Bruce Johnson was barely out of Highland Park High School when he was drafted to fight in World War II. He and the rest of his division were mostly young men, sent to Europe as replacements.
"We talked about the war, we talked about the Germans. We talked about wanting to be home," Johnson, who turns 101 this month, told NBC Chicago.
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WATCH HEREHis unit, nicknamed "The Blue Devils" in reference to their blue shoulder patches, saw heavy combat in Italy.
Bruce fought bravely at Monte Cassino and helped liberate Rome in June 1944.
"Anyone who said they weren't scared at times were liars," he said.
A German ambush near the Arno River landed Bruce his second Purple Heart and ultimately, his ticket home in February 1945.
"A hand grenade went off in front of my gun. And a hand grenade has very small pieces of shrapnel. So I had shrapnel all over my face," he said.
Bruce was a decorated Private First Class. He received a Bronze Star, European African Middle Eastern Campaign Ribbon, a Combat Infantry Badge and Battle Star for the Italian Campaign.
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"We knew what we were fighting for," he said. "We had to beat Hitler. The next step would have been coming over the ocean and invading this country," Bruce said.
In October 2014, Bruce took an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. along with other veterans. He was also honored in April at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center's Humanitarian Awards Dinner.
During his time in Europe, he was sometimes just miles away from some of the worst civilian atrocities of the war.
"It just reminds me of what some humans can do and think to destroy other humans."
For years, Bruce didn't talk much about his experiences overseas but more recently has shared his experiences, especially with other WWII veterans.
Thursday marks 80 years since the Allied victory in Europe. The National World War II Museum estimates less than 1 percent of American servicemen who fought during that time are still alive today.
Bruce, who now lives in Lincolnshire, shares his memories so that none of us forget history.
"We didn't feel we were heroes. We were just doing what we were told to do."
