LJT Veteran Affairs

Veterans Affairs Program

For more than 20 years, Liberty Jump Team has been committed to bringing America’s Veterans back to the places where history turned on their courage. Since the program began, we have escorted over 140 Veterans—from World War II to the newest generation of service members—back to the battlefields, towns, and villages that shaped their wartime experience.

Today, the Veterans Affairs Program is led by Director Dale Lindley, continuing the vision established by longtime director and Liberty Jump Team founding member Peter Plank. Their shared mission remains unchanged: to honor our Veterans by reconnecting them with the people and places that remember their sacrifice.

Our Mission

The Veterans Affairs Program was created to take WWII Veterans—and now Veterans from all eras—back to Europe and other significant locations around the world. For our WWII Veterans who are still able to travel, we provide personalized support, including escorts when needed, to ensure they can make the journey safely and with dignity.

We work closely with our trusted partners, including the US–Normandie Association and Veterans Back to Normandie, who help coordinate host families and local support. These organizations have become cherished friends, dedicated to caring for our Veterans during their visits.

Thanks to the generosity of sponsors and donors, Liberty Jump Team has been able to provide these life‑changing trips at no cost to the Veteran.

A Legacy of Return, Remembrance, and Reunion

The impact of these journeys is profound. Veterans walk the same streets they once liberated, meet families who still remember them, and reconnect with stories that shaped their lives.

Some of the most unforgettable moments include:

• Harry Hoots, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, returned to Normandy for the 60th anniversary of D‑Day. In the village of Quettehou, he was reunited with the French girl—now an elderly woman—who had treated his grenade wounds in 1944. Her handwritten sign with “Hoots” had been part of village folklore for decades.
• Jake McNiece, one of the original “Filthy Thirteen,” traveled with Liberty Jump Team to Normandy and Belgium, visiting the monument in Brévands that honors his unit’s legacy.
• Earl Geoffrion revisited the villages his unit liberated. In one, he met a man who remembered bringing bread and apples to American soldiers as a child. Earl also reunited with the grave of a close friend at the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach.
• Gene Gilbreath returned to Noville, Belgium, where he had been wounded by a sniper. With the help of Belgian historians, we located the barn where his squad carried him after he was hit.
• In 2017, Joe Glawson (9th Infantry Division) and Jim Carroll (9th Air Force) returned to Belgium for the first time since the Battle of the Bulge. Board Member Peter Plank and his wife Linda escorted them through commemorations hosted by the grateful Belgian communities they helped liberate.
• In  2026, Elias Hernandez and Dave Marshall who served with the 84th Infantry Division, 334th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion, M Company visited Normandie, accompanied by Peter and Dale.

These stories—and many more—are the heart of our program.

Honoring the Greatest Generation, Supporting the Next

We know the day is coming when our WWII Veterans will no longer be able to make these long journeys. Until then, we remain fully committed to escorting them back to France, Holland, Belgium, and beyond.

At the same time, Liberty Jump Team continues to expand our mission to include post‑9/11 Veterans and the newest generation of service members, ensuring that the bond between liberators and the communities they freed continues into the future.

We are deeply grateful to our donors, partners, and European friends who give so generously to honor America’s Veterans. Their support makes every reunion, every handshake, and every moment of remembrance possible.