Memorial Day, 1997: I was standing with my dad at the base of the red granite memorial monument on top of Tennessee Pass, Colorado.
Dad, (a man of very few words, especially when it concerned The War), Needed to tell me something.
“Those are the Heroes, The ones that didn’t get to come home”.
He was speaking of the 992* men who’s names are on that monument. those that made the supreme sacrifice on Kiska and in Italy. That was the last time dad was able visit the monument and honor those heroes and friends, as he was too sick attend and passed away just two days after the next memorial day in 1998.
*The 992 names increased to 999 in 2001 as a result of ‘The Database Project’ research. Of those 999, there are 327 troopers who remain interred at the American Military Cemetery near Florence, Italy.
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Wow Larry, thanks for sharing!
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