Becoming a Mortarman: 97-Year-Old Veteran Recalls WWII

Stepping back on American soil after the war ended was indescribable for Bruno Stanga: ‘No telling it really. You're just on air’

World War II veteran Bruno Stanga outside his home in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 3, 2019. Courtesy of Neil Thompson

COLUMBUS, Ohio—At 97, Bruno Stanga has a life chock full of memories. But none stand out so clearly as those from the battlefield in Europe 75 years ago, during World War II.

“Some of these stories are vivid in my mind. You never forget,” he said on Nov. 1, with his wife, Kay, also 97, sitting next to him.