Back in the 1980s, I had the opportunity to work in a small Belgian town called Couvin. It was a sleepy and picturesque village where I could see France from my backyard, tour the local grottoes, or take a hike to the nearby town of Bruly-de-Pesche to inspect one of Hitler's bunkers. But one of my strongest memories stems from my last day there when a local man I had never met insisted on taking me and a visiting friend for a drink. Why? To thank us for what America had done during WWII. Never mind that we hadn't even been alive at the time; we were Americans and he was going to show his gratitude.

As an “Army brat,” I was moved to realize that there were people who still appreciated the contributions of what would eventually become known as the “the greatest generation.” But I am far from the only one to find herself on the receiving end of an unexpected kindness of this nature. What follows is Dr. Daniel Kortenkamp's tale of another spontaneous act of goodwill, as told in his own words.

Letters from Luxembourg
On Memorial Day, many of us spend time honoring those who have died. However, genealogists spend years researching, recording, preserving stories and pictures, and memorializing their ancestors.

I have been researching my ancestors for almost thirty years. In 1990, while attending the funeral of my wife's uncle, I met her ninety-nine-year-old great-uncle, Peter Fabricius. Visiting with him, I became curious about the ancestors of my wife, Janet Lang. Two of her ancestors–-Jean-Pierre Fabricius and Elisabeth Weber-–were emigrants from Luxembourg; however, I did not know their towns of origin.

In 1995 I placed an inquiry in a Luxembourg genealogy magazine asking for information about these ancestors. Soon after it appeared, I received a letter from Jean-Pierre Jung, who lives in Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg. He wrote in English and enclosed copies of records documenting the birthplaces and dates of my wife's two emigrant ancestors. He even included English translations. Over the next several days I received two more letters containing photocopied records and translations. I immediately wrote Mr. Jung thanking him for his research. I enclosed thirty dollars to cover his expenses, although he had not asked for money.

In Mr. Jung's next letter, he first thanked me for the “greenbacks,” and then commented on my sending him money:

“Thank you very much, but please, please do not repeat it in the future. I am not doing research for any material compensation. Take it as my small personal tribute to the sacrifice of those G.I.s who fought during the Battle of the Bulge for the freedom of Luxembourg's people, and of those many thousands buried in Luxembourg ground at Hamm near Luxembourg-city, with their General Patton of the 3rd Army. My joy is in giving service to a U.S. citizen.”

I was very moved that Mr. Jung would feel such gratitude fifty years after the end of WWII; and that he still would be trying to repay the American people for their sacrifices in liberating his country; and that I, who was only seven years old in 1945, was receiving this gratitude. Mr. Jung has helped me appreciate much more the sacrifices made by those who worked and fought to liberate Europe. But there is more to my Memorial Day story.

The Mayrose Connection
In the early 1960s I worked as an intern at the Veterans Administration Medical Center, Des Moines, Iowa. The Chief of Prosthetics was Cyril Mayrose. I knew that Mayrose was the first G.I. wounded in the liberation of Luxembourg. On September 9, 1944, Sergeant Mayrose was reconnoitering in front of the 5th Armored Division in Gen. George Patton's 3rd Army. He crossed the Belgium-Luxembourg border in an armored car and slowly approached the first Luxembourg town, the town of Pétange. As he came around a turn in the road, a German gun emplacement fired on his car, hitting it and starting it on fire. Sergeant Mayrose was able to crawl free, but lost his leg below the knee. After the war, Sergeant Mayrose was knighted by the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and a plaque was erected at the spot where he was wounded. I thought Mr. Jung would appreciate this story, so I sent him a copy of a “ Des Moines Register” article about Mayrose.

In his next letter, Mr. Jung began: “Dear Daniel, I remember the burned out armored car at the entrance to Pétange. During the Battle of the Bulge, I passed the wreck each day. I am born and raised at Rodange and fetched a jar of milk daily at the mill of Pétange.” He continued in his letter to say that he saw his first G.I. “at a road intersection near Boulaide on Sunday Sept. 10th at high noon.” That was the day after the attack on Sergeant Mayrose's armored car.

During the past year, Mr. Jung has sent more than one dozen letters and packages containing scores of documents and translations, including color photos he took of the former homes of my wife's ancestors.

These examples of Mr. Jung's gratitude, and his memory of Sergeant Mayrose's burned out armored car, inspired me to write a letter to Mayrose. Sadly, his wife responded that he had died several years ago. However, she wrote that it meant a lot to her to know that the sacrifices of her husband and other G.I.s were still remembered and appreciated by the people of Luxembourg.

Long live the memory of Sir Cyril Mayrose, and the memories of all those who have sacrificed and died for liberty. And long live Jean-Pierre Jung, whose thoughtfulness and generosity keeps alive these memories.

Is There Someone You Could Thank?
Dr. Daniel Kortenkamp's story reminds us that we should express our gratitude for those who have served our country every day and in any way. As the date we designate as Memorial Day in the United States approaches, please consider taking a moment to think if there's anyone in your life who might delight in an unexpected word, card, or other token of appreciation. The smallest of gestures goes a long way in reminding people that their contributions matter--even decades after the fact.

Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, co-author (with Ann Turner) of the recently released Trace Your Roots with DNA: Using Genetic Tests to Explore Your Family Tree, as well as In Search of Our Ancestors (from which this story is taken), Honoring Our Ancestors and They Came to America), can be contacted through www.genetealogy.com and www.honoringourancestors.com.

Details and links to upcoming events at www.honoringourancestors.com/schedule.html.

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