Floyd was born to Henry and Martina Holzschuh. He had five brothers and two sisters, and lived most of his childhood in the north midway/Como area of St. Paul. His father worked as a carpenter. The family struggled greatly during the depression years, and that had a lifelong impact on Floyd as he never wanted to waste anything. Like many of his generation, Floyd dropped out of high school and joined the war effort. At age 17, he enlisted in the navy and was trained to pilot a landing craft, also known as a Higgens Boat. His job was to get the Marines and Seabees and supplies ashore, and to bring the wounded back out. He participated in the invasions of Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Wake Island. They were preparing for the invasion of the Japanese mainland when the atomic bombs were dropped and the war came to an end.
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News and other stories about real people, places, and events in Forest Lake and nearby suburbs.