On August 7, Purple Heart Day, we honor the brave recipients of this sacred medal—men like Private First Class Roy Morrison. On July 14, 1944, Roy Morrison's 20th birthday, he was ambushed by German soldiers near St. Lo, France. Roy's dog tag, Purple Heart, and the bullet that was removed from his leg are now part of the WWII Veterans History Project museum collection.

At 100 years old, Bruce Cook still remembers what it felt like to climb into the belly of a B-17 Flying Fortress. As a ball turret gunner with the 8th Air Force’s 379th Bomb Group, he flew 35 missions over Europe in one of the most dangerous jobs on the crew. Small enough to fit into the cramped bubble underneath the plane, Bruce couldn’t even wear his parachute inside the turret. He just tucked it nearby and hoped for the best. Bruce pulled out the leather bomber jacket he wore on those missions.

Captain Elmo Diniz, one of the last surviving veterans of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB), died yesterday at age 103. He fought alongside American forces in Italy during World War II. Diniz joined the Army at age 17 in 1939 – just months before World War II began. At that time, Brazil seemed distant from the raging European and Pacific conflicts involving German and Japanese forces.

Meet had 101-year-old Marvin Blakeman, a WWII veteran who served as a Technician Fifth Grade in the Intelligence and Reconnaissance (I&R) Platoon of HQ Company, 1st Battalion, 330th Infantry Regiment, 83rd Infantry Division. His job was to scout enemy positions, update battlefield maps, and deliver critical intelligence to commanders, all while operating near or ahead of the front lines.

At 101 years old, Howard Mautner stands among the last living Americans who served in World War II. A Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Force, his journey took him from the quiet streets of the Midwest to the frontlines of Allied logistics in North Africa, Italy, and Austria - offering a unique perspective from the control towers that kept the USAAF in motion.

At just 19 years old, R.D. Lawrence left his home in Oklahoma the day after Christmas in 1942 and boarded a troop train bound for basic training. Drafted into the U.S. Army Air Force, he became a ball turret gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress in the 463rd Bomb Group, 15th Air Force. Now 102 years old, Lawrence’s story spans more than a century of history.

Meet 99-year-old Bruce Cook, World War II veteran of the 379th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force. He flew 35 combat missions over Europe as a B-17 ball turret gunner—one of the most dangerous jobs on a B-17 Flying Fortress. “I don't think people realize how much of a price that's been paid for the freedoms that we have," Bruce argues. "I think it's good now to get out as much about what happened back then."

We recently had the pleasure of interviewing Maria and Jimmy Johnson, the children of Chief Warrant Officer James Milton Johnson, a WWII veteran who fought with the all-black 92nd Infantry Division. His history serving stateside with the 2nd Cavalry Division, overseas with the Buffalo Soldiers, and marrying an Italian woman and welcoming a child during the occupation of Italy is nothing short of incredible.

Happy 100th birthday to WWII veteran Frank Klum! Surrounded by family, friends, and the local community, Frank was honored last weekend in a festive centennial celebration.

We recently had the pleasure to meet and interview 97-year-old John Jeckovich, a WWII veteran who saw combat in the European Theater of Operations as a member of H Company, 291st Infantry Regiment, 75th Infantry Division…

Wolfgang Kloth, one of the last surviving German WWII veterans, died last week at the age of 99. As a Lieutenant in the Wehrmacht, Kloth served as a Panzer commander during the Battle of Kursk and in the Kurland Pocket, eventually surrendering to the Soviets and becoming a prisoner of war in the spring of 1945…

Please join us in remembering Priscilla Getchell, a WWII veteran of the US Navy WAVES who passed away this week at the age of 101…

Please join us in wishing WWII veteran and world-renowned photographer Michael A. "Tony" Vaccaro a happy 100th birthday! Tony served in the 83rd Infantry Division and saw fierce combat throughout the European Theater, from Normandy, France, to the heart of Germany…

Please join us in remembering WWII Veteran Joseph Watson, who passed away last Tuesday in South Carolina. He was 99. Three years ago, we had the opportunity to join Watson on his return to the battlefield where he fought for the first time since the war…