Retrace. Footsteps. Veterans.

I just completed working with Footsteps Researchers to trace my father, Frank E. Parsons, on his World War II journey through Europe. My father never really wanted to talk much about the War, but I knew it was a big thing for him. The information Footsteps Researchers found and documented was far greater than I ever expected it to be! It was extremely emotional for me and my siblings yet so incredibly rewarding. I now have an extremely detailed set of documents of where my dad was, the dates, what was happening, and more about his involvement in the different battles he fought. If you had/have a relative who served in Europe during WWII and have ever had any questions of what, where, when, how, etc., you owe it to yourself to take this project on: you will not regret it. My only warning is that it can be very emotional.

To make a long story short, Joey’s dedication and research knowledge were beyond my wildest dreams. He had not only uncovered the exact location of my cousin’s death but, in addition to that, discovered the cause of death (which was a mystery at first) and the exact house in which my cousin Willard was killed in. The house is still standing today, and Joey even drove hundreds of miles in order to obtain pictures of the house. The case was especially sad since it involved not only the death of Willard Meek but also the deaths of many of his Company A companions of the 312^th Engineer Battalion. The details finally came to light after 70 years. There was closure for many families thanks to Joey’s passion and expertise in uncovering WWII history.

I loved the footsteps trip that Myra organized for me and my family! It was so personal and worth every penny. We just followed her like ducks and didn’t have a thing to worry about. Not only were we in the area where my father had been, but we were also able to see some of the actual buildings associated with his position…like a French farmhouse that was used as a command center for his field artillery battalion in the early stages of the war and a church bell tower in Méautis, France. This was where he and two of his men used the bell tower as an observation post only to have the enemy spot them. My dad used the bell ropes to quickly slide to the ground. My daughter and I stood on the spot where he landed.