WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st March, 2020) Timothy Davis, the president of The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation (TGGF), told Sputnik his plans to launch a program for American and Russian Cold War veterans where they would come together at the center in Normandy to recognize and acknowledge their service.
"My goal is to seek recognition for all Cold War veterans through veterans of other wars, including World War II, Korean, and Vietnam Wars," Davis said . "I am prepared to develop a meaningful program to our center in Normandy with Cold War veterans stewarding both the United States and Russia, so we can formally recognize and acknowledge them for their service - with the support of both US and Russian Governments."
TGGF is a non-governmental organization which supports veterans' return to their former battlegrounds. When in Europe, the veterans stay at the luxury property in Normandy , which used to serve as the German Headquarters behind Landing beaches, and was purchased by Davis some five years ago in order to accommodate returning war heroes.
"The center in Normandy will serve as a peace house, and together for one week, we can develop the groundwork to build a more impactful program serving Cold War veterans and help bridge the gap between both nations," Davis said. "At the same time, visit critical sites throughout Normandy with the last veterans of World War II."
When asked about the origins of the initiative to bring the Cold War veterans together, Davis said, "As we are called The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation, our mission symbolizes all generations that fought and served from the First World War to the Vietnam War."
"As we stand to witness the passing of the World War II generation, our pledge will shift to serving Korean and Vietnam veterans, while developing important educational programs based around World War II," he continued. "However, there is a component of our mission that is missing, the lost generation of veterans who served during the Cold War."
There are millions of Cold War veterans in both the United States and Russia, he added, who served in the military from 1945 to 1991 and do not receive any appreciation for their service.
Davis told Sputnik in February that TGGF will sponsor the trip of twelve World War II veterans from the United States to Russia in May to celebrate the anniversary of the Great Patriotic War victory in Moscow, and they will also visit St. Petersburg and Volgograd.
When asked about the next visit by the veterans to the center in Normandy, Davis stressed, "In these unprecedented times, with coronavirus impacting all of our personal and professional lives, we hope to continue our mission in the coming month."
Davis revealed that TGGF currently has over 9,000 World War II combat veterans registered to return overseas to pay respects to their dedication and service to our freedom.
"While we recognize that we cannot help them all, we understand we can make a difference by continuing our mission while developing new education programs for generations to come," he said.
Davis also said that they believe TGGF can continue its programs serving World War II veterans through 2024 , that will mark the 80th Anniversary of the End of World War II.
TGGF is a registered public IRS charitable organization and is not part of the Federal Government. TGGF currently operates more than 30 chapters across North America and is in existence because of the generosity of individuals, foundations, private organizations, and corporations that are connected to the mission, according to Davis.
