About me
Over the past 15 years I've met hundreds of veterans. This website
serves as a tribute to their sacrifice and an effort to keep their story alive
83rd Infantry Division
Since 2010 my research and collecting efforts have been focused on the 83rd Infantry Division
learn more about the men of the storied Thunderbolts!
Adopted Graves
At the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery I have adopted several graves of American soldiers
who lost their lives in the struggle for freedom. May they never be forgotten.
Welcome
Back in 2012 I started normandytothebulge.be as a project to document my encounters with WW2 veterans and a place to preserve their stories. Since then it has grown exponentially as I met more people and my collection started to grow. And although the focus might slightly shift over the years, my mission will always remain the same at its core. To tell the story of those ordinary men who went through extraordinary times and put an end to the oppression in Europe. I hope you will enjoy browsing through these little slices of history as much as I have collecting them!
83rd patches history
Patches! And lots of them. Read through the history of the Ohio patch from 1917 to today. Illustrated with many examples of my collection.
Read more
Christmas Time
The Yank Magazine Christmas covers are among some of the most recognizable out there. Discover here how many different designs and issues exist!
Read more
John T. DiMauro
John DiMauro from New York was only 18 years old when he was killed during the Battle of the Bulge. Read his story as a young private with the 331st Infantry Regiment
Read more
83rd Liner
Original WW2 US Army liner painted with the insignia of the 83rd Infantry Division. Identified to George W. Irvine, commanding officer of the 324th FA Bn.
Read moreOur website recently got a major overhaul after being online for more than a decade! This new style will feel a lot more modern and hopefully more intuitive as well. Don't agree or got a suggestion? Let us know!
Because of the huge amount of information resulting in hundreds of pages on the 'old' website the transition has been a long process and one that is still going. This means you might no longer find a page that was on the old site. Likely it just hasn't been posted yet so keep checking back regularly. Other pages might have a large under construction sign so keep coming back for those as well as this means they will be updated in the near future.
For this first soft launch we have focused on the 83rd Infantry Division so you'll find that section of the website already well populated.