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The Rifle

Preserving the Legacy of America's WWII Veterans

Preserving the Legacy of America's WWII VeteransPreserving the Legacy of America's WWII Veterans

Back to the Bulge

75th Anniversary of the battle of the Bulge

After learning that more than half of the veterans  interviewed during the rifle project had never returned to the battlefields they fought on, a strategic fundraiser was started to return seventeen WWII veterans back to Belgium.  A GoFundMe account reached 70k in order to pay for the veterans and one family member to return to the "Battle of the Bulge." It was therapeutic for  many of the veterans who had never returned. They made peace with their former German enemies and visited their fallen comrades in the cemeteries. The trip closed a final chapter in many of their lives.

Learn More

https://boston.cbslocal.com/2019/12/10/wwii-veterans-belgium-75th-anniversary-battle-of-the-bulge/

Find out more

Back to the Bulge 75 Years later

75th Anniversary of the Ardennes Offensive and the men who fought there .

Back to the Bulge 75 Years Later

Luxembourg National Cemetary visit.
87th Division veterans Rodney Perkins and Ernie Roberts pose with their unit's monument
30th Infantry Division Fran Guadere poses with a Beglian child for a photo.
79th Division Frank Polewarcyzk signs a flag for Belgian children
Chet Rohn stands proudly in front of a 11th Armored Division tank.

75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Rome

Return to Anzio

Return to Anzio

Return to Anzio

3rd Infantry Divsion Veteran Albert Bucharelli and 85th Division Rocco Telese sit in front of the Coliseum in Italy 

Monte Cassino

Return to Anzio

Return to Anzio

Albert visits his squad leaders grave at Rome National American Cemetary.  

Return to Italy

Anzio-Rome-Monte Cassino

75th Anniversay of Normandy

Normandy American Cemetary

Normandy American Cemetary

Normandy American Cemetary

Francis Murphy, 95, returned for the first time in seventy-five years.

Utah Beach

Normandy American Cemetary

Normandy American Cemetary

Francis landed on Omaha beach, however a full tour was given to him of the allied landings.

A pilot reunited with his roommate 77 years later

 99-year-old Ed Cottrell served as a P-47 pilot with the 48th Fighter Group, 493rd Squadron during the Second World War. His roommate, Ted Smith, was shot down by flak in Jan 1st, 1945. This was the first time he saw Ted’s grave in Holland, seventy-seven years later. 

back to the drop zone

 Bob White, 507 PIR, 17th Airborne Division is returned to his drop zone 77 years later.

  Bob was a veteran of Operation Varsity, the largest airborne operation of WWII.

Help Our Cause

 Your contribution will enable us to bring WWII veterans back to Normandy, Belgium, Italy and Germany. Funds directly support flights, hotels, and ground transportation.  

Pay with PayPal or a debit/credit card

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