May 15, 2008 | Read Time: 1 minute
Photograph by the Greatest Generations Foundation
Growing up in his native Australia, Timothy Davis was exposed to stories of self-sacrifice and bravery in World War II from his great-grandfather and great-uncle, who both served with distinction during the conflict.
Four years ago, his interest in the era brought him to the commemoration services marking the 60th anniversary of the allied invasion of Europe, held near Omaha Beach, in France. Mr. Davis remembers being surprised that only about 350 American veterans of the war were there.
Mr. Davis, married to an American and living in Colorado, says he was deeply saddened and moved by the scene. He was also energized.
“There and then I got the idea to form an international charity dedicated to sending veterans back to the fields of battle free of charge,” he says.
The Greatest Generations Foundation — formed in 2004, in Denver — has since sent more than 700 World War II veterans overseas to visit the places where they fought (and where many a comrade died).
It costs $3,000 to send an American veteran to the battlefields of Europe, and as much as $5,000 to take one to a former war zone in the Pacific. Film crews accompany each trip to document the stories, emotions, and moments of healing that transpire. The charity’s $2.5-million annual budget largely comes from small foundations and individuals.
“My mission is to thank the American soldiers,” Mr. Davis says. “They are the ones who provided freedom around the world.”
Here, Stanley Tuhuski, a former prisoner of war, salutes the flag while visiting an American cemetery near Omaha Beach during a Greatest Generations trip.
