Jack Yoches was born in April 1926 into a traditional Jewish family in the American town of Bayonne, New Jersey.
At the age of seventeen, he decided to enlist in the army to support the country that gave freedom to his family. He took part in the war combats mainly in France, Germany, but also Pilsen. After the war, he moved to Florida where he became the youngest hotel manager at the age of 26. He gradually worked his way up and became a successful real estate developer. When he died in December 2015, he had 14 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
The interview was recorded on 13 January 1998 in Aventura, Florida, USA.
Leo Hymas was born in February 1926 in Sharon, Idaho, USA, into a traditional Mormon family, professing the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He grew up on farms, then volunteered for the army.
He fought as a member of the 97th Infantry Division in France, the Netherlands, Germany, liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp, fought at Cheb and in Pilsen. When he retired, he moved to the State of Washington and pursued flying as a hobby. He died in September 2016.
The interview was recorded on 29 November 1997 in Issaquah, Washington, USA.
Johnnie Marino was born in June 1922 in Colorado City, Texas, USA. He first heard of some madman called Hitler who was running amok in Europe when he was learning the trade of tinsmith as part of Roosevelt's National Youth Administration program.
In 1940, he joined the army as a volunteer. He served in the light artillery and traveled through Europe from the invasion in Normandy where he landed, in the third wave, on the beach of Omaha, through France, Belgium, where he survived the battle of the Ardennes, to Germany. At the end of the war, he also liberated Pilsen. He returned to the United States in September 1945. He worked as a truck driver, gradually developing into a supervisor of South West Freight, a transport and logistics provider. He had five children and died at the blessed age of 93 in September 2015.
The interview was recorded on 17 April 1995 in Houston, Texas, USA.