MACOMB, Ill. — When former Muscatine resident  Herman Griesenbrock learned the people of France wanted to honor him for his role in the liberation of their country during World War II, the deep sadness he tried to bury with his fallen comrades resurfaced.

But thoughts of the fellow soldiers he had lived with, worked with and lost  in the war filled his mind in late April as he read the letter from the Consulat General De France.

A Legion of Honor Ceremony for Griesenbrock and 10 other Midwestern veterans was scheduled for July 21 at the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago.

 “I had mixed emotions. Do I leave it go, or do I accept it?” Griesenbrock recalled Monday, as he spoke from his home in Macomb, Ill. “So, I talked to the family.”

His family encouraged Griesenbrock to attend the ceremony where he accepted the French Medal of Honor.

Griesenbrock was drafted into the U.S. Army and entered the service in September 1943, months  after graduating from Muscatine High School.

He and his high school sweetheart, Frances Parsons, also of the MHS Class of 1943, discussed marriage before he left, but Herman wanted to wait, said Frances recalls, because he knew there was a chance he would be killed or significantly injured in the war.

Frances said Herman’s family included her in the wait for his return. He was wounded twice, and each time his family received a telegram they shared it with her.

Herman, a member of the 378th Infantry Regiment of the 95th Infantry Division, participated in many campaigns during WWII, including Northern France, Ardennes and the Rhineland.

His military awards  include the Purple Heart Medal with an Oak Leaf Cluster, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the European, African, Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon with three Bronze Battle Stars, the Good Conduct Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.

He returned from the war determined to concentrate on the future.

Frances said she and Herman married in 1945, shortly after he returned to Muscatine.

In 1950, the Griesenbrocks moved to Macomb, Ill. Herman completed his doctorate from Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., in 1955 and  became a professor at Western Illinois University.  He said he strived to make a good life for his wife and their daughter, Lois Ann Dively.

“We’ve had a wonderful marriage,” said Frances.

The Griesenbrocks have two grandchildren, Jon and Timothy Dively and four great-grandchildren.

Their daughter teaches honors English at Macomb High School.

They still visit Herman’s cousin Evelyn Schauland in Muscatine and attend their high school reunions, which Frances says take place nearly every other year.

Now that he’s placed 64 years of hope and joy between the war and the present, Griesenbrock can finally speak of the men he will never forget with emotion he no longer tries to conceal.

“For 60 some years, I hardly considered any experiences from the war,” said Griesenbrock. “Your heart goes out to the people you served with, but you put it behind you because of the obvious unpleasantness we all participated in.”

He’s grateful to the people of France for remembering the contribution the United States made to their country in WWII, but Griesenbrock’s heart still aches for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

“There were people I lived with and fought with and cared about,” he said.

“But they didn’t make it back home. They couldn’t participate in that ceremony.”

Details

French Medal of Honor

In an effort to recognize the outstanding deeds accomplished by American soldiers during WWII, the French Republic began awarding its highest distinction to American WWII veterans in 2004.   Created by Emperor Napoleon in 1802, the Legion of Honor Medal recognizes services of highest achievement rendered to France.  It is a symbol of gratitude for the honoree’s invaluable contribution to the liberation of France during World War II.