Learning from the Last Survivor of the Band of Brothers

Article by Janis Allen

16-year-old student interested in the history of the Band of Brothers

Jaxon Hekkenberg, a 16-year-old student from Ontario, Canada, contacted Janis Allen to ask for help contacting Bradford Freeman, now the only living member of the Band of Brothers. After his phone interview with “Mr. Brad,” Jaxon wrote answers to Janis’ questions and gave permission to share the text below in publications of the Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas.

Please tell us about yourself.

My Name is Jaxon Hekkenberg, I am 16 years old and live in Ontario, Canada. I commute an hour and a half Monday to Friday to school. I hope to become a surgeon one day and started being interested in history as a side project. I have a little brother who’s 12 years old. My mom is a nurse, my dad is a doctor.

My mom’s side of the family is Polish. Her dad’s family was displaced during the war. My grandfather was born in a Displaced Persons camp following the war. My dad’s side of the family is Dutch. My grandmother would tell me stories of growing up in occupied Netherlands during the war. My grandfather unfortunately passed before I was born so I never heard his stories. My uncle is a retired history teacher and used to teach 10 minutes from where I presently go to school in King City.

How and when did you become interested in military history, and how did you get started?

I have always been interested in WWII and travelled to Poland at age 12 with my family. They took me to see the camps and Schindler’s factory there. Obviously, they hid some of the atrocities from my brother and me due to our ages and told us about them afterwards. I really became interested in WWII this summer.

I started writing letters to veterans just as something to do because I was bored in the lockdown, but as things started opening up again, I began volunteering at the nursing home where my grandmother lives, as I wanted to see her. There I not only got to see her, but met so many people, some including WWII veterans. One man in particular served in the bomber command and enlisted at 16/17 years old—not much older than me.

He told me stories about what he had to do and about the war. I was fascinated. I began talking to more veterans near me in person at nursing homes until I met as many as I could. I stumbled across a news article that said no WWII vets would be alive by 2045. The man that I had met first said “There aren’t many of us left, we all die.” I then started writing letters requesting interviews and emailing people such as Janis. I knew I had to make it my mission to record as many stories as I could, so they are never forgotten.

How did you find about Bradford Freeman, and why his story is important to you?

I found out about Mr. Brad while actually trying to contact the late Edward Shames of 101st Airborne 506PIR E Company, the last living officer of the unit. As you may know, Mr. Brad was in that unit. I stumbled across his name and knew I had to find some way to contact him. I could find very little information on him at first but saw that he was the last living enlisted member of the Band of Brothers. I honestly do not know how men that enlisted did so. I know I could never do it, yet they willingly fought, most underage and just out of high school.

Who are other WWII veterans you’ve talked with?

Guy Prestia
Sherwin Callander
George MacDonell – Battle of Hong Kong
Jack Rhind – Artillery officer Monte Cassino

Please tell us some interesting things you’ve learned about their stories.

I learned, “Freedom is the most precious thing, and whenever someone challenges my freedom, I do whatever I can to fight for it.” –George MacDonell

“War is stupid, really stupid. One day we are killing the enemy, the next capturing them, and I realized that they are just like my guys. We ruin civilians’ lives, houses, and families. It’s so stupid. –Jack Rhind

Check back for more of Hekkenberg’s interview in upcoming post.