"I am just a kid who loves history"

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2024 Bridge to History Ambassador Griffin.

"My name is Griffin. I am just a kid who loves war history but more specifically WW2. All my research has been done on my own time. School has not covered this part of our world’s history yet. I feel passionate about this time in history because it fascinates me,

I have several members of my family who proudly served in WW2. I have so many books on this topic I have spent many nights just looking at the pictures, reading, and rereading all my books. I got hooked on learning about the war when I was building the USS Missouri Lego, then I wanted to know more about the war and my grandpa started telling me stories. And I started doing my own research.

I was too little to know about the war when my great grandparents were alive. If I could go back in time, I would ask them a million questions. Going on this trip would give me the chance to talk to war heroes and hear their stories firsthand. I would love to see all the places I have read about in my books and may never get to see without this chance.”

If you would like to support the Bridge to History Program, you can make a tax-deductible donation here: www.bridge2history.com/donate

****Every dollar goes to the program and giving these incredibly bright children a once in a life-time educational experience.

Operation Meatball

Honoring Veterans & Connecting Them With the Youth of Today

"I feel like I have saved part of history"

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2024 Bridge to History Ambassador Jett.

"My interest in WW2 began when I was around six years old. My day came home from an antique store with an original US WW2 steel helmet that he had purchased for me. From that day on, my interest has turned into an obsession. We regularly spend weekends traveling and looking for any WW2 items both Allied and Axis to add to my constantly growing collection. Whenever we have someone new come over to our house, they never escape with out having to take the “tour” of my WW2 collection. Whenever I add something new to my collection, I feel like I have saved part of history and as long as I have it, it’s story can be told and it can live on forever.

There are many reasons I would love to be one of the lucky kids chosen. First, would be the amazing opportunity to see battlefields and sites that I have only ever read about and seen pictures of. Second, would be the chance to expand my knowledge of WW2 and learn about these events in greater detail and bring back what I have learned so that I can pass on and share that information with others around my community. While telling others about my experiences and what I learned while there, I may be able to spark an interest in someone else who may also come to love learning about history and WW2 as I do."

If you would like to support the Bridge to History Program, you can make a tax-deductible donation here: www.bridge2history.com/donate

****Every dollar goes to the program and giving these incredibly bright children a once in a life-time educational experience.

Operation Meatball

Honoring Veterans & Connecting Them With the Youth of Today

"To honor their memory"

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2024 Bridge to History Ambassador Logan.

My Name is Logan, I am 10 years old and live in Azle, Texas with my dad, mom and sister. My family is a military family and was raised by their values of integrity and respect. My dad is second generation military (his dad was in the Army.) and he is still in the Air Force as a First Sergeant. My mom is a third generation Air Force and served 10 years. Her grandpa enlisted in the Army Air Corps and during his basic training the Air Force was born in 1947.

History is my favorite subject in school, but I also enjoy reading and watching movies based on true stories like Pearl Harbor and Hacksaw Ridge. The reason I like to learn about WWII is because of the era of innovation from navy ships to the aircraft all the way to the Army tanks. I think it is really awesome how the world came to help the European countries that were being attacked by the Germans.

I know that the military veterans and civilians that experience D-Day and the war are passing, and I really want to hear their stories before they pass so I can share their stories. To honor their memory of the war and what they sacrificed not only on the beaches but also everything that everyone did to make the the world we have today.

If you would like to support the Bridge to History Program, you can make a tax-deductible donation here: www.bridge2history.com/donate

****Every dollar goes to the program and giving these incredibly bright children a once in a life-time educational experience.

Operation Meatball

Honoring Veterans & Connecting Them With the Youth of Today

Paratrooper, Toccoa, Currahee

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We just wrapped an incredible weekend in Toccoa, Georgia with the Bridge to History Ambassadors studying all things Paratroopers.

One of the key aspects of the B2H program is continued mentorship and investment into the community when they return from their trip to Normandy. This weekend kicked off our first official Bridge to History Stateside Program and it couldn’t have been better.

If you have ever watched the TV show Band of Brothers or read anything about Dick Winters and the 101st in Normandy, then I am pretty sure Toccoa has popped up on your radar at some point. Nestled in the beautiful back country of northeast Georgia, Toccoa during WWII was home to the 101st Airborne. This is where the soldiers trained to become Paratroopers. They hiked the infamous Currahee Mountain. And it was here they were forged into the fighting force that would become a helping hand to the liberation of Europe.

This past weekend, Bridge to History Ambassadors from 2022, 2023, and 2024 flew and drove in from all over the country to spend a couple of days learning about these brave men of WWII.

Sleeping in the rebuilt WWII barracks at the base of Mount Currahee (on the exact location of the original camp) the ambassadors and their parents had a packed couple of days. Here are a few highlights:

“3 Miles Up, 3 Miles Down”

After a great tour at the Camp Toccoa at Currahee Museum, the ambassadors embarked on the hike up the mountain. Historically, the paratroopers would run this mountain on almost daily basis regardless of weather conditions. In Band of Brothers it infamously depicts a spaghetti dinner followed by a rigorous run up the mountain. The outcome? Yes - what you are probably thinking is correct.

The B2H ambassadors were grateful to just be hiking the mountain minus the spaghetti dinner. And they performed it with gusto.

Honoring Our Veterans

Saturday afternoon WWII veteran Andy Negra joined the Bridge to History crew for lunch and a special “fireside chat” about his experiences with the 6th Armored Division in Europe during WWII.

Andy is two months shy of 100 years of age. His spirit is effervescent. His perspective on life beautiful. And the love he still carries for his late wife (of 72 years) is inspiring.

For well over an hour, he shared his stories of the war, starting off with his childhood during the Great Depression.

Andy had called me a few days before the trip and asked what the ages of the students in attendance would be.

“10-12” I told him.

“Good.” He said, “That’s the age I was during the depression. I’ll tell them a bit about that for starters. They can relate better being similar ages.”

Andy didn’t shy away from talking about Buchenwald Concentration Camp. With careful tact, he told the students what he saw and the impact it had on his 21-year-old self.

It’s important to teach kids about the realities of war in an age-appropriate way. Film makes war glamorous. It’s easy for a 12-year-old history buff to see the uniforms and the tanks and the firearms and get excited. This is natural.

But this is why we discuss all aspects of war. Good and bad. People forget the atrocities that happened in the concentration camps. And when you forget, you repeat. It’s never too early to start teaching the value of life and honor and integrity.

“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
— George Santayana, American philosopher (1863-1952)

Andy is a very special example of the character of the WWII generation. He is a national treasure. His life mission is to continue to educate the next generations about their legacy as Americans.

With his 100th birthday coming up, he told me that he just got his first passport last year. “I have 8 years left on it, so I plan on using it for the next 8 years.”

Our afternoon with Andy was a treat and a genuine honor. These boys will never forget it. I’d made my heart so happy to see the focus and attention they paid him (shout out to Winston who asked such superb questions it made Andy stop in his tracks with admiration).

Connecting Them With the Youth of Today

Connecting the Ambassadors to the communities and local veterans groups is a very important part of Bridge to History Program. It means that the students have to take what they learned and implement it in the real world.

Our last night in Toccoa, VFW Post 4346 welcomed us as their guests for the evening.

When I initially reached out to the VFW about having the kids come over and have dinner and meet some of the vets, Post Commander James Williams didn’t skip a beat. “Of course!”

Williams and VFW Auxiliary President, Li’el Cohen were our gracious hosts taking meal orders and chatting with the group. Several veterans of various wars also joined our students, mingling and sharing war stories. The collective life experience in the room was incredible and the couple of hours we shared with them was just the tip of the iceberg.

One veteran of Vietnam shared an incredibly moving story of his battle with PTSD and how he learned to overcome it rather than be overcome himself. Another Navy vet had us chuckling with laughter and admiration as he passed his Navy decorated prosthetic leg around for our viewing pleasure.

Eventually we had to go back to camp, but it was hard to say goodbye. Each of the little ambassadors expressed how much they had enjoyed the evening.

Everyone talks about Southern Hospitality, but I gotta say - there’s something just a little bit extra special about Georgia hospitality. When I first stepped foot in Toccoa 10 years ago - it felt like home to me. 10 years later, it still feels that way.

Throughout the entire weekend, the B2H ambassadors and their parents experienced the very best of Toccoa hospitality. They learned about the Paratroopers through the history they left behind, and the firsthand accounts of the Toccoa folks who grew up with those paratroopers when they returned for reunions. They hiked Mt. Currahee with gusto - “3 Miles Up, 3 Miles Down.” They honored the memory of Toccoa Paratroopers who had been killed in action. They met with veterans, heard their stories, took notes and listened with their whole hearts. The students even got to help out a little at Camp Toccoa at Curahee. And they went home with full and happy hearts.

My desire is that this weekend added to the flame of interest and excitement they carry for understanding our American history and legacy. I hope they will continue to read and study and come back to Toccoa. It’s a special town with a rich history. We have so much to learn from it.

I would like to thank Steve Latham, Brad Rettig, and Camp Toccoa at Currahee, Inc.. for hosting us in their World War II barracks at the base of Mount Currahee, the same location as the original camp! They have done a phenomenal job rebuilding the barracks and provided the ambassadors with a special tour and history lesson on the paratroopers that trained at Toccoa.

I’d also like to thank Dale Moseley, Brenda Carlan, Lyn Hack, Pat Turner and the Currahee Military Museum for making our afternoon visit to the museum with Andy absolutely perfect and always going above and beyond to give young people the opportunity to learn about the history of Toccoa.

And many many thanks to VFW Post 4346 for an absolutely delightful evening. We cannot wait to come back and share this experience with more Bridge to History ambassadors and their families.

Bridge to History is a program of OPERATION MEATBALL. To learn more, participate, or donate click here:

Operation Meatball

Honoring Veterans & Connecting Them With the Youth of Today

Bridge to History Day One: Churchill

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Bridge to History Day 1 ||

This morning, bright and early, the Bridge to History students arrived in London. For some of them, it was their first flight ever! We all fought off jet lag fatigue and dove into the world of World War II era London, starting off at the Imperial War Museum, carrying on to the Churchill War Rooms, and then dinner at The Admiralty with a very special guest, DDay Royal Navy veteran, Henry Rice.

Bridge to History is a scholarship program giving history loving preteens a hands-on experience studying World War II in the battlefields and beaches of Europe.

B2H is a program of Operation Meatball. If you would like to support B2H and help more students have this life-changing experience, visit bridge2history.com/donate or click the link below.