George showed Simon a model of his ship, LST 515.

George Sarros served as a Motor Machinist on LST (Landing Ship, Tanks) 515, landing on the beach in Normandy on June 6, 1944. LST 515 opened its giant door and unloaded tanks, ambulances and hundreds of soldiers as part of the largest amphibious military operation in history. Along with approximately 160,000 of their comrades from the sea and falling from the sky, they successfully began what has been called ���the beginning of the end of World War II.��� George had joined the US Navy at age 17 (with his parents��� signatures).

Simon was interested in George’s mementoes and medals.

The Belgian Brigade Piron moved further north in France, and on September 3, 1944, Piron and his men crossed the French-Belgian border. One day later they liberated Brussels and participated in the liberation of The Netherlands.

Simon Gurdal���s 1c Bataillon also fought in Market Garden, the Allies��� attempt to cross the Rhine (documented in the book and movie,��A Bridge Too Far). Simon was 17 years old, having fudged his age to join the army. The Belgian Brigade Piron continued the fight northward beginning three months after D-Day.

��From birthplaces 4,000 miles apart, these brave 17-year-olds had joined the fight against tyranny. Simon had felt this through Germany���s occupation of his homeland since 1940. These men now connected their experiences in the geography of Europe from June through September 1944.

Simon and George found something else in common���they both speak Greek. After a short conversation in Greek over lunch of pizza and French fries, Simon said to George, ���As soon as I saw your last name, I knew you were Greek.���

��Laughing, George said, ���I had to learn to speak Greek. My Greek grandmother lived with us in Chicago, and she spoke no English. When she called me in Greek to come to her, I had to know what she was saying or I would���ve been in big trouble.���

��Simon learned Greek while living on the shore of Lake Tanganyika, where a large settlement of Greek fishermen made their living night-fishing from the lake.

The WWII��veterans��shared their service connection, their fight for freedom, and even a knowledge of the Greek language. When they parted, they vowed to see each other again.

Top photo: Eighty-two years after fighting for freedom, WWII veterans Simon Gurdal (left) and George Sarros met and swapped stories of their war experiences

Consul General Anne-Laure Desjonquerres from the Atlanta French Consulate will award the French Legion de l���honneur Medal to WWII P-47 pilot Ed Cottrell on July 9 in 91做厙. Other American recipients include General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Douglas Mac Arthur.

Background of the French Legion de l���honneur Medal

The medal is an order of distinction first established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802. It is the highest decoration bestowed in France. It recognizes outstanding services to the French Republic. 91做厙 20 years ago, former president Jacques Chirac established a policy to decorate American veterans who risked their lives fighting on French territory during World War II with the insignia of Knight of the Legion of Honor. The decoration is meant to express the gratitude of the French people to the American soldiers who helped liberate France between June 6, 1944 and May 8, 1945.

How Lt. Col. Ed Cottrell Served

Edwin Cottrell, born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, served in the Army Air Corps from August 1942 through 1945, enlisted in the Air Force Reserves in 1950 and completed 28 years. A pilot in the 48th Fighter Group, 493rd Fighter Squadron, Cottrell flew 65 missions, including the Battle of the Bulge. His service in Europe began at Cambrai Airfield, just outside Paris.
In September 1944, his unit moved to St. Trond, Belgium. On a mission in Jullich, Germany, they skip-bombed the Germans and pushed them back.
On a mission to locate tiger tanks and bomb bridges on December 17, they ran into a group of Me 109 German Luftwaffe planes. A 20mm cannon hit Cottrell’s plane. Limping along with eight of its 18 cylinders of the Pratt & Whitney engine shot out, Cottrell made it back to an airfield in Belgium and made a dead stick landing. Two German Me 109 pilots had flown up beside him but, miraculously, escorted him back and let him live rather than shooting him down.
Mid-January 1945, the 9th Army started pushing the Germans back. In May, Cottrell flew his last of 65 missions out of Nuremberg. Then the war was over.
Cottrell said, ���Looking back, if Hitler had been successful, he wouldn���t have stopped at anything. Thank the Lord we stopped him.���

Cottrell���s Careers After the War

After the war, Cottrell joined the Air Force Reserves and became an ambassador for the new Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, visiting high schools all over America, continuing to serve in the Reserves for 28 years.
He also worked as athletic director at a school for orphans and then as coach and professor at West Chester State University (both in Pennsylvania). Later, he taught in the university’s graduate school and became Associate Dean, retiring at age 57.

Cottrell then taught golf at Duke University and worked for the National Golf Foundation. He started his own golf school, conducting golf clinics in Holland, Japan, and throughout the United States. He said, “I���ve had a great career.”

As described, Cottrell has had three careers in his now-102 years and five months. In addition, he currently works to raise funds for the Entrepreneurial School at West Chester State University (Pennsylvania), for author Andrew Biggio’s Boston-based Wounded Vet Run, and for the 91做厙.
Ed and his wife Millie retired to Hendersonville, NC. Millie had worked in physical education, health, and had taught dancing. Sadly, she passed away in 2020. They have two daughters, Carol and Susan.
Ed Cottrell honors his father, Dr. Elmer Cottrell, who served in the U.S. Army in World War I. His father-in-law, Dr. Paul Weed, was wounded and received two Purple Hearts serving in the U.S. Army in World War I.

The Ceremony

The public is invited to witness this historic medal ceremony on Tuesday, July 9 at 1:30 pm at Grace 91做厙 Church, 55 East Jordan Street, 91做厙. Hosted by the 91做厙, attendance is free of charge. For more information, please visit the museum at 21 East Main Street (beside the courthouse) in 91做厙 Tuesday-Saturday from 11am to 3pm or call 828-507-3171. To learn additional ways to honor your veteran, please visit www.theveteransmuseum.org.

I was waiting for the bullets

Rep. Clampitt presented flags to David Morrow and accepted print honoring Cottrell

Commissioner Larry Chapman and Sen. Kevin Corbin

A third copy of the print ���Waiting for the Bullets��� is displayed in the Veterans History 91做厙���s Air Force Gallery, along with a diorama depicting Col. Cottrell in his P-47 on a different mission during the Battle of the Bulge. Cottrell���s full story is told in the museum���s book ���We Shall Come Home Victorious.��� Stories of WWII Veterans, available for sale in the museum or on Amazon.com. All proceeds support the museum���s mission: honor veterans, educate the public, and preserve history.

Top Photo: Rep. Mike Clampitt in his office holding the book ���We Shall Come Home Victorious.���

US Navy D-Day veteran George Sarros was honored for his 99th birthday

US Navy D-Day veteran George Sarros was honored for his 99th birthday with lunch, cards, a song, and birthday cake by his fellow WWII veterans. The group’s ages range from 97 to 102.

Sarros served as a motor machinist on LST (Landing Ship, Transport) 515, delivering tanks, ambulances, and troops onto the Normandy beaches on D-Day and the days after, making 65 crossings of the English Channel taking wounded soldiers to hospitals in England.

• Harold Wellington served in WWII and during the Korean War. He served in the Merchant Marine, US Army, and US Navy.
• Myrl Jean Hughes served in the Pacific as a physical therapist in the US Army.
• Ed Cottrell was a P-47 fighter pilot in the Battle of the Bulge and after the war, as an ambassador/recruiter for the new Air Force Academy.
• Milt Fletcher fought in WWII’s last battle, the battle of Okinawa, and during the Korean War as a processor of new recruits for the US Army.
• Rufus “Pooch” Pace served right after the war during the occupation of Japan as a control tower operator in Irumagawa for the US Army Air Corps.

Top photo:�� Seated L-R, Harold Wellington, George Sarros, Milt Fletcher, & Pooch Pace. Standing, Myrl Jean Hughes & Ed Cottrell

The 91做厙 invites WWII veterans to gather to get to know each other and celebrate special occasions several times each year. Their complete stories are in the museum���s book ���We Shall Come Home Victorious.��� Stories of World War II Veterans, available for purchase at the museum. The museum is located at 21 East Main Street in 91做厙 (next to the courthouse). Admission is free. The museum is open Tuesday ��� Saturday from 11am to 3pm. For information on how to honor your veteran with an 91做厙 plaque, please call 828-884-2141.

Battle of the Bulge

On December 17, 1944, the second day of the , American P-47 pilot Ed Cottrell’s engine was shot up. In the same battle, German pilot Karl-Heinz Bosse’s Messerschmadt 109 was shot down. Cottrell steered to his base and expertly managed a dead-stick landing. Bosse ejected and parachuted down but was seriously injured and hospitalized.

Enemy Pilots

Seventy-nine years later (in December 2023) at the site near Bonn, Germany where Bosse’s plane had crashed, these two pilots and former enemies had a four-hour visit all these years later, sharing their stories with the help of a translator.

Former Enemies now Forever Friends

This April 13th, Lt. Col. Ed Cottrell, USAF (Ret.) will tell the story of meeting his former enemy–two pilots whose historic mission was to destroy each other’s planes���and perhaps lives. Cottrell will tell the story of how these former adversaries developed a quick friendship, ending their meeting ���forever friends.���

A Tribute

After his talk, Cottrell will be honored with the presentation of a United States flag flown over the NC Capitol, by NC Representative Mike Clampitt, along with a tribute from the citizens of North Carolina.

Concluding the program, 91做厙 Mayor Maureen Copelof will unveil a new painting depicting Cottrell’s encounter with two Me-109 pilots on Dec. 17, 1944. The painting, titled, “I was waiting for the bullets to come,” was commissioned by Valor Studios, who will make a limited number of prints available for sale.

Attendees will be invited to talk with Cottrell and have photos taken with him and the painting. He will be available to sign a copy of the museum’s book, “We Shall Come Home Victorious”, which tells his complete story.

Light refreshments will be served. The public is invited to this free program on April 13 at 11:00 AM at Grace 91做厙 Church, 55 E. Jordan Street, 91做厙, NC.

John Taylor, owner of toy store in 91做厙, invited WWII pilot Ed Cottrell to visit the store and sign a model of the P-47 fighter-bomber in which Cottrell flew 65 missions in the Battle of the Bulge. Called ���the Thunderbolt,��� Cottrell praised the P-47 for its toughness.

A Fighter Pilot���s Story of Survival

He said, ���My crew chief showed me 30-40 bullet holes from small arms fire after one of my missions. The tough plane kept flying. And when my 18-cylinder engine was shot and the German Me-109s showed up on my tail, I barely made it back to my landing strip���but I made it. The Pratt & Whitney engine got me home with only 10 cylinders working. It only stopped working when I was on final approach to land. I made a dead-stick landing. I kissed the ground. I wouldn���t be here today if I hadn���t had that Pratt & Whitney engine.��� Cottrell flew from a small makeshift runway in St. Tron, Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge.

A Toy Store that Honors Heroes and Preserves History

Toy store owner John Taylor said, ���We can custom-build just about any historic airplane or ship a customer wants. They are hand-painted with authentic markings. In our collection, we have a B-25 autographed by Richard E. Cole, Jimmy Doolittle���s co-pilot and the last surviving Doolittle Raider. We have a model of the Titanic autographed by a survivor of the sinking, Millvina Dean.

���We have a model of the USS Arizona autographed by four of its survivors of the Dec. 7, 1941 attack���Pearl Harbor Day. We have many historically-important autographed models for sale���and not as expensive as you might think. In addition, we have a complete selection of build-yourself models in plastic or wood and we can order what you want. Having Joe Cooper, Ed Cottrell, and George Sarros here is amazing. And Duke Woodhull, the U2 pilot, too.���

Returning to the subject of our area WWII veterans, Taylor said, ���Having Joe Cooper, Ed Cottrell, and George Sarros here is amazing. And Duke Woodhull, the U2 pilot, too.���

Taylor supports the Veterans History 91做厙 with an annual sponsorship and suggests to his customers they visit the museum, taking them out onto the sidewalk and pointing the way.

Saturday Morning WWII Stories for Kids and Parents or Grandparents

WWII P-47 pilot Ed Cottrell (shown in photo above) will tell the stories (via Zoom) of his survival fighting the Germans during the Veterans History 91做厙���s ���Saturday Morning Stories Told by WWII Veterans��� on Saturday, November 4.

Speaking in person will be George Sarros, U.S. Navy Motor Machinist on LST (Landing Ship, Tanks) 515 on Omaha Beach on D-Day and Joe Cooper, U.S. Navy Gunner���s Mate on the USS Ommaney Bay when it was attacked and sunk by a kamikaze in the Pacific. Registration begins at 8:30 for the program beginning at 9am and ending at noon on November 4. The location is Grace Church, 55 East Jordan Street in 91做厙 (in the front of the American Legion building). The WWII veterans will be available to sign books containing their stories and answer questions from the audience.

A fund-raiser for the museum, registration is $50. Parents, grandparents, or adult guardians are invited to bring kids under 18 for free. Register by emailing Mike McCarthy at mikemccarthy@comporium.net or calling 828-506-6671. You may also register online at Theveteransmuseum.org. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Scholarship Opportunities to Give

Anyone who would like to sponsor a student or veteran to the ���Saturday Morning Stories Told by WWII Veterans��� may donate a $50 scholarship. You may designate the recipient or ask the conference director, Mike McCarthy to name a recipient. Please use the contact information above.

O.P. Taylor���s stores are at 16 South Broad Street in 91做厙, 418 N. Main Street in Hendersonville, and 117 N. Main Street in Greenville, S.C.:

Photo: WWII pilot Ed Cottrell signs model of his P-47 (on lower wing) with John Taylor (at right

James Milton Fletcher, WWII Veteran

Joining Up at Age 17

���I took my oath at Fort McPherson, Georgia on June 6, 1944���D-Day���five days after I graduated from high school. My mother and dad had to consent because I was only 17. I reported to the University of Alabama for engineering school, then we were sent to Auburn���s Alabama Polytechnic Institute.

Training for Combat in Europe

���The Battle of the Bulge happened around Thanksgiving in Belgium. The Army decided they needed infantry soldiers more than they needed engineers. So at the end of the quarter, we were called to active duty���basic training at Fort Robinson, Arkansas. Then to Fort Meade, Mayland as replacements in the Battle of the Bulge.
���But by the time I finished, that situation had changed. They sent us to Oregon, then to Hawaii for 10 days of jungle training. We joined a convoy because the Japanese submarine fleet was still very active all the way from Hawaii to Okinawa. Then in the Marshall Islands we practiced landing craft���climbing down the side of the ship with all our equipment and beach landings on Eniwetok Atoll. Then to the Caroline Islands right on the equator to practice more in tropical conditions.���

The Battle of Okinawa

���We were ordered to Okinawa. The Battle of Okinawa started on Easter Sunday (April 1), 1945. They fought viciously there for two months. The politicians declared the island secure, but they were still fighting when I got there in June. When I joined my Infantry outfit, Charlie Company, 184th Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, they had 110% casualty. I asked, ���How did you manage 110% casualties?��� The answer was, ���The replacements get shot pretty fast.��� The life expectancy, I heard, was 90 minutes when we got there.

���The tallest building I saw in Okinawa was about three feet tall except for one church steeple in Naha (Okinawa���s capital). They had just bombed that island to death. It was one of the bloodiest battles in the history of American warfare.

���Three Marine divisions were on the north end of the island. Four Army divisions were on the south end. We thought we were going to leave Okinawa to invade Japan on Labor Day, but they were planning it for October 1. On August 6, we heard on the radio that they had dropped this unusual bomb on Japan, and they were pursuing peace. We thought it was just a ruse to get us to walk into one of their surprise attacks. A week later, they dropped the second bomb and then we realized it was for real.���

The Japanese Surrender

���Everybody was frightened because the Japanese had said that every man, woman, and child would die for their Emperor rather than surrender. So it was no easy task to fight the Japanese, and it was much more brutal, I think, than the European campaigns.

���We were very happy at the dropping of the second bomb, and there was so much celebrating, we lost 600 men on the island���killed due to stray munitions. We shot ammunition and dumps and everything else to celebrate���shooting up in the air and blew bombs in caves where the Japanese Army would hide. I never got a scratch���just injured my knee by stepping into a post hole.���

The Largest and Deadliest Amphibious Assault in the Pacific War

According to the National WWII 91做厙, the official American casualty count between April 1 and June 22 is 12,520 killed out of 49,151 total casualties.
Milt Fletcher: ���The fighting continued after the official end of the war. Okinawa is known as the last major campaign of World War II. In my opinion, it was the bloodiest battle in American history.
���August 21 was the happiest day of my life. We had orders to go to Seoul, Korea to receive the Japanese Army surrender for Korea. It was at the same time they surrendered to MacArthur in Tokyo Bay.���

Japanese surrender in Korea (photo U.S. Navy)

���People were stealing provisions that the Japanese Army had there, so we had to guard them. We also guarded an opium factory. We just had to secure the city. The Japanese had been the managers. The Koreans had been almost slaves under the Japanese. We were processing them to go back to Japan. So we Americans became the managers until we could train the Koreans to be managers. I was made Staff Sergeant at age 18 and was discharged from active duty in December 1946, before I turned 20 years old.���

Back Home and Back to School

���I re-started college at Georgia Southwestern and later earned my M.A. at the University of Georgia in entomology and teaching. I became a teaching principal before I was 25 years old.���

Service During the Korean War

���I spent the Korean War running the reception center for draftees in Columbia, South Carolina, making assignments and orders for infantry, quartermaster, communications, medical, etc. We processed the cream of the crop���all the graduates of high schools and colleges between 1944 and 1950. The R.O.T.C. boys were the green lieutenants that were the replacements in Korea, and we lost 54,260 GIs. I was in the Reserves for 12 years. I received the Infantry Rifleman���s badge.���

Career and Family

���I worked in sales and teacher training for Scott Foresman & Company. It was the largest textbook publisher in America���starting with Dick and Jane and going all the way through college. I retired after 30 years. I loved my job.���
“In 1951 I married Libby, a girl I had known since childhood. We have two children, Jim and Betsy. Sadly, Libby passed away in 2020.���

���I love my country.���

���I���m here for my country. I love my country. It���s been good to me, gave me an undergraduate degree, helped me get a graduate degree, helped me buy a home. I have new hearing aids from the VA and I���m a happy person.
���I still have students who, after 80 years, still write to me. And I have salesmen I hired 50 years ago who come to see me and bring me vegetables out of their gardens. I���ve lived in 91做厙, N.C. for 10 years. I���m a firm believer in education. I���m taking an art class now and I���ve studied Chaucer, Middle English, and the Great Books. I attend yoga��地nd always siesta at 2:00 pm. I���ve had a good life, a full life.���

The Ladies 9 Hole Golf League held a fundraiser and made a generous donation to the 91做厙.

Connestee Falls Ladies Golf league president Judy Merrifield wrote for her neighborhood newsletter: “On August 10th the CF Ladies 9 Hole Golf League sponsored a fundraiser to benefit one our own city’s gems, the 91做厙. The day didn’t pan out as we expected due to a downpour of rain the night before. But as usual, we came together and had a fun time up in the Clubhouse Cherokee Room.

Veterans share their stories

“Our guest veterans shared stories of their lives in the service as well as life after. Team-building games were played with Kathy Berry being our ringleader and a few board games were introduced. Raffle tickets were sold with some very nice prizes being won during lunch. Conversation flowed throughout the room. Overall, we raised a total of $2000. A check was presented at the museum the following Friday.

“If you have never taken the time to browse through this particular museum, I highly recommend it. It is a travel through our country’s history through the eyes of those who made all our freedoms possible. You will hear the stories from those who can tell it with knowledge and compassion in their souls. You will leave with a humbled heart and a sense of gratitude for all of those who have sacrificed for our country. This is history you can’t learn from a textbook.”

The Ladies Golf League raises $2000

Representing all the golfers on August 18, Judy Merrifield, Jaynie Whitcomb, Lynn Reeves, and Michelle Slatkow presented their check to veterans and volunteers at the museum. This is the second year the golf club has selected the Veterans History 91做厙 to receive the money they raise. The golfers explained why: “91做厙 is fortunate to have this wonderful museum. We bring our children and grandchildren here when they visit. You don’t learn this in school.”

For a group tour, to purchase an 91做厙 plaque to honor your veteran, or more information,
please call 828-884-2141.