Patrick Lernout was born in Roeselare on 6 December 1953. He graduated with a degree in textile engineering from the HRITK in Gent, and for quite some time worked as a human resources director. His interest in WWI began as a young child, when he would walk past an old German war cemetery daily. At age 14 he visited the American cemetery at Omaha Beach and became fascinated and intrigued with what he saw. This encouraged him to learn more about the boys who were buried so far from home. Patrick researched many of these men for 12 years, finding relatives, photographs, and additional biographical information on them. During the search he also made many friends in the USA. In gratitude for the sacrifices that were made, his curiosity to know more about the lives and strife of these young men and his growing friendship with Christopher Sims resulted in the definite start and completion of this project.
