Andrew Biggio grew up in Boston as part of a family steeped in military service. In fact, he is named for his great uncle, who was killed in action in Italy during World War II. Andrew joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2006 and was deployed as a rifleman to Iraq in 2008 and later to Afghanistan.

After leaving the Marine Corps in 2012, Biggio wanted to learn what really happened to his great uncle. That quest turned into a much bigger odyssey, as he interviewed scores of World War II veterans from all branches and who served in both Europe and the Pacific.

And he added a twist. Biggio bought a 1945 M1 Garand that he placed in the hands of the veterans as he spoke with them and each of them signed the rifle. The final result was his powerful book, "The Rifle: Combat Stories from America's Last WWII Veterans, Told Through an M1 Garand."

In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Biggio shares the story of his own service, discusses the stories of many of the amazing veterans he interviewed, and what he learned along the way.