Over the long Memorial Day weekend, I decided to do something to remember my grandfather Gerald Kendall Gifford's World War II service. He served in the 100th Infantry Division and was wounded in the Battle of Heilbronn (Germany) near the end of the war in the European theater on his 28th birthday. He then spent two-and-a-half years recovering in various hospitals having multiple surgeries. All while his wife took care of three very young children. They both sacrificed so much.

I wanted to know more. So my dad let me borrow folder with a bunch of hand-written memories from Gerald's LDS missionary service before the war for two years, and his memories of his service in WWII.

Not only was there transcribing to do. My curiosity drove me to spend hours online searching to find more details about the places Gerald had been. Prior to searching online, I didn't even know what unit Gerald served in, nor where exactly he'd been wounded.

Here's where I put Gerald's information: http://www.aarongifford.com/gerald/. On that page are some links to his war memories, which now includes an audio cassette recording from 1991 of Gerald sharing some of those same memories to me, my parents and siblings.

Both Gerald and his wife Aleath passed away in the 1990s. I miss my grandparents. But this Memorial Day weekend has been made wonderful by learning more about them. Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa Gifford, for your sacrifices to your family, to me, and to this nation during World War II.


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