This project effected my understanding of WWII, of sacrifice and freedom, since it gave me faces to the soldiers who served and sacrificed their lives. After doing in-depth research on Ira L. Hill, his story made me more appreciative. In school, I have always learned about the wars by reading history textbooks, but never about the soldiers that had served. Hill was 17 when he enlisted and 18 at his time of death, I could never imagine what that experience was like at such a young age to be selected to serve or volunteer and give up everything that he had known for the sake of his country. I would have liked to ask him these questions: why and when did he decide to serve in the United States military, what was his childhood like before and during the war, any stories that he'd be willing to tell, and if he ever imagined life after war and how he'd be honored for his sacrifice. The most important source I used for this website had to be from the National Personal Records Center since it gave me access to files about his birth, enlistment, death, and more. As a member of a family that has had many serve in the military, I have seen the impact of serving on them and others around them and have understood to an extent of what it meant to serve. However, this project and Ira's story has helped me to gain an understanding of the complexities of what soldiers go through for the freedom of others and more gratitude for those who have served and continue to do so. The bravery, courage, and sacrifice will forever be rememebered.