Semper Anticus

Each year we lose members of the "Greatest Generation," and with them, living, firsthand accounts of World War II. Fortunately, there are written accounts, but they can be difficult to find.

In Semper Anticus, author Rita Kirchgassner, with the assistance of Hugh F. Foster III, a retired US Army lieutenant colonel, and Dave Kerr gives readers a day-by-day of account of the 157th Infantry's Service during WWII. Combining morning reports and after-action reports detailing the activity of the 157th Infantry obtained from the National Archives, along with her father's notes and the accounts of her recent journey to several battle sites, Kirchgassner focuses primarily on the military action of the men of Company C. She also shares what it was like to experience "thunderbird weather" as part of the 45th Division. Read the details of her father's miraculous survival after being wounded in battle. The author researched and visited some of the graves of those who did not return to America after the war. Personal photos and Signal Corps photos from World War II enhance the book.

Semper Anticus is a glimpse of family history and that of the United States. Learn part of what makes The Greatest Generation great.

Rita Kirchgassner earned a bachelor’s degree from Marian University and a master’s degree in education from Mount St. Joseph University. She also has counseling and administration certification from Xavier University. Her emphasis is the social sciences, in addition to researching her family history. Semper Anticus is her gift to her descendants.