Guest Speaker WWII veteran Simon Gurdal will tell his story on June 20 at Etowah Library
Simon Gurdal — WWII Belgian Brigade Piron
WWII veteran Simon Gurdal shared his story: “One time, I found myself in a foxhole with two Americans, a Canadian and a Polish soldier. I was wounded but went back into the fight.”
The war began for Gurdal’s family when he was 14 years old. He tells his story:
“The Germans came in 1940 and occupied Belgium. All we could do was hide ourselves. One day our bell rang. It was two ladies with a six-year-old Jewish girl, Annie. One lady said, ‘She’s for you.’ Annie had a piece of paper in her coat pocket which read: I am a Jewish girl. Please take me in and hide me. For four years during the occupation, we hid her in a little room in the basement. She couldn’t go outside. Poor little girl, four years in the basement.
Pictured: Simon (far right) and his Boy Scout friends in Verviers, Belgium.
Let’s Join the Army
“In 1944, I was 17. One of the Boy Scouts in my troop said, ‘Let’s join the army.’ I said, ‘Let’s go!’ Seven of us went to St. Nicolas-Waes and soon…we were in the Army!
After the war
“After the war, I worked in Africa as a fabric designer for a French textile company. Then I emigrated to Canada, got married, and moved to New York. There I owned a design business. I have been an American citizen since 1965. I’m proud to wear the badge of Belgian Brigade Piron. What I tell you comes from my memory, but most of all, from my heart.”
The new book From Boy Scout to Soldier: Simon Gurdal, WWII Belgian Brigade Piron will be available for purchase and signing by Gurdal. Proceeds from the book (on sale for $20) will support the museum’s educational programs. Please call 828-884-2141 or visit the for more information.
From Boy Scout to Soldier, by Janis Allen, will be available for purchase and signing by Simon Gurdal on April 11 at VHMC.
Top Photo: Left, 17-year old Simon Gurdal, Belgian Brigade Piron, 1944
Right, Simon Gurdal with his book, FROM BOY SCOUT TO SOLDIER, 2026
The story of hiding Annie in the basement for four years really puts the human cost of occupation into perspective—such quiet, sustained bravery from a teenage boy. It’s a reminder that heroism isn’t always on the battlefield, but sometimes in the simple act of opening your door.
The detail about Annie’s note in her coat pocket—“I am a Jewish girl. Please take me in and hide me”—is haunting. It’s a reminder that those quiet acts of courage often started with a simple, desperate plea that changed everything for everyone involved. Hearing how Simon’s Boy Scout troop turned into a military unit really puts the transition from youth to soldier into sharp focus.