The Xavier High School junior class was offered an opportunity to journey back in time with three of America’s unsung heroes. On Friday, March 3, Xavier was lucky to have the chance to host John Gualtier, a World War II veteran, along with Vietnam War veterans Dale Henry and Dennis Miller. These three veterans have traveled to many schools in Iowa to share their stories with students. Their mission is to encourage young people to enter the military and to teach lessons learned from their past experiences at war.

“What they’re telling us is so integral in preventing war and to helping us realize how terrible it is,” junior James Duggan said.

The two hours spent with the veterans focused primarily on Gualtier and his story. At 91, Gualtier, a bronze star recipient, remains active in the community and has completed almost 10,000 service hours at Veteran Affairs facilities. Although he is open with others about his story today, this was not always the case.

Gualtier was born and raised in Ohio, where he lived until he entered the military in 1944 at age 18. After being sent to Texas to complete basic training, Gualtier was assigned to be a medic stationed overseas. Gualtier worked in England, France, Germany, and Austria, and traveled through these countries primarily on foot. With so many injuries and so little help, Gualtier was often faced with the decision of which soldiers to treat. Those left untreated were inevitably going to die. He was exposed to more than just injured and dying soldiers during his time overseas.

In May of 1945, Gualtier and his medical squad were sent to a prison camp close to Mauthausen, Austria. Their job the first few days at the camp was to rescue living people from trenches full of the deceased.

“Oh my gosh, the smell, it was terrible,” Gualtier said. “To this day, I can sometimes still smell it.”

After being exposed to such turmoil and disaster, Gualtier was medically discharged from the military in 1951. Due to his experiences overseas at prison camps and in combat, he spent time in different psychiatric facilities up until the early 1990s. It was not until recently that Gualtier decided to share his stories with others.

“He had so much pressure and stress on him from his experiences,” Miller said. “I believe that sharing his experiences is therapeutic for him.”

While his time serving was riddled with heartbreaking events and lasting impressions, when asked if he would serve again, Gualtier’s answer was “absolutely.”

Even though the veterans spoke of events that happened up to 70 years ago, their stories serve as a reminder of the selfless sacrifice all veterans make and serve as inspiration to fight for peace.