Following over a decade of research, industrial technology teacher Lou Baczewski traveled to France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany in June 2015 to honor his grandfather Louis Baczewski, an army veteran from World War II and member of the 3rd Armored Division.

Baczewski’s trip, called the “Path of the Past,” was designed to retrace his grandfather’s steps during the war for a documentary set to release at a currently undetermined date.

“We found survivors and historians. Museums opened their doors,” Baczewski said. “We had remarkable footage.”

In addition to independent funding raising and the help of film intern Jordan Heath, Baczewski also found other forms of assistance on his journey.

“People in France went out of their way to show me markers and different places that related to the 3rd Armored Division,” Baczewski said.

Baczewski first found himself interested in his grandfather’s past as a kid when they bonded over outdoor activities and stories that his grandfather told. This connection sustained him as he worked on the project to understand his grandfather’s military career.

“We were really close,” Baczewski said. “As a kid, he taught me a lot.”

This particular veteran’s journey is not only special to Baczewski because of familial relation, but also because he sees it as unique.

“He was a part of all five major campaigns in the war in the European theater,” Baczewski said. “Very few people survived all that.”

Baczewski made many discoveries and connections previously unknown during his trip. One in particular that struck him was the story of a survivor of a massacre in a small Belgian town called Parfondry. The survivor barely escaped at the age of three as his grandfather’s company fought Germany’s SS.

“She heard the same sounds at night my grandfather recalled,” Baczewski said.

Baczewski believes that not only did his search result in tangible products like the documentary and a 2013 book called “Louch,” but that it also left an impact on him personally.

“It [the “Path of the Past”] gave me a more broad understanding and respect for what he went through,” Baczewski said.

Even with his extensive trip, Baczewski still hopes to return and paint a better picture of historical events for future generations.

“The most important thing to my grandfather and the people of Europe is that we recognize the cost of that war,” Baczewski said. “I think we’ve forgotten about that.”