“I have returned many times to honor the valiant men who died … every man who set foot on Omaha Beach was a hero,” said Lieutenant General Omar Bradley, commander of the U.S. First Army after the war.
Rarely do World War II soldiers get the opportunity to return to battle sites and towns where they spent restless nights fighting for their country during the 1940s, but a not-for-profit organization, The Greatest Generation Foundation, is trying to give veterans the opportunity to return overseas.
The foundation’s goal is to promote recognition and respect for U.S. and allied war veterans while enhancing historical education for today’s youth.
Cassidy Maples of Aurora, a student at College of the Ozarks, gained the chance to travel with the veterans in May. The college is a sponsor of the foundation, which gives students the chance to go on the paid trip.
Maples said the school e-mails all the students about the trip, and students have to write a one-page paper about why they want to accompany the veterans on the trip.
Her paper demonstrated how the trip is designed to serve the veterans. “I wanted the opportunity to learn more than what’s in a history book,” Maples said.
Maples was gone for 13 days -- three days in Tunisia, Africa, five days in Italy and three days in Germany/Austria.
She said she wasn’t sure what to expect going into the trip. She knew it would be an interesting trip, but “it was hard to emotionally be prepared for the trip.”
Two students were paired with a veteran. Maples said the veterans shared stories and experiences with the students that the veterans’ families didn’t know.
“We came to be so close to the veterans,” Maples said. “We loved them.”
Maples was paired with veteran Robert Yank, who was a tech sargeant of the 10th Mountain Division, which was the group of men who did rock climbing and skiing in northern Italy. The division’s purpose was to take the rock sides.
Yank provided personal stories with Maples -- some heart-breaking and some fun times.
Yank served from 1942 until the end of the war, but he only fought January 1944 to May 1944. Yank recalled the battle on Mount 913 (the mountains didn’t have names at the time) as one of the roughest battles. Maples said Yank recalled seeing the lieutenant’s head being shot off. He also had an 88mm gun shot at him. He felt the wind off it and it spun him around.
Yank was a platoon guide, which followed the fighting to make sure no one was left behind. “He had to go back through the bombs to search for soldiers,” Maples said.
While the war gave the veterans some painful memories, there were good times had by the soldiers.
Yank and his fellow soldiers stayed in Mussolini’s Villa. He turned 21 years old while staying there and slept in Mussolini’s bed on his birthday. Being 20-somethings at the time, the men looked for activities to keep them occupied. One such activity involved a lake at the villa. The men decided to throw grenades into the lake. “They had fish for dinner that night,” Maples said laughing.
Yank also visited the Tower of Piza. The town was disserted, so he and another soldier decided to climb the tower. Once they reached the top, they rang the bells for several minutes.
“Just hearing his stories was really cool,” she said.
Maples was impressed by the amount she learned in the two weeks with the veterans.
“I thought I knew a little bit about WWII,” she said. “I know 10 times more than when I left. It was a trip of a lifetime.”
This trip also was the first to have women veterans on the tour. Members of WASP, a women’s pilot organization, helped with target missions, flying damaged planes for repairs and others to help their country.
“Without them, the war couldn’t have succeeded,” Maples said.
Africa
The first stop on the trip was at the North African American National Cemetery and Memorial in Tunisia. About 3,000 American are buried at the cemetery.
Maples said that at each of the cemeteries a veteran gave his or her story. She said the group visited three different cemeteries on the trip.
“They all are good memorials to those who had fallen,” she said.
The group visited Kasserine Pass, which was the location of a large battle during the Tunisia Campaign in WWII.
“At the time, America was unprepared,” Maples said. “They (soldiers) did the best they could. It was an awakening for the rest of the war.”
This was the first group of veterans to re-visit Kassarine Pass
Maples said that being at the battle site was a wake-up call for the students and gave them a visual for the veterans’ stories.
Italy
The group visited San Pietro, Italy, which is a hill town. Maples said the town remains in ruins today. Visiting the town gave a glimpse into civilian life and the destruction caused during the war.
Maples said her favorite days were seeing the battle sites.
The tour’s next stop was the Sicily-Rome American Military Cemetery and Memorial. About 8,000 Americans are buried there.
“Seeing that many graves really woke you up to the sacrificed given in WWII,” Maples said. “It’s our patriotic duty to serve our country like they did theirs or their sacrifices were for nothing.”
The stop at Cassino, Italy, was a big deal for many of the veterans on the trip, Maples said. During the war, it was a big battle area for soldiers, she said.
“The veterans could not believe how they rebuilt the town,” Maples said. “It looks nothing like how they saw it (during WWII).”
Maples said the stop at a cemetery in northern Italy was important for Yanks, because several men of the 10th Mountain Division are buried there. On the maps in the memorial, Yanks could point out the path his group took during the war.
Germany
Maples said the tour in Germany was the toughest because of the concentration camps and thoughts of Hitler’s actions. The group visited Mouthausen Concentration Camp, which housed thousands of prisoners.
“There are not words to put to that,” Maples said, referring to the feelings she had at the camp. “It just shows how fortunate we really are.”
From there, the group visited Neremberg, Germany, which is the location of the war crime trials for WWII. It’s also where Hitler held rallies and speeches.
“It was kinda eerie,” Maples said. “This evil man stood right here and gained his power right here.”
At the conclusion of the tour, the students and veterans shared goodbyes. Maples said it was very emotional after spending two weeks with “amazing men and women.”
Maples had many more experiences during her overseas trip. If you would like to hear her story and see photos, attend her program at 10 a.m., June 28, at the Aurora library. The public is welcome to attend.
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“I have returned many times to honor the valiant men who died … every man who set foot on Omaha Beach was a hero,” said Lieutenant General Omar Bradley, commander of the U.S. First Army after the war.
Rarely do World War II soldiers get the opportunity to return to battle sites and towns where they spent restless nights fighting for their country during the 1940s, but a not-for-profit organization, The Greatest Generation Foundation, is trying to give veterans the opportunity to return overseas.
The foundation’s goal is to promote recognition and respect for U.S. and allied war veterans while enhancing historical education for today’s youth.
Cassidy Maples of Aurora, a student at College of the Ozarks, gained the chance to travel with the veterans in May. The college is a sponsor of the foundation, which gives students the chance to go on the paid trip.
Maples said the school e-mails all the students about the trip, and students have to write a one-page paper about why they want to accompany the veterans on the trip.
Her paper demonstrated how the trip is designed to serve the veterans. “I wanted the opportunity to learn more than what’s in a history book,” Maples said.
Maples was gone for 13 days -- three days in Tunisia, Africa, five days in Italy and three days in Germany/Austria.
She said she wasn’t sure what to expect going into the trip. She knew it would be an interesting trip, but “it was hard to emotionally be prepared for the trip.”
Two students were paired with a veteran. Maples said the veterans shared stories and experiences with the students that the veterans’ families didn’t know.
“We came to be so close to the veterans,” Maples said. “We loved them.”
Maples was paired with veteran Robert Yank, who was a tech sargeant of the 10th Mountain Division, which was the group of men who did rock climbing and skiing in northern Italy. The division’s purpose was to take the rock sides.
Yank provided personal stories with Maples -- some heart-breaking and some fun times.
Yank served from 1942 until the end of the war, but he only fought January 1944 to May 1944. Yank recalled the battle on Mount 913 (the mountains didn’t have names at the time) as one of the roughest battles. Maples said Yank recalled seeing the lieutenant’s head being shot off. He also had an 88mm gun shot at him. He felt the wind off it and it spun him around.
Yank was a platoon guide, which followed the fighting to make sure no one was left behind. “He had to go back through the bombs to search for soldiers,” Maples said.
While the war gave the veterans some painful memories, there were good times had by the soldiers.
Yank and his fellow soldiers stayed in Mussolini’s Villa. He turned 21 years old while staying there and slept in Mussolini’s bed on his birthday. Being 20-somethings at the time, the men looked for activities to keep them occupied. One such activity involved a lake at the villa. The men decided to throw grenades into the lake. “They had fish for dinner that night,” Maples said laughing.
Yank also visited the Tower of Piza. The town was disserted, so he and another soldier decided to climb the tower. Once they reached the top, they rang the bells for several minutes.
“Just hearing his stories was really cool,” she said.
Maples was impressed by the amount she learned in the two weeks with the veterans.
“I thought I knew a little bit about WWII,” she said. “I know 10 times more than when I left. It was a trip of a lifetime.”
This trip also was the first to have women veterans on the tour. Members of WASP, a women’s pilot organization, helped with target missions, flying damaged planes for repairs and others to help their country.
“Without them, the war couldn’t have succeeded,” Maples said.
Africa
The first stop on the trip was at the North African American National Cemetery and Memorial in Tunisia. About 3,000 American are buried at the cemetery.
Maples said that at each of the cemeteries a veteran gave his or her story. She said the group visited three different cemeteries on the trip.
“They all are good memorials to those who had fallen,” she said.
The group visited Kasserine Pass, which was the location of a large battle during the Tunisia Campaign in WWII.
“At the time, America was unprepared,” Maples said. “They (soldiers) did the best they could. It was an awakening for the rest of the war.”
This was the first group of veterans to re-visit Kassarine Pass
Maples said that being at the battle site was a wake-up call for the students and gave them a visual for the veterans’ stories.
Italy
The group visited San Pietro, Italy, which is a hill town. Maples said the town remains in ruins today. Visiting the town gave a glimpse into civilian life and the destruction caused during the war.
Maples said her favorite days were seeing the battle sites.
The tour’s next stop was the Sicily-Rome American Military Cemetery and Memorial. About 8,000 Americans are buried there.
“Seeing that many graves really woke you up to the sacrificed given in WWII,” Maples said. “It’s our patriotic duty to serve our country like they did theirs or their sacrifices were for nothing.”
The stop at Cassino, Italy, was a big deal for many of the veterans on the trip, Maples said. During the war, it was a big battle area for soldiers, she said.
“The veterans could not believe how they rebuilt the town,” Maples said. “It looks nothing like how they saw it (during WWII).”
Maples said the stop at a cemetery in northern Italy was important for Yanks, because several men of the 10th Mountain Division are buried there. On the maps in the memorial, Yanks could point out the path his group took during the war.
Germany
Maples said the tour in Germany was the toughest because of the concentration camps and thoughts of Hitler’s actions. The group visited Mouthausen Concentration Camp, which housed thousands of prisoners.
“There are not words to put to that,” Maples said, referring to the feelings she had at the camp. “It just shows how fortunate we really are.”
From there, the group visited Neremberg, Germany, which is the location of the war crime trials for WWII. It’s also where Hitler held rallies and speeches.
“It was kinda eerie,” Maples said. “This evil man stood right here and gained his power right here.”
At the conclusion of the tour, the students and veterans shared goodbyes. Maples said it was very emotional after spending two weeks with “amazing men and women.”
Maples had many more experiences during her overseas trip. If you would like to hear her story and see photos, attend her program at 10 a.m., June 28, at the Aurora library. The public is welcome to attend.
