WWll Paratrooper Born on Fourth of July Dies After 96 Years of Loving America
The United States was built on a number of abiding values and principles. They include honor, bravery, hard work, self-sacrifice and an enduring love of country.
The brave men and women who defend this nation embody those values in bold, everlasting color. They put everything on the line, and march into unknown situations with a deep sense of duty.
A well-known Stephen Ambrose book and HBO mini-series profiled one of these groups. “Band of Brothers” told the stirring story of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.
Ed “Doc” Pepping was among that courageous faction. Born 96 years ago on the Fourth of July, he trained to be a paratrooper in Toccoa, Georgia.
Pepping also served as an Army medic in Normandy on D-Day.
“They asked me, ‘Will you be able to out-and-out shoot somebody and take their life?’” he explained to Georgia NBC affiliate WXIA-TV. “I wasn’t sure that I could,” he concluded, “so I went into the medic category and saved lives.”
It was during this time in the 1940s that Pepping met fellow World War II medic Al Mampre. They became fast friends — and that friendship only deepened as the years went on.
“I’ve never met anybody in my whole life that means as much as this guy,” Pepping also told WXIA-TV. The duo eventually established themselves as beloved fixtures at Toccoa’s annual Currahee Military Festival.
Folks looked forward to their absorbing stories, unrivaled wit, and great comedic timing as the pair enjoyed coffee and grits together. “Nobody ever accused Al and me of being sane,” Pepping once joked.
And sadly, neither man was immortal either. Pepping had begun physically struggling to make his yearly trips to Toccoa, and he recently passed away in his sleep.
Pepping’s memorial service was held in his home state of California. As one final gesture of service, Pepping’s family asked that donations in his honor be directed to the Paralyzed Veterans of America.
But the memories of this altruistic soldier continue to live on. After all, he and Mampre did a lot more than reminisce over breakfast.
They joined the 506th Infantry Company together. They charged up Currahee Mountain together every morning, as part of their training.
And they both saw death and human violence, up close and personal. Pepping was on that beach saving soldiers on D-Day; Mampre did his part to help liberate a concentration camp.
Yet after all was said and done, what managed to persevere was love. The men felt deep affection for one another, and the highest regard for their country.
“It’s a cemented friendship that just won’t dissolve,” Pepping told WXIA-TV. He shared this sentiment during what would end up being the duo’s final reunion together at Toccoa.
The hardest part of life is knowing that even the hardiest human body weakens and fails, and eventually fades away. The most hopeful part is realizing that noble ideals like patriotism, valor, and brotherhood can never, ever die.
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