Eighty-two years after fighting for freedom
Simon Gurdal and George Sarros met on February 28, 2026, two heroes of the WWII European theatre of 1944. Their stories are connected in history and geography. Simon was born November 8, 1926, in Verviers, Belgium. George was born in Chicago on April 17, 1925.
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).
George and Simons war time roles were connected.
The Allied troops fought their way north through France toward the goal of crossing the Rhine River into Germany. Their prize would be Berlin. Joining those Allies in September in the north was the Belgian Brigade Piron. These were soldiers from Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Jean-Baptiste Piron of the 1st Belgian Infantry Brigade2,200 soldiers.
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 Gurdals 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 Germanys 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 commonthey 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 wouldve 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.
Painful side of war
The twoveteransalso recounted the painful side of warSimon of his injuries, the soldiers from his foxhole who were killed, and the boys from his Boy Scout troop from Verviers who didnt return home. George told of his and his shipmates frantic attempt to rescue hundreds of sailors in the dark, cold English Channel when their LSTs were torpedoed during a training exercise in April 1944. They could only save around 100 out of 900 from the water. Bothveteranshad tears in their eyes as they shared these sad memories.
As they said goodbye, their parting messages were, I want to talk with you more. Lets meet again soon.
The WWIIveteransshared 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