Normandy

“What I most recall from his stories about being stationed in Alaska was his descriptions of the ‘williwaw’ blasts of arctic air that would descend upon them from the nearby mountain ranges. I remain and will forever be proud that my father served our country in the U.S. Navy during World War II.” – John […]

“I was never able to meet my Uncle Jack since he died so long ago. However, I have very fond memories of my grandmother talking about him (her brother) and their childhood. In addition, my Uncle Brian has spent a lot of time researching all of Jack’s squad members, where he was killed, and has […]

“After the war, my grandfather suffered a stroke. The only time I met him, I was about 8 years old, and he was unable to speak because of the stroke. The Pierce Elementary School at Fort Knox was named in his honor.” – David Rousmaniere, Director, Student Health Center John L. Pierce, remembered by his […]

“Because I was born after John’s death, I have no memory of him other than the picture that hung in my parents’ home and that is now in my son’s possession. My mother told me how her family grieved when they received the news of John’s death, and I often visited his rural gravesite with […]

“Although highly decorated, my father, a music professor, recalled his fondest memory of his time in Europe: seeing the opera, ‘The Barber of Seville’ in a small town in Italy. My favorite memory is my father playing violin with my daughter at the Lutheran Church in Garner. My daughter was five, I think, and they […]

“My wife and I had opportunity to visit the USS Texas (now a museum in the Houston harbor) with my father in 2006. It was fascinating to see the small area under the guns where he said he hoisted heavy bags of powder and then had to stretch out to avoid the recoil while holding […]

“I had just graduated from college, started my career, and got engaged when my own draft notice arrived. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper. By example, my father encouraged me to step up and he told me that I would have experiences and friendships that I would otherwise miss. I might add […]

“My grandpa was funny, irreverent, hard-working, generous, and tough as nails. He was a master woodworker and could build or fix anything. He wasn’t a warm-and-fuzzy kind of guy, but he showed his affection by tickling his grandkids or giving us ‘noogies.’ I grew up living next door to my grandparents, and every time I […]

“My grandpa was funny, irreverent, hard-working, generous, and tough as nails. He was a master woodworker and could build or fix anything. He wasn’t a warm-and-fuzzy kind of guy, but he showed his affection by tickling his grandkids or giving us ‘noogies.’ I grew up living next door to my grandparents, and every time I […]

“My dad will tell you that he still cannot believe that a kid from ‘the wrong side of the tracks’ made it as far as he did.” – Richard Leeman, Professor, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Wendell Leeman, remembered by his son, Richard Leeman He did not see a lot of action, but he […]