Born in 1925, George Ciampa had dreams of becoming a pilot, and with war looming he tried to enlist in the Army Air Corps, but was rejected due to poor eyesight. In November 1943 George was drafted into the 610th Graves Registration Company, a unit tasked with the grim detail of identifying and burying those US servicemen killed in action.

On June 6th, 1944, now serving with the 607th Graves Registration Company, Ciampa landed on Utah Beach in Normandy shortly after the initial waves. His first task was to recover the bodies of paratroopers who had mistakenly been dropped into the English Channel and who had drowned under the weight of their equipment.

He then began the gruesome task of recovering the bodies on the beach and collecting their personal effects to return to their families. After Normandy, Ciampa spent the next eleven months moving across Europe, processing bodies, both American and German. Ultimately the 607th would handle and bury about 75,000 persons. George's experience instilled into him a unique appreciation for 'the price of freedom,' which he has spoken on for decades.

Our friend George Ciampa passed away peacefully on January 3, 2024 at the age of 98.

Interview recorded on November 4, 2022

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