Two of my brothers and I had long planned to follow the route that my father had taken during World War II. We intended to follow the path of the 142nd regiment, of which Dad was a part, but when we found a trove of his letters to his mother, written from Italy and Germany during the war, we knew we had the detail we needed to create a meaningful replication of his war-time journey.

What was he thinking when he anticipated the battles? What was he thinking during them? When his own commander went down and Dad had to assume leadership—while feeling a bullet graze his neck—what did he do to help his troops fight and survive?

The trip, taken during October of 2023, was a way to honor my father, to recognize his and his fellow soldiers' sacrifice, and to reinforce a bond with my brothers. This talk will focus on the marvels of the excursion and the serendipity in finding things we didn't think possible.