Luz was born in Fall River, Massachusetts on June 17, 1921 to Portuguese parents. Deciding to join the Airborne on August 25, 1942 at Providence, Rhode Island; he went to Camp Toccoa, Georgia for Paratrooper training and was assigned to Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division as a radioman. He is famous for his talent of mimicking people and is humorous, loyal, a joker, and lovable.