. . During WW II Leonard Weitzman served with the Army in Europe. During June 2-3, 2013, we had the fortunate opportunity to hear and preserve the stories of six Pittsburgh area WWII veterans at century old Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum. As we usually did during our visits
Perhaps it was in war when humans first encountered the failure of language to convey the enormity of experience. After 70 years, Marine Corps veteran Jack Watson still struggles with that gap between word and meaning. Jack Watson joined the Marines in 1942 because he liked the Marine Corps hymn, which
. . Eugene R. Vish comes from a large and very patriotic family. During WWII, three brothers served in the Pacific and three in Europe. They all returned safely from the war and rarely talked about their service. “It’s what we had to do,” he says of America’s role in the war.
. . Don Vitous entered the US Coast Guard in October 1942 and was assigned to beach patrol along the Gulf Coast. Don’s bother, John, who was a member of the 4th Infantry Division, died in Auckland, Germany after participating in the invasion of Normandy. Don returned home after leaving the Coast Guard
. . Woody Versaw was a first-semester student at Franklin and Marshall College hitchhiking home to see his girlfriend for her birthday when he heard the news about Pearl Harbor on a truck radio. Like many young men at that time, he dropped out of college and tried to enlist in
. . Angelo Vento entered the US Navy on March 1943. He was a motor machinist mate aboard LCT 956 which took part in five different landings and the occupation of Japan. After spending over 22 months overseas, he left the Navy in 1946.
