Patriot Stories
Chapter 1919’s Patriots are combat wounded veterans from every battlefield (or at least every theatre of operations) where American troops have fought, from the first shots fired in WWII up to the present time. The personal experiences of these veterans are individually interesting and collectively awesome. Their stories, strung together, would be a wonderful part of American History. Biographical Sketches of some of our nearly 600 chapter members start on this page.
The Purple Heart is awarded for sacrifice, not for heroism; however, many who receive it were doing heroic service when wounded.
Famous or not, proud of them all, Chapter 1919 is looking for more combat wounded veterans to sign up!
Patriot Stories By Service
Most Recent Patriot Stories
From Our Newsletter
FLOYD E. BENNETT
Floyd was wounded in the European Theatre during WWII, but his favorite recollection is that of his personal postwar encounter with General Douglas MacArthur. Floyd E. Bennett was born in 1924 in Livingston Parish, Louisiana where he spent his growing-up years and...
JAMES M. INKS
This B-24 Navigator, shot down over German occupied Yugoslavia when returning from a bombing raid to Ploesti, Romania joined up with General Mihailovichs Chetniks and kept detailed notes on the experience. When he published his book in 1954, EIGHT BAILED OUT, it...
JOHN STAVAST
John is a veteran of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. His experiences could fill a book, but, this article will only detail one very moving experience that he had in France with the infantry in WWII, and a few facts about his nearly 6 years as a POW during the war in...
GEORGE MIGL – ARMY – WWII
George has been a life-long resident of Fayette County except for his WWII service. This veteran 84th Infantry Division, Railsplitter, went through the Battle of the Bulge and was later wounded in Germany. George I. Migl was born in Fayette County, Texas in 1919 and...
GRANVIL RAY G.R.” WILLIAMS
Granvil Ray Williams was born in Big Spring, Texas in 1919. When he was very young, his family moved to San Antonio where he spent his "growing-up" years. He enlisted In the Navy in December 1939. He was sent by train to San Diego, California for basic training. He...
JAMES W. FARMER, SR. – Army – WWII
Jim Farmer was a cavalry trooper in George Pattons command before WWII and he had personal interactions with him almost daily for several years. They were together again from the close of the war in Europe up until the month before the General Pattons death. Jim did...
CARL E. VOTTI – ARMY – Korea
Carl E. Votti was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1924. After graduation from High School, Carl enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia where he had a scholarship to play on the football team. While downtown one day with a friend, Carl saw a...
WILLIAM A. (BILL) BRANT – Army Air Corps – WWII
"A Lieutenant Meets General George S. Patton, Jr.", a story in Bill Brants own words. I had not met General George S. Patton, Jr., until one day in mid-July 1943. But, on that day I met all six feet of him, and more. Actually, as he peered down at me from a standing...
MELFRED FORSMAN – NAVY – WWII
Few veterans of any service in any war have endured the extreme cruelty and brutality of the Japanese POW camps and yet survived to share their story. This was Melfreds experience. On April 18, 1939, Melfred Forsman left his home in Iowa Falls and enlisted in the...
VICTOR D. MASSAGLIA – ARMY – Vietnam
In 1967, this new Second Lieutenant, fresh out of OCS, took over command of an Infantry Company the hard way, when his Captain was killed in action. In 1972, as a helicopter pilot on his second tour of duty in Vietnam, Captain Massaglia's daring rescue of five...
HAROLD J. MARBURGER – Army – WWII
Harold was one of the last men wounded in action in WWII, just before the Atomic Bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As a teenaged college student, he might not have had to serve at all, had he not insisted that the draft board answer his questions about his...
PAT McCASLIN – ARMY – Vietnam
In 1970 Colonel Pat McCaslin was transferred to Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, where he flew an OB-10 light attack plane. He was the commander of a flight supporting Operation Prairie Fire, which, when needed, grew up to 2 CH-53 helicopters and 4 A-1E Skyraiders in addition...