Daughter of WWII Soldier Finally Learns What Happened To Him, 80 Years Later
November 13, 2024

Gerri Eisenhauer’s father, Army Private William Walters, left for World War II before she was even born. In 1944, her family got his body back and a letter that stated he had died in France. It’s been a mystery ever since. They had no idea what had really happened to him, just that he had died.
It had to be heartbreaking growing up knowing your dad had died before he even got the chance to meet you, and even more so since no one really knew what happened. However, this daughter of a soldier always hoped she would someday find out the truth, even if it didn’t seem like she ever would.
“I just always wondered where he died, how he died, it was just a little part of a puzzle piece that was missing in my life,” Gerri told CBS Evening News.
The Daughter of a Soldier Received a Message From France About Her Father
RELATED: A Nurse Saved Her Life 35 Years Ago, Now, She is Surprising Her With a Visit
Gerri was at home in Syracuse, Nebraska, when she got a message from a small village in France. Gerri’s daughter, said, “We did not know he was their soldier too.”
The message was sent from Christophe Ligere, a French historian from Grez-sur-Loing in Central France. He had found Gerri’s father’s name in a diary of an eyewitness to his death and knew he had to find the family. He found the Walters family tree and an online obituary of another relative of Gerri’s. He was then able to leave her the message, helping her find out the answer to the biggest mystery of her life.
Gerri found out that in August of 1944, the American military was starting to liberate the village. Sadly, on that otherwise wonderful day, Private William Walters’ boat capsized while crossing the Loing River and going into town. He drowned at the age of 20. Although a tragic story, Gerri and her family had to be relieved to finally know the truth.
RELATED: A Kidnapped Boy Is Found After 70 Years and Reunited With His Family
The Family Was Invited To France
Christophe then invited the family to France to honor their shared hero and his sacrifice for the village and the people of France. Gerri traveled with her daughter, Jan, and her son, Allen. While there, she got to meet Marc Perrot, who was an eyewitness to her father’s drowning when he was just 13 years old.
"They went looking for him and found him," Marc explained. "They did a lot of things to try to revive him, but it didn't work." Marc was also able to show them exactly where they laid her father to rest before he was returned to the US.
“They covered him with flowers,” Gerri said. “It’s just amazing, the care that they gave him.”
Gerri then returned to her father’s grave for the first time since she received the answers she desperately wanted, feeling very much at peace.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Soldier's Surprise Homecoming Overwhelms Little Brother Leaving Him With Joy-Filled Tears
“So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” - John 16:22
WATCH: Daughter of a WWII Soldier Finds Out What Really Happened To Him
LISTEN: Iguana Hitches a Ride on a Garbage Truck in Tennessee | Dolly Parton Discusses Prayer and How She Prays Without Ceasing
h/t: CBS News
Photo Credit: YouTube/CBS Evening News
Today's Devotional
A Prayer to Cultivate Our Hearts for Spiritual Growth - Your Daily Prayer - May 16
Spiritual growth and a deeper connection with God come through intentionally seeking Him, reading His Word, relying on the Holy Spirit, and praying—practices that invite His presence and transform our hearts.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer to Cultivate Our Hearts for Spiritual Growth - Your Daily Prayer - May 16
Spiritual growth and a deeper connection with God come through intentionally seeking Him, reading His Word, relying on the Holy Spirit, and praying—practices that invite His presence and transform our hearts.
Past Stories
- Brothers Discover 1976 Message in a Bottle, Then Find the Man Who Wrote It
- California High School Discovers They Have 14 Sets of Twins in Their Graduating Class
- Paralyzed Pup Tyrion Finds New Life With a Doggie Wheelchair
- Autistic 8-Year-Old Boy Goes Missing, Found by Water Thanks to Quick Response
- Two Nurses Come to the Rescue of a Teen Girl in the Process of Being Kidnapped
- She Hired a Private Detective and Found the Sisters She Never Knew She Had
- Brave Man Jumps Into Water to Save Woman After She Was Attacked By Bull Shark
- She Was Going to Miss Prom After Breaking Her Back at a Trampoline Park, the Hospital Had Other Plans
- Mom Finds Hope After Tragedy, Hears Her Daughter’s Heartbeat in a Child Who Got a Second Chance
- 90-Year-Old Cancer Survivor Has Saved Over 10,000 Animals, and She’s Still Not Slowing Down
- First Responders Rescue 9-Month-Old From House Fire By Going Through Window
- Playful Black Bear Climbs Playground and Rides the Slide, Just Like a Kid
- Singer Michael Bolton Opens Up About His Aggressive Brain Cancer Diagnosis
- Brave 5-Year-Old Climbs 35 Feet Up a Tree, Firefighters Rush to the Rescue
- Woman Finds Her Father After Almost 28 Years — And Learns the Truth About Why He Left
- Woman Saves Her Late Son’s Best Friend’s Mom With a Life-Changing Donation
- An Indie Bookstore Asked for Help, What Happened Next Will Warm Your Heart
- From Teen Sweethearts to 80 Years of Marriage: ‘God Was So Good to Give Him to Me’
- WWII Veteran Celebrates His 101st Birthday and 75 Years of Marriage to His Loving Wife
- 88-Year-Old Korean War Veteran and Great-Grandfather Graduates From College
- One Year After Losing Boys in a Fire, Parents Find Light in the Form of a Beautiful Blessing
- They Dress Up As Disney Princesses to Bring Joy and Hope to Sick Children, and it's Amazing
- This Couple Parents Triplets and Foster Sons from Wheelchairs, and It’ll Leave You Inspired
- Two-Year-Old is Found By Rancher's Dog After Walking 7 Miles From Home
- Couple Reunites 15-Year-Old Blind Dog With Owners After Finding Her in the Wilderness
- He Saved Her Life in a Pool Accident Five Years Ago, Now They Are Engaged
- Actress Chrissy Metz Left Hollywood For Nashville and She Couldn't Be Happier
- Stranger Helps 81-Year-Old Waitress Who Couldn't Afford to Retire, Now Her Prayers Have Been Answered
- 49-Year-Old Melanie Barratt Becomes First Blind Woman to Swim the English Channel
- 9-Year-Old Boy Remembered By Teacher and Community After Being Swept Away By Flood Waters
- 16-Year-Old Heard a Family's Cries and Saved Them From a House Fire
- Family Grows From 4 to 8 Overnight After Welcoming Identical Quadruplet Daughters
- Little Girl With Autism Reminds Others of Snow White and Her Connection to Animals
- Candace Cameron Bure Shares Fantastic News That Former Co-star, Dave Coulier, is Cancer-Free
- Soldier is Reunited With the Dog She Served With While Deployed
- Her Grandfather Kept a Log of Every Memory He Had With Her Grandmother, and It's Precious
- This 30-Year-Old Feline Might Just Be the World's Oldest Cat
- Special Messages About Love From Kindergarten Class Displayed at Teacher's Wedding
- A Sneaky Brown Tree Snake Slithers Into An Oven in Australia, and Luckily Doesn't Get Cooked
- Florida Man Meets the Son Who Had Been Searching For Him For Almost 40 Years
- Four-Year-Old Sends Out a Message in a Bottle, Receives Reply Less Than Two Weeks Later
- Delivery Driver Saves Woman's Life After Double Checking When Something Didn't Seem Right
- Woman in Heels Stops Robbery at Convenience Store With Her Impressive Martial Arts Skills
- Man That Survived More Than 90 Days at Sea Thought About His Mother Every Single Day
- Quick Thinking 9-Year-Old Saves Choking Friend During Snack Time Emergency
- Video Store Owner Creates 'Christina's Corner' For a Long-Time Customer
- Texas Man Gets Married in the Hospital After Kidney Transplant
- A Bride to Be and Her Best Friend Have Plane to Themselves and Enjoy Every Minute of it
- Dogs Come to School to Help Comfort Young Students Affected by the Eaton Fire
- Toddler Braves the Dark to Save His Great-Grandma
Top Artists
Top Music Videos

Danny Gokey Danny Gokey's Powerful 'Open Up The Gates' Lyric Video

Oak Ridge Boys 'Jesus Is Coming Soon' The Oak Ridge Boys

Alabama Live Performance of 'Because He Lives' by Alabama

Oak Ridge Boys 'Because He Lives' Classic Performance From The Oak Ridge Boys

Colton Dixon 'The Other Side' - Colton Dixon Song For Lost Loved Ones
Blog
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.