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Stories from america’s conflicts
World War II
From: Janet Bercik “I would like to honor and remember my uncle, Stephen Kralik, who died on the Island of Tarawa during WWII. Not much is said about this battle, but a book was written about it and it is one that should be remembered. I do! Uncle Steve was my 'gentle giant' uncle. At the time I was only 2 years old but I still remember him as tall, blond hair, blue eyes. My very own tree! Each time I saw him I would say "UPPITY" and he would lift me into the air and hug me. He always referred to me as 'his very own uppity girl.' When he was killed, he left a void in my life and our family's lives. My grandfather chose for him to remain with his comrades because there were no means of identification after this bloody battle. I send to him and all those killed during this battle my thanks and love.”
From: Florida “To 2nd. Lt. George C. Burger who was with the 8th Air Force Stationed in Germany During WW 2. Shot down over Germany buried in Belgium. We've missed you so much. Think of you everyday and morn the short life you lived. I named my boy Paul George in your honor. Mom's gone now and I know losing you affected Mom's and my life in so many ways. God Rest: Brother George”
From: Ruth Spears “My prayers are for my dad, Albert F. Schlosser, who served in Patton's Third Army during WWII. He came ashore at Omaha Beach, Normandy, fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and liberated the prisoners at Dachau among other things. Although he didn't pass away of war incurred injuries, he never quite got over the war. After he passed away in 1989, we found a diary that he kept while he was in Europe during WWII. We never knew about it. A part of dad died in France. His best buddy was killed when his jeep hit a mine ... To dad and all those who served and are serving now … God Bless You. And thank you.”
From: Jim Polniak “This eulogy was placed in the Roanoke Times (Roanoke, Va.) when my Dad passed away in 1981. It was written by a WW II Marine buddy. He said it just didn't seem adequate for a Marine who served the action at Guadalcanal, Tarawa and Saipan to have a bare bones obituary such as ‘He was a veteran of World War II.’ So he wrote his own: “SALUTE TO A WAR HERO WHO DIED IN ROANOKE On Oct 19, 1942, the Sixth Marine Regiment, known as the ‘6th Marines,’ part of the 2nd Marine Division, left San Diego aboard the converted luxury liner USS Matsonia. Final destination was to be Guadalcanal of the British Solomon Islands, where other Marines, Army units, etc., were engaged in our first comeback advance against the formerly unstoppable Japanese army. The 6th Marines would lead the final charge that secured the island. However, a few days out at sea, a 30-year-old Marine turned himself in as a stowaway aboard ship. Taken before Col. Jackson, our commanding officer, and asked for an explanation he simply said, ‘I was told the unit I was with would not be sent overseas, and I stowed away to help do the job I enlisted for.’ Col. Jackson said, ‘You will be transferred to this regiment; we need more Marines like you.’ This Marine's name was Eddie Polniak, from Denver, Colorado. I was privileged to serve with Eddie for the next two years on various islands until malaria cut him down and he was returned stateside. Receiving his discharge at the end of the war, he settled in Roanoke. Eddie passed away recently in your city. You won't find his name in the history books, for he won no Congressional Medal of Honor, but as one who knew him for 39 years, I would like to suggest a simple lettering on his gravestone: ‘Hero’ Sleep well, good buddy, and those of us who are left will never forget you.”
From: June Williams Massey IN MEMORY OF EDWIN
From: Judith Durkee “Daddy, I’m sorry I can’t come to the WWII Memorial this summer, but I know where your gold star is, your granddaughter, Jennifer, and I picked it out on the day the Memorial was dedicated two years ago and we were there ... I am now 64 years old and not a day goes by that I don’t miss you, think of you and wish for just one hug from you. I saw old soldiers who would be about your age now – 86 you would have been on April 8th of this year – and wonder what you would look like. You were only 24 on January 30th, 1945 when you were killed in action and fell in the snow of the Ardennes forest in the Battle of the Bulge. I would have held you in my arms and comforted you but I was only three years old and waiting for my daddy to come home to Wisconsin. I miss you so much but as the years go by I get closer to meeting you because I know this time you are in Heaven waiting for me to come home ... My father is a hero and all the soldiers who fought and died in WWII are precious souls who should be lifted up, honored, cherished and never be forgotten for what they did for our country.”
From: Tom Taylor “This was my eulogy, a poem, for Joseph Beyrle, WWII vet of the 101st Airborne from Muskegon, MI.
From: Ann Blum “I remember my father, Michael F. Amantea, today. He served in the Second World War, recipient of several bronze stars, in Africa and Italy. He did not lose his life there, but surely there is more than one way to die in a war. He died thirty years ago and is buried in the local national cemetery. Despite the mental pain my father carried with him since the war, he was nurturing and loving. He was my life and because of him, my childhood was so wonderful that it sustains me to this day. I love my father and I am very grateful.”
From: Rev. Erik Bayersdorfer “My grandfather, Glenn Loucks, dedicated his life to those very famous words of Thomas Jefferson, ‘… life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’ He, like many other brave souls, defended our freedom in World War II. In that pursuit, his fighter plane was shot down near Holland. And although he is not with us today, his actions of ensuring that we all live in a safer world – where freedom and democracy prevail – will always be understood with great reverence. I am eternally grateful for what my grandfather and the many others were willing to confront. Thanks to all of you for making it a safer world where the torch of freedom can be carried onward.”
From: Cyndy Snyder “My husband and I have watched and enjoyed the Memorial Day concerts for several years now and we always feel this is a highlight of our Memorial Day weekend … It truly memorializes and pays tribute to our Men and Women in Uniform past and present. For my own remembrances, I have been taking the time to savor the life of my dad who died several years ago at the age of 95. My father, Clifford Cobb, received a purple heart for his part in WWII as a naval, Chief petty officer on destroyer 434, the USS Meridith. On October 12, 1942, the Meridith was traveling with the USS Vireo in Guadalcanal. On the 13th a large group of Japanese planes began bombing the ship. The Captain was injured and ordered the crew to abandon ship. The bombers were strafing the men in the water and lifeboats, in addition to the sharks attacking them in the oil slicked water. Many died from injuries and exhaustion after several days and night in the water, but a total of 97 managed to hang on to the life rafts, and float for the duration when, on the 18th, they were spotted and rescued several sister ships. My Dad rarely wanted to talk about his experience, but my Mother saved all of the letters he sent including the ones from his stay in the hospital so our family has a record of the account in his own words … I appreciate so much the opportunity to take time and remember through the stories and music the freedom that we have thanks to the many men and women in our armed forces and for being fortunate to be an American citizen-born in a country founded on freedom and liberty.”
From: Beth Christie “I just finished watching the Concert and I have not stopped crying from start to finish. I lost my father this year and he was a very proud Canadian veteran of WWII. I always thought throughout my childhood that thanks to he and all the other armed forces, we would never fight war again. How sorry I am that I am wrong and how dearly I feel for those families who grieve today. Never let America think for a moment that it is alone. Your fight for freedom is our fight as well and your pain and losses are borne by all who love God and freedom he intends for his children.”
From: Dr. Thomas Pierce “I loved my Father for what he did for me. He never told me about the suffering he and others went through in The European Theater during his 4 years of WWII. But I look forward to thanking him when the Lord allows me to come home. In my later years it is time for all of us to find out what we can do to help these men and women who are going to have to cope with their suffering for many years forth due to disabilities from the war. Not to minimize the ultimate sacrifice that too many of our precious people gave, but theirs was over quickly and now those of us who are left must pick up the burdens of the wounded.”
From: Susan Johnson “Dear Uncle Harlin, I never knew you. I wasn’t even born when you were lost of the coast of Alaska in 1942. I grew up hearing about you from my grandparents and parents. Your pictures were in each of our houses and memories of you were there too. I wish I could have known you. We would have been pals, I think … Grandma was never the same after you were lost. A part of her went with you into the Pacific that day, and she never got over your loss. Neither did Grandpa. There was always a vacant look in their eyes, and I could tell when they were remembering something about you. I didn’t understand Grandma’s pain when I was young, but I do now. I have a son of my own, and the emptiness she felt upon receiving that telegram from the War Department overwhelmed her and never left her. And my father missed you too … whenever he spoke of you, he laughed, and then he cried. It seems you were everyone’s shining light, and when you went away, the entire family felt an ache that just never stopped. Even though your body was never recovered, there is a marker in our hometown cemetery so people can remember. Your brother and sister put it there, but I’m the one that now looks at it, cares for it and wonders. Wonders how life might have been altered and enriched had I grown up with my Uncle Harlin. Please know that someone still remembers your sacrifice and honors your memory … I have your Purple Heart. It is one of my most cherished possessions and will be passed on to my son so he can remember your sacrifice. A bright star went out that day in 1942, but your light still shines within this heart. Love, Your niece, Sue.”
From: Robert Brandon “My brother was eleven and I was seven when our father died in World War II. His name was Alfred Joseph Brandon, Jr. and came from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He was a Navy Pharmacist Mate assigned to the Pacific war. I wish I had been able to get to know him better, to share his thoughts and learn from him. I can only guess that my creativity, in part, came from his since no one in the family shared much with me after his death. It was likely they didn’t want to discuss it as it might upset me too much. But I wish they had … I wonder what my dad might have done with his life had he been given more time. And I wonder about all the others who died so young without a chance to live their lives … But they did prove themselves to the world with the ultimate sacrifice of giving their life for their country and there is no job or life experience that can top that.”
From: Phillip “I am writing this in remembrance of my uncle Guido Fusco. He was a soldier in the US Army during World War II, and came home after losing both legs. I was only a kid at the time (I’m 65 now) but I knew that the event had changed his life forever. What courage and sacrifice. What a selfless man he was. As I look back on my time with him, I realize how that he taught me more about life than I ever realized at the time. I know there were thousands of Uncle Guidos who gave of their lives so that we may be free and live our lives in peace and harmony. I love and miss you uncle Guido, you will always be in my heart, my mind, and, my prayers. Your loving nephew, Phillip.”
From: Diane Erdeljac “Dear Dad, I never had the opportunity as an adult to tell you how much I love you, honor you and hold immense pride in my heart for you. I remember as a little girl how proud you were to be an American. I cannot believe that before you even became a citizen, you were drafted into WWII, yet you willingly went and were proud to be considered a member of the United States Army. You were only married two weeks when you went off to war, not realizing, thank God, that you would be gone for 5 years … I remember you talking about living in a fox hole for a week or two, no bath, rationed food, and constant fear. I remember you talking about being wounded the first time in Italy. I’m glad they gave you your medals as well as American citizenship when you returned! I am so very sorry you are no longer here to be a part of the WWII memorial. I know you would love it because it really honors all that you did and the design suits your generation, truly the greatest, most loving, and most sacrificial and innocent. I want to say that I am proud you were my father and as an adult, formally thank you. Much love forever, Dianne.”
From: Donna Stone Ewing “Harold J. Stone of North Carolina, my biological father, was killed over France in 1945, three months before I was born. Charles L. Martin of North Carolina became My Daddy Charles when I was three and never stopped being so until his death. Oh how I wish he were here to take part in the WWII Memorial Dedication. He would be so proud. I still remember sitting on the floor more than once, intently looking through his scrapbooks of pictures taken during the war. He would sit beside me with an opened Atlas nearby so he could show me where the pictures were taken. He would vividly describe each place, telling me the names of his friends and their backgrounds, some of their adventures in addition to telling me the type of plane in a picture and explaining its purpose … One time as the National Anthem was being played I forgot to put my right hand over my heart as he had taught me to do. He gruffly took my right hand, placed it over my heart sternly telling me he had BETTER NEVER SEE ME NOT DOING THAT EVER AGAIN! Later he apologized and gently explained why this gesture was so important. I will never forget his words and to this day, I tear whenever the anthem is played no matter if I hear it on TV or am at an event. I miss him so much.”
From: Ann Mapp Ketner/Nancy Mapp “A long time ago in 1945 I picked up the morning paper to see that my friend, Eddie Peele, would never come home again. Eddie’s friend later told me that Eddie had been in the Battle of the Buldge, and he had been a hero. He gave his life to divert German fire away from the soldiers with him who had wives and children at home … Eddie had donned the army uniform, left and died in Europe, in the service of our country. He was a good guy, a member of our high school group, one of my earliest dates … I think of him every year on Memorial Day.”
From: Tina M. Aden “… My grandfather was killed in action on April 19, 1945 at Badia di Sopra, Italy – which as I understand is a location near the town of Sulmonte … I will forever honor my grandfather, he fought for his country, and died just a few days too soon. He never gave up, and when he was killed, those lives back home fell like dominos. Every life was crushed, and everyone was praying for the end of the war and his safe arrival, when instead the most unbearable news came of his being killed. When I hear of a death of someone in the military, I know that it is more then the death of one person, it is the death of many people, of the family, and that no words are the right words. Wives, children, grandchildren’s lives are torn apart, as in my family; there is a sadness that will linger for many years to come. I honor my grandfather SPC George T. Davis and all those who died defending their country, for they gave the ultimate sacrifice. I also honor their families, for they sacrifice continuously.”
From: Lynne Fouraker "It is with a special sense of sadness that I will watch this year's National Concert. My father & I always watched it every year. He was a WWII veteran of the European theatre, who was awarded the Silver Star & Purple Heart in Germany. “On 10/16/02, he died unexpectedly at the age of 79. I wish there was some way I could share with your viewers a short-story he wrote about a true-life incident that occurred in his squad in March, 1945. It is very well-written & would be appreciated by anyone with an interest in WWII.
From: Elizabeth Pommers "On this Memorial Day I find my thoughts drifting back to my grandfather. The memory of him hasn't faded in the last ten years; it has grown stronger. The more my country & myself endure, the more I realize what a real hero was. Realizing that is realizing a big part of who my grandfather was. To carry that title so gracefully & humbled is something I could never achieve. He was, as his fellow soldiers were, truly great men. In memory of GUY CEPHUS GENTRY SR.
From: Genevieve McCaffrey "In memoriam of my uncle, Elgin J. Luckenbach, who was declared dead after missing in action in WWII — the aircraft never returned from a bombing mission was lost over New Guinea.
From: George Kinley "I lost my father on Dec. 14, 1944, the telegram was delivered on Dec. 26, at 1:30 in the afternoon, I still can see the green car and the soldier delivering the telegram to my mother as if it happened yesterday. He was with the 313inf. 79div. and of list of deceased from them 389, he was the only listed casualty on the 14 of Dec. I have all the letters that my father and mother sent to each other from the first day he went to war, and I saw him off waving out the train window in Johnstown, Pa. also have all the government letters about his death. I was only 6, brother was 9 and sister was 4. He was 37 years old and drafted and went. He is buried in Lorraine American Cemetery, St Avold France. plot A row 25 Grave 10. I have a photo of his cross at the cemetery. Not much to remember your father by. George Kinley, a son who still misses his father and never got to say goodbye."
From: Frank J. Gauvain "I pause to remember my uncle Joseph R. W. Gauvain Pfc 45th Infantry Division who was killed in action September 3, 1944 in Southern France. Sadly missed but not forgotten."
From: Ersilia LePore "My thoughts are with my cousin Eugene Fava, 19 yrs old, who was killed while flying his 18th mission in the European theater. He loved our country and enlisted out of high school. We love him and hold his memory dear. God Bless America."
From: BuzzC "On May 22nd, 1943 my uncle, Cpl Raymond E. Martin paid the ultimate price on the island of Attu at the hands of the Japanese, in the service of this country. Even though 60 years have come and gone since that date it stays in my memory banks still, and always will. I wasn't born until eleven years after Uncle Ray's death. I and a few of my family are veterans. My brother Joe, Navy. My brother Ray, Marines. Myself, Army & Navy. God bless all our nation’s heroes ..."
From: Doris Pierce Gerron "Fifty eight years ago, four brave young men from our small city, gave their lives on a tiny South Pacific Island, Iwo Jima. My brother, Sgt. William Thomas (Dooney) Pierce, Jr. was one of those boys. PFC James Wesley Goodwin, Sgt. Joe Riley Crow and Dooney were best friends and grew up together playing football for Ennis High School. Lt. Jack Lummus, several years their senior, played football for Baylor University and the New York Giants. All made the supreme sacrifice on that barren island.
From: Mary Jo Melancon "My dad, Clemens Schuda, was one of those who went to war because he had to. He fought in Luxembourg and in France and was wounded. He never spoke much about his time in battle –lots of stories about camps and his buddies, but he never wanted to talk about the war. We wanted to organize a family trip to France on the 50th anniversary of DDay, but for some reason Dad did not want to do this. We respected that – just as we respect him and love him for what he did for and gave to our country. Dad passed away in 1984 at age 77 Schudie, we love ya!"
From: Allan H. Loehndorf "My brother Warren E. Loehndorf wrote over 110 letters to my parents and to my sister and me. In them, which we cherish, and in the records which I have since received from the government I have been able to sense the thrill, agony, and devotion that he must have had in becoming a B-17 pilot. I have missed him more each year since his plane was lost on November 23, 1944. I hope this country never forgets those who sacrificed their all."
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REFLECTIONS “Thank you, James, for your ultimate sacrifice you made for your country. It was your dedication as a soldier and man that helped me through that terrible year in Nam. Soldiers like you are what make our freedoms so special. I thank God for people like you and will make sure your sacrifices will never be forgotten.” Veteran in Virginia
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