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The Greatest Generation - revisiting their battlefield campaigns!

By Marchel Peterson

Real Estate Agent with Results Realty

November 11, 2007 10:24 AM

The Greatest Generation - revisitng their battlefield campaigns I was listening to Laura Ingraham while I was driving Friday. As an honor to Veterans Day she was interviewing Timothy Davis who founded The Greatest Generations Foundation. It is a Denver based non profit that was founded to offer our combat veterans the opportunity to revisit the sites of their battlefield campaigns free of charge. This would include generations of men and women who fought in World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. I don't expect there are many if any World War I veterans left but we still have a lot of World War II veterans although we are losing more every day.

I just thought this was wonderful. My Dad is a World War II veteran. He was in the Army from 1941 to 1945. He drove a supply truck to the front lines. He started in England and then went to France, Belgium, Holland, Luxemburg a Greatest Generation - Gifford brothers nd Germany. My parents were blessed to be able to go back several years ago and visit the places that my Dad helped liberate. My parents enjoyed following in his war time foot steps but not everyone would be fortunate enough to be able to do that so I just thought it was great that there is a foundation to help our War Veterans visit these battlefields.

My Dad and all of his brothers were in World War II. Two were in the Air Force, one was in the Navy and my Dad and one other brother were in the Army. They all made it back but one of his brothers stayed in the Army and was killed in the Korean War. My Dad is the only one of his siblings still alive but at 90 years of age he is still in excellent health. My parents spend 6 months in Colorado and 6 months in Arizona.

Spec. Tarren Peterson in Iraq I am proud that my Dad served his country for our freedom. I am equally proud to now have a son serving as an Intelligence Analyst in the Army. Our son finished his first tour of Iraq this last January and will be returning for a second tour this coming March.

We are so blessed to live in this great country and to have the proud history of men and women serving in our armed forces to protect our way of life. I hope you all enjoy visiting the Greatest Generations website and if you would be interested in becoming a member it gives you the information to help these veterans re-visit their battlefield campaigns.

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Marchel Peterson

Results Realty - Spring, TX

Spring TX Real Estate E-Pro

Gary, wow diving to make sure bridges were not mined, that is something. Thanks for your service in Vietnam. So if you were verifying Intelligence reports were you an Analyst? I will pass what you said on to my son.

Nov 12, 2007 02:17 PM

Marchel Peterson

Results Realty - Spring, TX

Spring TX Real Estate E-Pro

Shellee, I have enjoyed the patriotism also. We owe our veterans (past, present and future) so much for protecting our way of life.

Nov 12, 2007 02:18 PM

Marchel Peterson

Results Realty - Spring, TX

Spring TX Real Estate E-Pro

Bob, so good to hear from you. I'm glad things are working out for you and Cyndy. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving also.

Nov 12, 2007 02:20 PM

Gary White~Grand Rapids Home Selling Pro Call: 616-821-9375

Flexit Realty "Flexible Home Selling Solutions" - Grand Rapids, MI

Real Estate Services You can Trust!

Hi Marchel, not an analyst....we were in the field putting eyes on the enemy...direction of movement, weapons, food supplies, how many.....that type of thing. 5 man teams or 2 man depending on the assignment and requirement. Your son will know. A very nice post Marchel.

Nov 14, 2007 02:42 AM

Marchel Peterson

Results Realty - Spring, TX

Spring TX Real Estate E-Pro

Gary, that sounds dangerous. I'm glad you made it back safely. Thanks again for your service to our country!!!!!!!!!

My daughter has a friend who is in the Army with a quick reaction force in Afghanistan; his job sounds something like that. She works as a flight attendant for a charter company that has one of the contracts to move our troops and met this young man on his way to Afghanistan.

Nov 14, 2007 03:13 AM

Anonymous

Carol

Marchel, What a way to honor the memories of those, like your dad and my husband who's a retired m-Marine that was in Desert Shield. Thanks,

Nov 14, 2007 07:49 PM

#33

Jolynne Photography, Creative Wedding Photography, Family Portraits, Bar Mitzvahs

Jolynne Photography - Hemet, CA

Bat Mitzvahs, Senior Pictures, Event Photography

Great post...and pics. I remember visiting the battlefields and cemeteries in Northern France and it was a powerful experience.

The willingness to lay down your life for the protection of your friends is a huge deal. Thanks.

Nov 18, 2007 10:17 AM

Marchel Peterson

Results Realty - Spring, TX

Spring TX Real Estate E-Pro

Carol, thank your husband for his service. My son was just a little tyke when Desert Storm happened so had no idea at that time that he would be involved years later.

Nov 18, 2007 10:43 AM

Marchel Peterson

Results Realty - Spring, TX

Spring TX Real Estate E-Pro

Joey, I'll bet it was very emotional. I'm glad that my Dad was able to go back and trace his footsteps, with my Mother at his side.

This post may not have been featured but I sent the link to my parents and they printed it off and my Dad has shown it around to everyone he can get to look at it; so in my books that's better than featured.

Nov 18, 2007 10:46 AM

Deb Brooks

Brooks Prime Properties Wichita Falls Texas - Wichita Falls, TX

Marchel, It makes me feel so nostalgic to hear your story. Okay, your reality. I am so glad your dad is still living to see all of the benefits he won for us in the war. You are so lucky to have your parents. Savor each moment. I would give almost anything to see my parents again. You are a lucky soul and you deserve it. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! And, thank God for all our blessings. Deb

Nov 20, 2007 02:30 PM

Marchel Peterson

Results Realty - Spring, TX

Spring TX Real Estate E-Pro

Debra, Thanks! They are in for Thanksgiving sitting having their breakfast at my kitchen table. I am so blessed to still have them both. They are both still in excellent health. My Dad is 90 and looks 70; I hope he passed those genes on to me.

Nov 21, 2007 12:24 AM

Ray Saenz

Exit Realty Laredo - Laredo, TX

Homes for Sale in Laredo, TX - Texas, Realtor

Marchel,

Interesting :) there are many things founded in denver that I did not know LOL as Remax ! some months ago I knew about it.

Ray Saenz

Nov 24, 2007 11:59 AM

Marchel Peterson

Results Realty - Spring, TX

Spring TX Real Estate E-Pro

To everyone that responded to my Greatest Generation post.

A young man from The Woodlands High School pulled up this post on The Greatest Generation and emailed me asking if he could interview my Dad for a school project. It just so happened that my parents were in town for Thanksgiving so he came over Sunday afternoon and spent an hour interviewing my Dad. It really met a lot to my Dad and this was the nicest young man, it was great that he showed that much interest. My Dad has not talked much about the war so we enjoyed it also. The young man was not familiar with the Battle of the Bulge and my Dad was taking supplies to the front line during that long battle so I expect he went straight home to Google the Battle of the Bulge.

Nov 26, 2007 03:56 AM

Elaine Hanson

Coldwell Banker Realty - Malibu | Topanga - Malibu, CA

REALTOR - Topanga, CA Real Estate Agent

Marchel, I notice your dad's path was the same as the 101st Airborne "Band of Brothers." He must have been a godsend to his fellow freezing, hungry soldiers. What a dangerous job! I'll think of him the next time I think I'm cold. He knew COLD!

Please thank him for his service and tell him we will remember.

Dec 12, 2007 01:41 AM

Elaine Hanson

Coldwell Banker Realty - Malibu | Topanga - Malibu, CA

REALTOR - Topanga, CA Real Estate Agent

Marchel - I just realized I did not say that I wanted you to thank your son for his service now. He deserves it!

Dec 12, 2007 02:40 AM

Kathy Fisher

Parker Properties - Decatur, TX

Realtor Wise County Texas

Wonderful Post!

Your son will be in my prayers. I will add him to my daily list of soldiers that I pray for through "Adopt a Troop". My dad was in the VietNam War and that was such a hard time for our family, especially my mother. I have only one son who is 27. He has two little boys and SO wants to join up. I just pray that IF he decides to do so it is for the right reasons and that he will let God lead him. I know that war is sometimes a necessity and that scarifices have to be made for our freedom.

honoring VietNam Vets

We can all just turn our soldiers over to God and HIS Will by praying for them and their Safety & Success of thier missions.

God Bless you.

Dec 12, 2007 07:37 AM

Marchel Peterson

Results Realty - Spring, TX

Spring TX Real Estate E-Pro

Elaine, my Dad followed General Patton's tanks. He said they would get in to a town a few weeks after General Patton had cleared the town. They would have to then re-clear the town. It sounds amazingly similar to the present war in that regard. I was amazed to hear that he was taking supplies to the front line at the Battle of the Bulge. I found that out when the boy was interviewing my Dad.

I will pass your thanks on to our son. We thought he was going to be heading back to Iraq for his second tour this month but now they are not leaving until March. We found this out after we had bought tickets to Colorado for Christmas (we didn't want to be here without him) so now we are all spending Christmas in Colorado with my sister; our daughter will be flying in from NYC also.

Dec 12, 2007 09:26 AM

Marchel Peterson

Results Realty - Spring, TX

Spring TX Real Estate E-Pro

Kathy, as our son heads back to Iraq for his second tour we appreciate all the prayers. Thank your Dad for his service to our country. It was a shame how Vietnam Vets have been treated. Thank God we learned from that war and our son has not experienced that at all. When he is in uniform it is not uncommon for people to come up to him and thank him for his service.

Dec 12, 2007 09:29 AM

Kent Simpson

Realty One Group Mountain Desert - Tucson, AZ

Real Estate Is About People

Marchel, what a great post! We have fewer and fewer of our "Greatest Generation" around to thank for the freedoms we enjoy. While living in Vail, CO for several years, I remember the annual gatherings of the 10th Mountain Division who trained nearby at Camp Hale. Those troops and are honored in the Ski Museum at the foot of Vail Mountain, and several went on to be the fathers of the American ski industry.

This desert rat doesn't mind a little snow...as long as he doesn't have to shovel it!

Nov 12, 2008 11:52 AM

Marchel Peterson

Results Realty - Spring, TX

Spring TX Real Estate E-Pro

Kent, Thanks for revising this post. I have to admit it is one of my favorite post that I have written. I am SO BLESSED to still have my World War II Dad. He is 91 and doing GREAT. My parents spend 6 months in Colorado and 6 months in Mesa. They are in Mesa right now and are coming for a week at Christmas.

Our son is in the middle of his second tour of Iraq. He is actually home for 3 weeks for his R & R. He is due to get out of Iraq in March and out of the Army in June. He was actually supposed to get out of the Army this last August but got the stop loss. I have taken it like a Mom but our son has taken it like a soldier. I'm very proud of him.

Nov 12, 2008 12:23 PM