Veterans Day Events 2025 - Remembering My Dad

byboomergp08

31.5K followers

3 weeks ago

Today, November 11, 2025 is Veterans Day here in the United States. This is a day we celebrate ALL veterans past and present who served our country while in uniform. What Veterans Day Events 2025 will you be honoring?

I intend to showcase the accomplishment of what my Dad did during World War II in the liberation of Italy. Many of the stories and accolades by women veterans and veterans of color, are slowly being erased from history in the U.S.

This blog and the truthful content it contains, I hope will educate and be a historical source of information to those who want to know more about the Buffalo Soldiers of World War II. Despite segregation, they were highly effective.

HOW IS VETERANS DAY DIFFERENT FROM MEMORIAL DAY?

The difference between the two holidays has confused people, including myself, for quite some time. Simply put, Memorial Day is for honoring military personnel who died while serving their country, especially in battle.

Veterans day is for honoring all veterans both those who have come home and later passed away and veterans who are still alive. That's the simple answer. Below is a screenshot of the answer from the U.S. Veterans Administration.

I would like to take this time to thank everyone reading this who happens to be a Veteran of the military, even if you are a veteran of a military that is not from the United States. It doesn't matter what country you served for.

MY DAD'S SERVICE WITH THE U.S. ARMY IN ITALY DURING WWII

The following will be a visual history tour of what my Dad went through and experienced from Basic Training at Fort Huachuca, Arizona in October 1942 to the liberation of Italy between 1944 and 1945 to his Bronze Star Medal.

This was the photo of my Dad when he entered Basic Training at the age of 25 years old. The U.S. Army was segregated back then and all soldiers of color and other non-whites, were assigned to the 92nd Infantry Division.

Though the 92nd ID was an entirely segregated division of the U.S. Army, its Generals and top officers were white men from the South. The insignia of the division came to be known as the Buffalo Soldiers, a symbol of pride.

Despite the extreme racism the Buffalo Soldiers fighting in Italy experienced from their own white commanding officers, just like that of the Tuskegee Airmen, the soldiers of the 92nd Infantry Division performed heroically.

The 92nd ID was the only totally segregated division of the U.S. Army to see combat in Europe during WWII and was instrumental at liberating Italy from the Nazi and German armies, driving them north out of Italy.

The two main campaigns that my Dad fought in were the North Apennines and the Po Valley. Though my Dad was not directly on the front lines, he was just behind them along with all of the divisions supply lines.

In the picture above the rear guard and soldiers leading the trailing supply lines go through the liberated town of Montignoso, Italy. Though most of the German soldiers were either killed or escaped, some still remained.

Above is one such German soldier captured by the Buffalo Soldiers of the 92nd Infantry Division in Lucca, Italy September 1944. They often tried to hide within the Italian population but the Italians always exposed them.

My Dad above, was an engineer by trade and was in charge of the 792nd Ordinance Company, which supplied all of the fighting forces with ammunition, mortar guns and shells. Below is a mortar gun battle near Massa, Italy 1944.

The U.S. Army was having a major problem with the mortar guns during battle. The base plate that propels the mortar round into the air was forming cracks after extensive shooting. This was slowing down combat operations.

My Dad redesigned the base plate by adding a layer of ribbed metal to the underside of the plate, thus making it withstand constant firing during combat. He was later awarded the Bronze Star Medal for that invention,

HOW MY DAD MET MY MOM DURING WWII IN ITALY

About three months before the war was over in Italy, my Dad was headquartered in the seaside beach town of Viareggio, Italy. It was around August of 1945 when homeless children would come seeking food.

My Dad always having a generous heart would feed the children from what he didn't eat from his daily meals in the mess hall. Below is a picture of him giving food to a homeless girl who later introduced him to an Italian woman.

My Dad met this young Italian woman living in nearby Pietrasanta, Italy. She was sad because her brother was captured by German soldiers and put into a concentration camp before the 92nd ID arrived and liberated the town.

She found comfort with my Dad and they started "un-officially" dating, as did many other black soldiers of the 92nd ID with local Italian women. She quickly fell in love with him and my Dad met her parents, who loved him.

Long story short, she got pregnant with my now oldest sister and my Dad did the right thing and asked her father if he could marry her. My Mom and Dad got married in Pietrasanta, Italy November 1945

The above current day picture is the cathedral in Pietrasanta, Italy where my Dad and Mom got married. There is a picture of the two of them, her in a modest dress and him in his uniform, but I couldn't find it to post here.

Shortly after they were married, my Dad was sent back to the U.S. in November 1945. My Mom, 23 years old, remained in Italy until December 1945. Her Christmas present arrived early when her brother came home.

She didn't get to spend much time with him but she was glad he didn't die in the concentration camp like so many others. But now she had to leave and come to the U.S. and start a new life and family with my Dad.

Both my Dad and my Mom had guts! Starting an interracial family during the 1940's and 1950'a when things were still segregated. Plus my Mom, coming to the U.S. on a ship, pregnant and not speaking any English? WOW!

They were each other's first and only love. They were married 57 years, raised four of us kids, put us through school, taught us that skin color doesn't matter and to treat everyone with respect, even when they do not deserve it.

This post about segregation, race, the 92nd Infantry Division, Buffalo Soldiers, the liberation of Italy, war and love is how I honor the Veterans Day Events of 2025. This is a tribute to my Dad and how he helped the U.S. Army win.

If you would like to see actual battle footage of the Italian Campaign, this 8 minute video, WWII 92nd ID Legacy gives an informative historical look. I hope you enjoyed my post. Please leave your respectful comments below.