A Quiet Strength: The WWII Story of Medic Gerald "Jerry" DesJardins
(1924-2020)
This website and project are dedicated to the life and military service of Gerald DesJardins, beloved husband, father, and grandfather. Explore the photos, documents, and letters that led to the discovery of his remarkable service as a medic in World War II.
My grandfather's military service has always been a mystery to our family.
The idea for this project came to me in the summer of 2020, when I sat down with my aunt, Sue DesJardins, to read a series of letters written to my grandfather, Gerald DesJardins. The letters, sent in the late 1940s and early 1950s by grieving parents and families, shared a common theme: deep gratitude for my grandfather’s kindness in writing to them about the loss of their sons during World War II.
My grandfather, whom we called Jerry, never spoke much about the war. When asked about his service, he offered only a few memories: the humid, sweltering training camps in the southern U.S., the warmth and generosity of the English people when his unit arrived in Europe, and that he had cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the conflict.
In 2024, Aunt Sue gave me a small collection of boxes filled with Jerry’s wartime mementos. Inside were photographs, letters, and his original soldier's documents. Using the clues left in the old boxes, I started to uncover the story that Papa never told.
This website is dedicated to preserving and sharing that story. It’s a tribute not only to Gerald but also to the countless men, women, and children who lived through and were forever changed by the Second World War.
As the years march on, I hope Jerry’s bravery and the sacrifices of his generation will never be forgotten.
-Andrea DesJardins
A note about the spelling of Gerald's last name: Gerald was born "Desjardin" but changed the spelling to "DesJardins" at an unknown point in time. You will see both spellings on the website.
Browse through the original photographs found in Gerald's war memento box. These photos feature Gerald's family and the men of the 69th Fighting Infantry Division, 273rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion - G Company & Medical Detachment.
Scroll through and learn about the events and people that were a part of Gerald's service history.
