The invasion of Italy was largely overshadowed by the Allied landings in Normandy. The soldiers who fought there became known as the D-Day Dodgers.

Legend has it that a member of the British Parliament (Lady Astor) used the term D-Day Dodgers publicly. Although there is no evidence that she actually said it, the term was born and given to the soldiers who landed in Italy and fought their way up in Italy. Although not all the veterans appreciated the name, their nickname was born.

The term D-Day Dodger is sarcastic, given the amount of Allies service personnel who were killed or wounded in Italy. In fact, a number of soldiers actually did fight in Normandy. They were some of the much-needed experienced veterans.

To us, the name is about the men and women who fought for freedom, but always fought in the shadows of the well-known battles like the Landings in Normandy, Operation Market Garden or the Battle of the Bulge.

We want to honor all the servicemen that fought on the Italian front for our freedom and peace. Subsequently, we want to collect as much biographies, pictures and information as possible to add to a database.

In November 2021 we initiated Volti di Agria (Faces of Agira). We placed over 350 pictures of men that are buried at Agira Canadian War Cemetery. Our goal for 2023 is to collect all the pictures of the 490 men that are buried there. But Agira is just the beginning. There are many more cemeteries in Italy and many more heroes to honor.

We can't do this all by ourselves. This is a never-ending project and there is no ultimate goal. It is never about us; it is all about the men and women we honor. So, we are also looking for like-minded people who want to become part of a great new life-long journey. We want to pull these stories out of the shadows and make sure their name liveth for evermore!

You can follow us on: www.ddaydodgers.com
Facebook: D-Day Dodgers Foundation, Agira Canadian War Cemetery, Faces of Agira/Volti di Agira, Moro River Canadian War Cemetery, Syracuse War Cemetery.

The invasion of Italy was largely overshadowed by the Allied landings in Normandy. The soldiers who fought there became known as the D-Day Dodgers.

Legend has it that a member of the British Parliament (Lady Astor) used the term D-Day Dodgers publicly. Although there is no evidence that she actually said it, the term was born and given to the soldiers who landed in Italy and fought their way up in Italy. Although not all the veterans appreciated the name, their nickname was born.

The term D-Day Dodger is sarcastic, given the amount of Allies service personnel who were killed or wounded in Italy. In fact, a number of soldiers actually did fight in Normandy. They were some of the much-needed experienced veterans.

To us, the name is about the men and women who fought for freedom, but always fought in the shadows of the well-known battles like the Landings in Normandy, Operation Market Garden or the Battle of the Bulge.

We want to honor all the servicemen that fought on the Italian front for our freedom and peace. Subsequently, we want to collect as much biographies, pictures and information as possible to add to a database.

In November 2021 we initiated Volti di Agria (Faces of Agira). We placed over 350 pictures of men that are buried at Agira Canadian War Cemetery. Our goal for 2023 is to collect all the pictures of the 490 men that are buried there. But Agira is just the beginning. There are many more cemeteries in Italy and many more heroes to honor.

We can't do this all by ourselves. This is a never-ending project and there is no ultimate goal. It is never about us; it is all about the men and women we honor. So, we are also looking for like-minded people who want to become part of a great new life-long journey. We want to pull these stories out of the shadows and make sure their name liveth for evermore!

You can follow us on: www.ddaydodgers.com
Facebook: D-Day Dodgers Foundation, Agira Canadian War Cemetery, Faces of Agira/Volti di Agira, Moro River Canadian War Cemetery, Syracuse War Cemetery.