The two men in the center of this photo are two of my Heroes. If it were not for the bravery and courage of both of these men, I would not enjoy the life I live today.
65 years ago today, as young boys, these men's lives were changed forever. The man in the tan military uniform is my grandfather, Ted. May 29, 1943, as a the pilot of a B-17 flying fortress, Ted and his crew were forced to parachute from their plane over occupied France. The man holding the picture, Henri, was one of the boys who helped my father evade capture and delivered him to the French Resistance. You can read more about their story here.
Grandpa's Plane crashed just off the coast of France and several parts have been recovered. The propellars are part of a monument in the city square of St. Quay-Portrieux.
65 years ago today, as young boys, these men's lives were changed forever. The man in the tan military uniform is my grandfather, Ted. May 29, 1943, as a the pilot of a B-17 flying fortress, Ted and his crew were forced to parachute from their plane over occupied France. The man holding the picture, Henri, was one of the boys who helped my father evade capture and delivered him to the French Resistance. You can read more about their story here.
Grandpa's Plane crashed just off the coast of France and several parts have been recovered. The propellars are part of a monument in the city square of St. Quay-Portrieux.
In 2004, I had the chance to go to France and meet Henri and see some of the significant places in his and my grandpa's story.
My grandpa passed away on May 14, 2001, while I was on my mission. Henri passed away a few years after my trip to France on 6 March 2006. I will always remember them as unassuming heroes and will always be grateful for their courage to do what was right. I keep this shadow box on my desk at work to remember them by and the great impact they have had on who I am.
4 comments:
what a cool story, it's fun to hear about family history!
Your Grandpa was one amazing guy! I'm really glad I had the opportunity to know him.
What is the significance of the items in the shadow box? This was a pretty neat story - thanks for sharing!
Jackie, the wheat is from the field that my grandpa's parachute landed in and the bullet is from the wreckage of my grandpa's plane.
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