Michel De Trez is a 40 year old Belgian historian who specializes in the subject of airborne forces. He is an avid and passionate collector of WWII airborne history and equipment considered to be an international authority on the subject having a unique access to many veterans' personal archives.
Michel frequently travels worldwide meticulously researching and conducting interviews with veterans, visiting public archives, library's, battlefields, WWII celebrations and attending reunions with veterans. He has a great respect for the sacrifices and bravery exhibited by the WWII generation. He is moved by a need to make available the history depicting the service and sacrifice that the American paratroopers gave for their country and for Europe. He feels the stories need to be saved for future generations to appreciate and study. The reason he has chosen to devote most of his time and energy to the American paratroopers is that he does not want the sacrifice of all those brave men who fought and died during WWII to be in vain. He has the deepest respect for those who freed his country some sixty years ago and wants the people of his generation and younger to know about these heroic soldiers, who they were and what they did for us, he feels they must never be forgotten.
He is a regular contributor to numerous historical military publications and has also worked for the film industry and television, which also include the two famous movies Saving Pvt. Ryan and Band of Brothers.
Michel frequently travels worldwide meticulously researching and conducting interviews with veterans, visiting public archives, library's, battlefields, WWII celebrations and attending reunions with veterans. He has a great respect for the sacrifices and bravery exhibited by the WWII generation. He is moved by a need to make available the history depicting the service and sacrifice that the American paratroopers gave for their country and for Europe. He feels the stories need to be saved for future generations to appreciate and study. The reason he has chosen to devote most of his time and energy to the American paratroopers is that he does not want the sacrifice of all those brave men who fought and died during WWII to be in vain. He has the deepest respect for those who freed his country some sixty years ago and wants the people of his generation and younger to know about these heroic soldiers, who they were and what they did for us, he feels they must never be forgotten.
He is a regular contributor to numerous historical military publications and has also worked for the film industry and television, which also include the two famous movies Saving Pvt. Ryan and Band of Brothers.