Airborne, were buried side by side. The Lantow brothers survived the D-Day invasion, which involved more than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft. More than 9,000 soldiers were killed that day as Allied forces began a drive against the Nazis, which would eventually lead to the liberation of Paris. Robert Lantow was killed in Normandy, France shortly after the D-Day invasion and Norman Lantow was killed in November 1945 in Holland during Operation Market Garden. Robert Lantow was the third of six children. He joined the Army at the age of 21 in the summer of 1942. In July 1942, Robert began paratrooper school before his brother Norman signed up for the training shortly after. He was the fourth child of the family. Norman attended college less than a year before joining the Army in 1942 at the age of 18. Norman joined his brother as a member of the 101st Airborne Division. Larry Lantow graduated from the Oklahoma Military Academy Junior College in 1938. In 1942, he joined the U.S. Army before serving in France, Belgium and Germany during WWII. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and for his service received a Bronze Star. After his brother Norman’s death during the war in 1945, citizens of Rogers County petitioned to have Larry sent home. The youngest brother, Bill Lantow, followed in his brothers’ footsteps and served as a Marine in the Korean conflict. He was captured by North Koreans and held as a prisoner of war, but escaped from behind enemy lines using nothing more than a grenade that he had hid in the pocket of his jacket. Bill died in June 2013 at the age of 84.