Camp Gruber, Oklahoma

The combination of history, travel, and creativity are my holy trinity of wow - and arriving at Camp Gruber in Oklahoma after a long drive north from Houston hit all my sweet spots. Gruber is where the Anti Tank Company, 222nd Infantry Regiment of the 42nd ‘Rainbow’ Division trained before they sailed off to face the Germans in Europe in 1944. Having been deeply immersed in researching this company of men and their war for a few years now, arriving here conjured a surge of homecoming and awe. This is where it all started for them, man by man; marching, digging holes, getting to know their anti-tank gun, and learning all the other ways a man should be and do while under fire. Today, it is peaceful here. Very little remains of the original Gruber. There is, however, a wide swath of memories, dirt, and vibrant stars that carry the unmistakable lingering spirit of the Rainbow, and of my good friends who forged their camaraderie here under this same big sky.