Did you know that for one WWII veteran, a day to give thanks for 'one more sunrise'?

COL Mikel J. Burroughs — Thu, 26 Nov 2015 09:36:28 -0500

Did you know that for one WWII veteran, a day to give thanks for 'one more sunrise'?

Great story for this Thanksgiving Day! RP Members a day to give. This WWII Veteran is still giving!

Graff brings messages of both war and peace to the students he meets; he says he understands why his war was so important, but also wants to convey how devastating war can be. It's a truth that spans generations, one that is relevant now as conflicts rage worldwide even if their nature has changed.

"I remain as patriotic and committed to our country today as I was then, but I also have no illusions about the glory of war," Graff wrote in his diary earlier this year. "I can only hope and pray for peace and a time when no young people must face the horrors of war, wherever it may be."

http://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/for-one-wwii-veteran-a-day-to-give-thanks-for-one-more-sunrise-1.380548

On Thanksgiving Day in 1944, Dick Graff opened his Army-issue mess kit and took comfort in his turkey and mashed potatoes, a welcome respite from the brutal battlefront near Weisweiler, Germany.

As a soldier with the 104th Infantry Division, the 20-year-old who grew up on a hog and cattle farm in Iowa was grateful for the hot meal a world away. Things had changed in the few weeks since he had narrowly survived his first combat experience.

The night mission had called for Graff and the other U.S. troops in his unit to maneuver through a forest, and as they moved, German artillery shells began to quake the earth around him. The bombardment seemed endless. The Army had trained him how to fight and how to shoot machine guns, but the terror of facing enemy fire was like nothing he could have imagined.

"I was not sure I was going to live until morning," Graff said in an interview this week at his home. "I prayed to God for one more sunrise."

He saw another dawn on that distant November day. Just as he has for almost 26,000 mornings since.

Graff lived through six and a half months of combat in Europe, married his Iowa State University sweetheart, raised a family and had a fulfilling career as an engineer in the Washington region.

For one WWII veteran, a day to give thanks for 'one more sunrise'

Since the end of World War II, Dick Graff has found purpose sharing his vivid recollections to thousands of school children during classroom visits and talking about war and the meaning of being thankful. "Maybe that's why the good Lord has seen fit to give me so many more sunrises — to keep talking to the kids," he said.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Nov 26 at 2015 9:51 AM

LTC Stephen F. — Thu, 26 Nov 2015 09:51:52 -0500

No COL Mikel J. Burroughs I did not know that Dick Graff who is a WWII veteran, gives thanks for a day to give thanks for 'one more sunrise.'
Thanks for sharing a poignant story and a great testimony of true thankfulness.

Response by MAJ Alvin B. made Nov 26 at 2015 10:34 AM

MAJ Alvin B. — Thu, 26 Nov 2015 10:34:58 -0500

The Outstanding spirit of the Greatest Generation.