Post-war Services to the Fallen

[PA. Dutchman]

Greetings Richard,

What a wonderful service you have been a part of, may God bless you and your comrades.

I had an Uncle Don Wiesel who fought in everything up to D-Day. His wife only knew he died and not much more. A few years ago we had a story in our local newspaper of D-Day and Omaha Beach. The soldier in the interview mentioned a "Nick" name my uncle was known by.

I called the reporter and he gave me the name of the soldier he interviewed. The man lived in Virginia.

When I called him I told him who I was and that the name he used was also used by our family for my Uncle Don Wiesel.

He immediately told him he was with my Uncle the very moment that he was hit. They had been close all along in the war. This man had been trying to find my Uncle's family and his wife for over 50 years at the time. He was so excited to hear from me and I explained I had to break the news to my Aunt Betty. The soldier said that is what Wiesel called my Aunt his belove Betty.

I broke the news to my Aunt who had remarried. The soldier then called her himself. After 50 plus years my Aunt finally found out where and how her husband died that day. This soldier held him as my Uncle Wiesel died and he last words were to tell his wife my Aunt Betty how much he loved her.

That news after all those years brought GREAT peace to my Aunt to know her husband had not died alone and his last words were of his love for her.

I have mentioned my friend Bob Kauffman who met the very Germans he was fighting against in Belgium a few years ago. They invited him to come back to attend their Units Re-Union which he did. Bob stopped in Normandy and put flowers at my Uncles' grave and got my Aunt a photo of his grave after all these years. At the German Units Re-Union several German soldiers gave Bob some personal items of an American GI they tried to care for and then properly buried. They hoped Bob could return the GIs things to the family, which Bob did. Bob told the GIs' family the Germans had treated him and when he died they buried him decently and that really moved everyone who heard their story.

What you are doing is a great act of compassion and honor to those who lost loved ones in the war.

Again God bless you and your continued efforts and work.