101st Airborne Division Website
Ever since I was a child, I've had the highest respect for our military veterans, especially those who served in World War II.
My grandfather, Harry Hubertus Gulikers, was a Lieutenant in the Royal Netherlands Army before and during the war. He was a close friend to Prince Bernhard and served Queen Wilhelmina, ultimately helping the Royal family escape the Nazis on May 10, 1940.
More will be written about my grandparent's involvement in the war efforts and their experiences later, but this is key as to why this new website exists.
My father, Jim Dalman, served in the United States Army for 13 years. He was an artilleryman and electronics specialist who worked on some of the very first missiles built at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama, in addition to helping with projects for NASA.
His childhood love and passion for World War II is another reason my interest in the military grew and this website exists.
Then there are the World War II Veterans themselves.
Over the past 20 years, I've befriended dozens of amazing men and women who made the commitment to rid our world of global tyranny and to protect the very freedom we enjoy in this country today.
I'm honored to have met and spent time with so many men who fought against the Axis powers in places like Tunisia, Sicily, Normandy, Eindhoven, Bastogne, Kaufering, Pearl Harbor, Bataan, Midway, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.
Additionally I've also known many amazing people who were in Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Regardless of when or where they served, I appreciate them all.
Yet the Greatest Generation will always hold a special place in my heart, especially those who were a part of the 101st Airborne Division.
It's because of them I am alive today.
Several years ago when I attended the 75th anniversary of Market Garden, I made a promise to each and every one of the WWII Veterans I met – that their sacrifices and legacies would not be forgotten as long as I lived.
Of course this is no simple task due to the scope of that war!
Plus I had no idea how I could honor that promise outside of posting memories and experiences on social media, which eventually will get lost or buried due to the nature of how these platforms work.
Having been a web designer and content creator for 15 years, it finally dawned on me that I could easily create a website that should stand the test of time, becoming a priceless vault of information.
But there are also two major challenges to this:
- I am no historian or researcher. This means I will need the help of other historians and WWII Veteran family members to make this a reality.
- I cannot focus on everyone. This is the hardest pill to swallow because there are so many men and women who deserve to be honored.
Since I have many colleagues and friends who've spent decades researching the 101st Airborne and getting to know these men, as well as my family history in Operation Market Garden, it makes sense to focus my efforts here.
The 101st Airborne Division has an incredible history. My hope is bringing people together to collaborate on this very special project in order to honor the men and women known as The Screaming Eagles!
Over the next several weeks this website will start to grow and be populated.
My goal is to have tons of content, videos, and resources posted by the 80th Anniversary of Market Garden. I'm also talking with other historians about contributing their priceless research here.
In the meantime, you can subscribe for free to receive emails about new content and updates.
Finally, if you'd like to honor the memory of someone you knew who served in the 101st Airborne, I will provide you with that opportunity as well.
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