It looked like a simple prayer card — until it unlocked their father’s journey through World War II.

In this chapter of Our WWII Dad, brothers Chris and Ken Cangilla uncover how a small 1945 prayer card marked by their father became the key to tracing his exact movements across Europe during the final months of the war.

By matching handwritten dates and markings to the troop records of the 99th Infantry Battalion, they were able to reconstruct parts of his wartime story that had remained hidden for decades.

The episode also reveals the extraordinary story of five brothers from the same family serving during WWII in both Europe and the Pacific — and all surviving the war.

From the Battle of the Bulge and VE Day to Norway operations, wartime reunions, and the long journey home, this episode combines family discovery, battlefield history, and cinematic storytelling to uncover one soldier’s path through World War II.

Follow Our WWII Dad for cinematic WWII storytelling, battlefield journeys, family history, and untold stories from the Greatest Generation.

CHAPTERS

0:01 — Introduction
0:36 — Battle of the Bulge Recap
1:19 — Route de Waimes, Malmedy
2:50 — Brothers Reunited During WWII
7:56 — Uncle Marcy and “Fat Man”
12:17 — The Prayer Card Discovery
15:17 — Trucked to Barneville, France
16:01 — The 99th Joins the 474th
17:42 — German Raid on Granville
18:45 — How the War Changed Dad
21:41 — “40 and 8” Railcars to Aachen
24:38 — Dad’s Model Trains
28:17 — Arrival in Aachen
28:45 — Crossing the Rhine
29:35 — Capturing the Flag
30:20 — VE Day
30:52 — Regensburg, Germany
31:22 — Dad’s Mission in Regensburg
36:29 — Shipped to Oslo, Norway
38:56 — Norway Operations
40:53 — The King of Norway Returns
42:24 — Rest and Relaxation
43:18 — The Final Numbers of the 99th
44:25 — Going Home
46:35 — Arrival Back in America
47:17 — Dad Comes Home