PICKERINGTON - Growing up with his siblings as the children of a World War II veteran, Kevin Diehl heard stories about his father's wins in poker games played between missions.
It wasn't until recently that Harry Diehl, his 92-year old father, started sharing more stories about his time as a crew member of a Douglas C-47 Skytrain, flying missions in Europe and Northern Africa. Annie Diehl, Harry's wife, worked in a celanese factory in Cumberland, MD, inspecting parachute 'jets' to ensure the packs functioned properly.
Kevin was excited when his parents had the chance to share those stories with a local non-profit organization, and hopes more veterans take the opportunity.
"It all happened in a round-about way. One of my dad's granddaughters works with the (United Service Organizations) in Columbus, and someone from the Columbus Blue Jackets reached out to her to ask if she'd ask my dad to come be recognized at one of the games," Kevin said. "When one of his grandsons shared the post on Facebook, one of his high school friends reached out about Guardians Never Forget, and my mom and dad agreed to share their experiences from the war."
Guardians Never Forget is a documentary series chronicling the lives of veterans of any campaign, from any branch of service. A product of Operation Meraki's ReFocus project, GNF was inspired from the stories veterans would share during the course.
Michael Thomas, Operation Meraki founder and GNF project lead, explained that ReFocus is an alternative therapy route for veterans offered as a part of his non-profit organization.
"ReFocus is a course for veterans to learn more about photography and to provide a way to express themselves without having to talk. Some of the guys would talk about their experiences, some of whom hadn't talked about them for a long time," Thomas said. "I heard one veteran say he hadn't talked about his time in the service since 1987, and I just thought 'wow!' I knew the impact of sharing and capturing these stories was critical."
"I know that the veterans' suicide rate has increased, and we're losing more veterans each month, whether that's from age or other factors, but we need to preserve those stories and get the veterans their due."
"They experienced the war firsthand"
For Harry Diehl, his experience serving in the war never seemed to be that important to him. When he returned from Europe, there was no big fanfare, he said, nothing like the V-J Day in Times Square photo.
"It wasn't like that for us, there wasn't a lot of celebration. My parents were there to pick me up, but there were a lot of people on that boat, but not a lot to celebrate," Harry said. "I was in Holland when the war ended, and citizens over there would come up to us and shake our hands, thanking us for serving. It was like it was bigger over there, probably because those people experienced the war first hand."
In fact, Harry said he almost expected to get back to the states, and just keep going west. He was enlisted as duration-plus, which meant he would serve through the war, plus any time needed for military occupation.
"The Japanese hadn't surrendered by the time I got home, so I thought I would be off to the Pacific theater until they dropped the atom bombs. No one wanted to go to that war," Harry said.
He was never sent west, though. The war ended, and Harry and Annie Diehl married. They live in Pickerington, living in the same house since the 1970s. They have three children, with five grandchildren and seven great-grandsons.
They never thought their stories were too important, nothing to be lauded: when they served, they were doing their jobs. But Kevin said he felt differently, especially as time goes on.
"From my siblings' and my vantage point, we grew up knowing they served during the war. I was proud of them, but it wasn't like they were getting any adulation or special treatment. Nearly everyone their age had served, most of the men I knew were veterans," Kevin said. "They didn't think they were special, because they all were just doing their duty. But now, with many veterans gone without sharing their stories, it's getting more rare to hear those, and for veterans to share them."
"That's why I think what Michael is doing with the Guardians project is terrific, it's important."
"They're the true heroes"
Kevin said he's noticed a push to honor veterans, citing the Blue Jackets event and his father being picked as the "honored veteran" in a Veterans Day Parade in Columbus.
"I also got to go with dad on an Honor Flight (Columbus), which he called the 'homecoming' celebration he never had. But the biggest reminder to my dad of what he did was the trip to Normandy for the 75th anniversary of D-Day, paid for by a friend of the family that works with the Honor Flight," Kevin said. "He hadn't returned to Europe since the war, and the trip came together very nicely, even though we rushed to get his passport and make arrangements."
Harry wasn't the only veteran returning for the event, but his treatment wasn't an exception: French citizens greeted and thanked him, taking pictures with him and treating him like a celebrity.
"They kept coming up to me and swarming me almost. The people there were still grateful for everything that we did, and they treated us like royalty," Harry said. "It couldn't have been nicer. One little boy came up to me and asked me if he could hug me, and it just stood out that they still feel this way."
"But what really stood out to me was the cemetery of the fallen soldiers, all those white crosses."
Harry was speaking of the Normandy American Cemetery, where the soldiers that died on Omaha Beach during D-Day are buried. He said it was a somber experience.
"When you see the cemetery, know that all those young men buried there gave up their lives for something that didn't have anything to do with them, it's humbling. Each cross stood for one young boy, because that's what they were," Harry said. "They're the true heroes that gave everything. I don't think I'm a hero."
For Kevin, he said he sees that attitude from other veterans from the same era as his parents. During the ceremony in Normandy, five veterans were awarded the French Legion Medal of Honor and later that day, Harry and Kevin encountered someone who told Harry he deserved the medal too, but he declined.
"That's the same feeling these men have about the war, about their stories. It's not a false humility, it's not an affectation. They truly don't feel special, they were just there to do a job, but they did extraordinary things," Kevin said.
So when Harry can share his stories from the war, when he had to hide from German patrols for three days after he was forced off his plane, or when his crew helped transport the sick and wounded survivors of a concentration camp, it means a lot to Kevin.
A bond forged through service
When he got the chance to interview Harry, Michael Thomas said he was excited.
"This man is my hero. I was almost starstruck, talking to this man who helped ensure I had the chance to do what I do so many years ago. That's the point of Guardians, to honor those people that history has overlooked, people like Harry, who had to make hard choices to survive. Veterans like Harry have a wealth of knowledge that needs shared," Thomas said. "Plus, once they realize they're speaking to a veteran, that Guardians is a veterans-to-veterans conversation, they know they can trust us, we're united through our service."
For many veterans, Thomas said, and even families or loved ones of veterans, it's difficult to adjust when they return home. Too often, Thomas said, instead of sharing stories or traumas, there's just a need to change the subject, a need to pacify in the short-term.
"It's hard for everyone to realize that things have changed during the time the veteran was serving. It's not possible to just go back to the way life was before. And even if they weren't the ones wearing the uniform, it can't be said that the families of veterans weren't also faced with their own trauma. So it's easy to understand why there's a feeling of needing to get back to normal, instead of opening up and sharing," Thomas said.
"That's what the Guardians project can accomplish, allowing people, even family members, to get to know more about the veterans' experiences and getting to know them beyond just the uniform they wore. It adds a layer of understanding to them," he said. "It also provides a place to process what happened: when you're serving, it's mission to mission to mission. Guardians offers a space to share stories with someone who's lived that lifestyle."
Thomas said the ultimate goal for the project is a traveling exhibit, with a display for each soldier or service member, then a place to listen and watch their story. Harry is the first soldier interviewed, Thomas explained, and there are still spaces available for any veteran, from any campaign.
"Right now, we're going to prioritize veterans of older wars, just because they are less available than other soldiers, and we need to ensure we get their stories captured," he said. "Our goal is to get 45 veterans done this year, so we've got 44 more slots. If there is a veteran willing to speak, or even a family member looking for more information, they're more than welcome to reach out to us by e-mail or by phone."
The e-mail to contact the Guardians Never Forget project is "team@guardiansphotoproject.com" or they can be reached by phone at 614-957-3942.
For the Diehl family, sharing Harry and Annie's experiences with GNF seemed like the right thing to do. Harry said one reason he decided to speak with Thomas was to remember history, the impact of what the second World War meant to the world.
"Before Pearl Harbor, it felt like an ordinary conflict, then the attack came. And when we could see the aftermath, that's what made it clear it wasn't like anything else we'd seen. I was fine with sharing my story, but I'm not sure what people will get out of it or what they might say," Harry said.
Kevin said he thought the GNF idea is terrific.
"I hope it can pick up and gain more traction, it just seems like a natural exhibit that people would want to see. I hope other veterans can see my mom and dad's example and come share what they learned. I know some people might be reluctant, but it's a big part of history. As the years have gone on, the importance of what those soldiers and service members did builds," Kevin said. "They might not have realized it then, but they were doing very important work. I hope more World War II vets can be recognized, and I'd really hope to see more Korean War vets remembered."
blawlis@gannett.com
740-681-4342
@BarrettLawlis
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The Link LonkMay 31, 2021 at 03:30PM
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Guardians Never Forget series will capture and share veterans' stories - Lancaster Eagle Gazette
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