Welcome to A Piece of Home.
With more than 2,000 Oklahoma
soldiers buried among the 124,909 soldiers and civilians from WWI and WWII
buried around the world. I took it upon
myself the visit all the Oklahoma soldiers,
not for myself but for those family’s who had never been able to visit,
as well as for the knowledge that comes with such a journey.
Little did I know that this journey would not only take me around the world to stand in front of each grave, but it would also bring me closer to the reality of war these men and women had to face in their lives and ultimately their deaths.
This page was created to honor those Oklahoma soldiers that I have visited on my Journey around the world. It took me six months of traveling starting in Europe and Africa then Asia and the Pacific and finally back to Oklahoma. I visited 23 cemeteries that included 20 in Europe, one in North Africa, one in the Philippines and the cemetery in Hawaii.
I stayed in Japan for an extended time so I could spend Veterans Day walking among the graves in Asia and could spend the day visiting those men who fell on December 7th 1941 on the day they found their final resting place. I spent over a month in Europe bouncing from town to town just so I could visit each of the 20 cemeteries from WWI and WWII that are located in six different countries around Europe. In one of these cemeteries there was only one Oklahoma soldier buried within its walls, in others there were as many as 241 soldiers that I had to visit in just a day’s time. I spent the better part of a week just traveling to the North African country of Tunisia just to visit the thirty two Oklahoma men buried within its walls.
With what little money I had, I set out on my journey to honor the men buried so far from home. I had asked for help from various foundations and Veterans groups but was told that due to the economy they could not afford to help. So, I pushed forward with my journey with what I had, I saved where I could and walked everywhere just so I didn’t have to spend any more money than I had to. It wasn’t easy but every time I stepped up to a grave I knew my work was well worth the effort.
As I progress with my journey I will add more information about these men and hope that I can find the family members who know of these men so they can help me tell the story of each of their loved ones buried so far from home. if you have a story of a family member who is buried overseas please contact me.
So far I have found the stories of about 20 soldiers from WWII and a couple from WWI, though I would like to have more stories it is a time consuming process. Though as each day goes by that means that memories fade, lives are lost and gathered stories from family members fall through the cracks of time. As I talk to people I tell them to remember the stories of their loved ones from all the wars because at some point someone from the family will want to know something about a loved one who fought in the wars of the past.
I have also written a book that is a traditonal paperback. If you wish to read about my journey go to the contact link on the web page. I am still working on the E-book version
If you are not sure if you have a family member buried oversease go to the ABMC webpage to find all the service members buried overseas.
Little did I know that this journey would not only take me around the world to stand in front of each grave, but it would also bring me closer to the reality of war these men and women had to face in their lives and ultimately their deaths.
This page was created to honor those Oklahoma soldiers that I have visited on my Journey around the world. It took me six months of traveling starting in Europe and Africa then Asia and the Pacific and finally back to Oklahoma. I visited 23 cemeteries that included 20 in Europe, one in North Africa, one in the Philippines and the cemetery in Hawaii.
I stayed in Japan for an extended time so I could spend Veterans Day walking among the graves in Asia and could spend the day visiting those men who fell on December 7th 1941 on the day they found their final resting place. I spent over a month in Europe bouncing from town to town just so I could visit each of the 20 cemeteries from WWI and WWII that are located in six different countries around Europe. In one of these cemeteries there was only one Oklahoma soldier buried within its walls, in others there were as many as 241 soldiers that I had to visit in just a day’s time. I spent the better part of a week just traveling to the North African country of Tunisia just to visit the thirty two Oklahoma men buried within its walls.
With what little money I had, I set out on my journey to honor the men buried so far from home. I had asked for help from various foundations and Veterans groups but was told that due to the economy they could not afford to help. So, I pushed forward with my journey with what I had, I saved where I could and walked everywhere just so I didn’t have to spend any more money than I had to. It wasn’t easy but every time I stepped up to a grave I knew my work was well worth the effort.
As I progress with my journey I will add more information about these men and hope that I can find the family members who know of these men so they can help me tell the story of each of their loved ones buried so far from home. if you have a story of a family member who is buried overseas please contact me.
So far I have found the stories of about 20 soldiers from WWII and a couple from WWI, though I would like to have more stories it is a time consuming process. Though as each day goes by that means that memories fade, lives are lost and gathered stories from family members fall through the cracks of time. As I talk to people I tell them to remember the stories of their loved ones from all the wars because at some point someone from the family will want to know something about a loved one who fought in the wars of the past.
I have also written a book that is a traditonal paperback. If you wish to read about my journey go to the contact link on the web page. I am still working on the E-book version
If you are not sure if you have a family member buried oversease go to the ABMC webpage to find all the service members buried overseas.