KENT COUNTY, Mich. — As we mark 80 years since the World War II invasion of Normandy, also known as D-Day, one West Michigan volunteer is helping to make sure we know the stories of the fallen.
Jodi Block of Grand Rapids is a volunteer researcher with Stories Behind the Stars. She told 13 ON YOUR SIDE, “WWII happened so long ago. This is the 80th anniversary of D-Day. There are very few of these veterans left.” She also said, “Soon, it’s just going to be all cemetery plots with flags on and we need to take the time to take the time to remember those who came before us so that we can value what we have today. There won’t be anyone left to tell the stories.”
Stories Behind the Stars is a national organization.
“The name comes from the reference to our Gold Star families,” said Block. “In World War I and World War II, if you had a family member serving, they would put a banner in the window with a blue star and if that person died serving, they would change it to a gold star.”
The group is collecting the stories of the roughly 421,000 Americans killed during World War II.
“We are going to write a little online memorial for each person. We’ll have a picture, who they were, when they were born, what their homelife was like, what unit they were in, how they died,” said Block.
Already, about 50,000 have been complete.
“We’ve got all of D-Day done, all of Pearl Habor, all the women and all of Arlington National Cemetery,” said Block.
“I got started doing family tree history through Ancestry,” she said, expressing she has a passion for the work. “Once you get in it, you get addicted to it. You’re like a detective putting together the pieces and that’s fun.”
She’s a Grand Rapids native and the daughter and granddaughter of men who served.
“My dad was a Vietnam War veteran and his dad served in WWII in the Pacific Theater. So, I do this to honor them and to honor their friends who didn’t come home,” said Block.
13 ON YOUR SIDE was there as she placed flowers on her father’s grave alongside her mother at the veterans cemetery on Monroe Avenue. Now, she shares the stories of other who served.
“2,502 Americans died on D-Day. 86 of those were from Michigan and two were from Kent County,” said Block.
“Two months after Pearl Harbor, he got married. Four months after that he enlisted, which a lot of guys did. ‘Let’s get married before I go off to war.’”
Sgt. Reverski trained as a radio operator on a C-47 Skytrain as one of the first parts of the invasion before the beach landings, hoping to get troops behind enemy lines.
“It went down with all four crewmen and 17 paratroopers onboard, crashed into the Normandy countryside and there were no survivors,” said Block.
There was also Private Austin Nederveld.
“Private Nederveld was actually in the storming of the beaches on Omaha Beach, which was the deadliest beach of all the invasion points that day and if you’ve seen 'Saving Private Ryan', that’s what he was in,” said Block.
Two local heroes part forever part of American history.
Block explained this was, “The largest seaboard invasion in the history of the world.”
Stories Behind the Stars is also working on an app so that anytime you’re in a cemetery and come across the tombstone of a World War II soldier the app will direct you to that person’s picture, story and medals. It’s not clear when that app will be up and running.
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