My Father’s Belgian World War II Experiences

A son retraces his father’s World War II experiences in Belgium through rediscovered photos, uncovering history, memory, and an unexpected personal catharsis.

I am delighted to welcome Discovering Belgium reader and guest writer Jack Gaioni. Through a series of long-lost photographs, Jack reconstructed his father’s World War II experiences in Belgium and nearby regions, revealing both key historical moments and a largely unspoken family history. Retracing those locations decades later led to an unexpected emotional reckoning for Jack, and a deeply personal catharsis connected to grief, memory, and reconciliation. Over to you Jack …

A photograph and a hidden story

The photo of the handsome young man in a United States Army uniform is my father, John Gaioni. The picture was taken in 1944 at an unnamed photography studio in Brussels.

The narrative surrounding the photo tells a larger story however. Implicit in this account are some seminal Belgian World War II events and the opening of a father-son story locked away for the past half-century. Allow me to explain…

Enlistment and the silent generation of veterans

My father enlisted in the United States Army less than 90 days after the United States declared war on Germany in December 1941. He was not alone. Known by the meme “America’s Greatest Generation”, he and many others had lived through the Great Depression, then enlisted and fought bravely during World War II.

Characteristic of many of those war veterans was a type of sturdy, taciturn resolve. My father was a living and breathing example of this attribute. He rarely talked about his war experience as a soldier. He felt no need to fill up the air with words.

Growing up with unanswered questions

I was born only four years after the Brussels photo. (Note: I am a Baby Boomer – yet another American meme.) I was naturally curious about his wartime experience. I would ask: “Where were you? Were you in combat? Were you scared? Under what conditions? What were your experiences?” His answers were always cryptic – 1- or 2-word replies – never  in depth. But due to a recent discovery of some long-lost photos in my sister’s attic, some of those questions have been answered.

The Brussels photo is revealing. If you look closely at the patch on his right arm, you’ll see the insignia of a master sergeant. Evidently, he rose quickly in the ranks. He was 23 years old in the photo, almost the same age I was upon my father’s sudden and untimely demise in 1970. More about that later…

My best guess (remember this is speculation!) is that the photo was taken shortly after the liberation of Belgium in September of 1944. After four years of German occupation, the Allies captured Brussels, and the exiled Belgian government (such as it was) returned to power, making Belgium the first liberated country in Europe with a restored constitutional government.

Although the Germans continued fighting in northern Flanders, accounts suggest that the Belgian citizenry felt an immense sense of relief, joy, and gratitude about the liberation. One American intelligence report stated that: “Civil affairs coming into Belgium found their welcome much more warm-hearted than in France. There was no doubt of the depth of sentiment of the Belgian people.”

A soldier’s wartime role

In late October 1944, the timeline of the photos finds my father in Harlue, Belgium, in the province of Namur. On one of those rare occasions when my father shared a wartime story, he mentioned that his ability to type may have kept him from front-line combat.

Evidently at one point his company commander asked his troops: “Does anyone here know how to type? Does anyone know the keyboard?” My father was the only soldier to raise his hand. Ergo, he became the “company clerk” (my words), a position that kept him out of harm’s way but never far from it.

In Harlue he was billeted in what he called his chateau, where he was involved clerically in administering the important logistical supply lines needed by the Allies in their push into Germany. He served in the 767th Chemical Depot (Aviation), 8th Army Air Corps.

The Battle of Aachen

The chateau was located less than 100 km (one hour) from the German border and Aachen, Germany. The location is significant in that the city was the site of The Battle of Aachen (12 September to 21 October 1944). It was one of the largest and toughest urban battles fought by the Allies during the war. Casualties, losses, and captives were significant on both sides.

The battle had both strategic and symbolic significance. Not only was Aachen the first city on German soil to be captured by the Allies, it was a symbol with immense psychological value. Historical propaganda under Nazi Germany had portrayed Charlemagne, Aachen’s favorite son, as the founder of Germany’s “first empire.” Around the city, German defenses, known as The Siegfried Line, were stout with pillboxes, minefields, bunkers, and anti-tank defenses called dragon teeth. Speculation based on the photos puts my father in the immediate aftermath of The Battle of  Aachen.

Victory in Europe and a return to Brussels – and home

By May 1945 the photo-based timeline has my father back in Brussels at the time of the Victory in Europe Day (VE Day). This day holds historical importance not only for Europe but for Belgium. It symbolizes both liberation from the German occupation and recognition of the heroic Belgian resistance movement. It is the day that recognizes the beginning of the recovery and rebuilding of their country. It is celebrated even today with street parties and festivals.

This picture of my father saluting in front of The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, located at the foot of the Congress Column, is of particular significance. This past May 8th, 2025 marked the 80th anniversary of the event with representatives of the King, Belgian Resistance veterans, and foreign ambassadors paying tribute.

The final photo, in October 1945, marks his arrival back in the USA. He had survived.

Epilogue: A Personal Note

This past October 2025, fate found me in Belgium on a visit that was 50% business, 50% pleasure, but 100% transformative. I was not prepared for the change. I thought it would be interesting to trace my father’s Belgian footsteps based solely on these long-lost photos, which I had never seen before their recent discovery in my sister’s attic. The experience knocked me off balance.

My first stop was Aachen, Germany, where I contemplated his visit to the famous Aachen Cathedral. Did he see it as a pile of rubble damaged by the Allied bombing, or the throne and grave of Charlemagne? I regret not being able to ask him these questions.

Next, a quick train ride put me in Maastricht, Netherlands, where I stood in front of the “dragon teeth” just as he did.

But it was my decision to find his chateau in the small hamlet of Harlue, Belgium, where things got interesting. After getting some help from some locals at an egg stand, I was advised that the chateau (Editor’s note: the Château de Bolinne-Harlue) was private, protected, and not open to the public. It was also very remote. Accompanied by my wife, Anne, and two friends, we were able to find it with the help of a GPS. We found the gate to the compound open, and since we had come all this way, decided to enter anyway.

We were greeted by the curious but suspicious owner named Geneviève (Ed: Geneviève du Parc Locmaria (née Dumont de Chassart). She explained that the grounds were private, but when I showed her the photos of her property in 1944, she could not have been more welcoming. Her gratitude was palpable and she was quite moved by my father’s photos. She was well acquainted with her chateau’s legacy and was willing to share her knowledge.

This chateau had been in her in-law’s family since the 1700s. Although born decades after World War II, she was keenly interested in the context of the photos. For example, she recalled stories told to her that the chateau had previously billeted German soldiers. They had dismantled the roof of the entrance porch to make an anti-aircraft position. She pointed out that you could clearly see that evidence in my father’s photo.

The chateau and an unexpected human connection

Geneviève also mentioned that her husband’s grandfather was the Belgian ambassador to Canada in 1942. This diplomatic connection may have been the reason the chateau served as an administrative center for the Allies and their push into Aachen.

Despite the language barrier, I was finding answers to those unanswered questions I had asked as a young boy. It’s difficult to articulate, but I felt reconnected to my father as Geneviève was giving voice to my father’s photos. I felt it in every cell. I became aware for the first time I was still coming to terms with his demise. It was standing on the same grounds where he had stood some 80 years ago that I realized I had carried some unfinished business with my father.

Catharsis, grief, and a conversation across time

Geneviève’s answers seemed like a healthy reawakening to an ongoing grieving process – a shifting of tectonic plates far below the surface that was filling a huge vacuum that had been there since his sudden death. He was in his early 20’s when he stood on these very same grounds – the same age I was when he died. That does not go far enough. It was a moment of the unexpected realization that we had never really talked as full adults. Strangely, the timbre of Geneviève’s voice gave voice to my father. I discovered for the first time I was still involved in the mourning process some 50 years later.

It was a healthy cathartic moment – a moment of the positive releasing of emotion locked away for a half century. Thank you, Geneviève.

Rest in peace Dad!

Jack Gaioni

Thank you so much for sharing this fascinating story Jack about your father’s WWII experiences. If any readers have any more information to share about this story, or the Château de Bolinne-Harlue, please add a comment below or email me. I am sure Jack would love to hear your experiences too. Thanks.

Denzil Walton

I created Discovering Belgium in 2011 to share the country’s hidden stories, fascinating places, and remarkable people. Through articles, photography, and audio walks, I share discoveries that reveal Belgium beyond the obvious. Hope you enjoy this site.