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My Dad God rest his sole made the Normandy D Day Invasion on Omaha Beach. He wouldn't really tell you about the war but he did say his landing craft took a direct hit and only 17 made it to the beach. "I knew from that point on my life was in God's hands." I don't know much about his military service because according to the government his records were destroyed by fire. This is all I have.
God bless America and all that serve to protect our freedom.
Each year, on June 6, I stop in the evening to raise a glass to those whose sacrifices eventually led to the defeat of such colossal evil. I still cannot fully grasp the hellscape those men faced as they approached the beaches of Normandy and then waded ashore, or the courage required to have done so. The historical records I've read of the invasion boggle the mind.
As is often and accurately said, freedom isn't free.
One little known thing about D day is that there was a lot of filming of the landing. All these films were collected to a central point and during their transfer to a ship they were accidentally dumped overboard and lost.
My Dad God rest his sole made the Normandy D Day Invasion on Omaha Beach. He wouldn't really tell you about the war but he did say his landing craft took a direct hit and only 17 made it to the beach. "I knew from that point on my life was in God's hands." I don't know much about his military service because according to the government his records were destroyed by fire. This is all I have.
God bless America and all that serve to protect our freedom.
My Dad God rest his sole made the Normandy D Day Invasion on Omaha Beach. He wouldn't really tell you about the war but he did say his landing craft took a direct hit and only 17 made it to the beach. "I knew from that point on my life was in God's hands." I don't know much about his military service because according to the government his records were destroyed by fire. This is all I have.
God bless America and all that serve to protect our freedom.
My Dad earned the Bronze Star as well and his records were destroyed, I guess in that same fire. I do have the medal though.
It was mentioned on the local news today along with the start of the battle of Midway in '42. Most are gone now. My parents and Uncles went through it. Great generation of people.
The bravest. My grandfather was there but not for the battle. He came in after the heavy fighting was over. Bless these men who gave all their tomorrows for your today.
I once worked with a true gentleman who was 19 years old and in the 3rd wave with the 4th Infantry. We talked about it a few times He was old enough to be my father, and knew I was a Vietnam Veteran. He told me that he only spoke about the invasion to a very few people.
I thanked him for his service. He passed about 10 years ago.
My dad was also a WWII veteran. He and his brother landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day+1. Unfortunately his brother was KIA on 3 July 1944. My dad never talked much about the War. All my uncles also served. My dad helped me restore my first old pickup, a 1935 Ford; and my first Corvette, a 1959. May the Greatest Generation always be remembered. God Bless them all.....................
On June 6th, at approximately 12:15am (in France) A plane load of 12 paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division, 506th regiment, 2nd battalion, D company, jumped into and landed in France at the town of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, an 82nd Airborne drop zone, while the local church was on fire. Moments later plane loads of the 82nd Airborne Div began landing in the town. Pvt Olson of that first load of the 101st was wounded, yet rescued a member of his squad that had landed in a river who was weighted down and couldn’t swim. After getting his comrade to shore, he treated his own wounds and proceeded to treat the other wounded paratroopers all while under enemy fire. For his actions that morning he was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. Thus began my Dad’s year of hell in Europe. The 101st would jump again, into Holland in September, they would be surrounded at Bastogne Belgium in December and January and ended the war at Zel-am-Zee Austria. He would be awarded two more Purple Hearts and two more Bronze Stars , one would be with a V for Valor at Bastogne. The 101st would suffer 300% casualties from D-Day til after VE Day
Dad died June 1st, 2012. i still miss him very much He wasn’t just my father, he was my Dad, my hero.
Last edited by vetsvette2002; Jun 7, 2022 at 03:24 PM.
My Dad God rest his sole made the Normandy D Day Invasion on Omaha Beach. He wouldn't really tell you about the war but he did say his landing craft took a direct hit and only 17 made it to the beach. "I knew from that point on my life was in God's hands." I don't know much about his military service because according to the government his records were destroyed by fire. This is all I have.
God bless America and all that serve to protect our freedom.
In regards to the fire at the storage facility, I just recently applied for a DD214 as I lost my discharge papers from 1971. Hopefully mine weren't lost in the 1973 fire.
In regards to the fire at the storage facility, I just recently applied for a DD214 as I lost my discharge papers from 1971. Hopefully mine weren't lost in the 1973 fire.
I do have my DD214 but is that when the fire was? Wonder if mine were lost also.
My son and I carry the name of my uncle who didn't make it home. He was an aircraft commander of a B24 who was awarded the Silver Star for rescuing another flight crew from a burning aircraft in Africa, shortly thereafter he went down in the Adriatic Sea.
Most of us have been touched, by a father, uncle or other relative. We simply need to pay it forward. Keep basic American family values. God bless them and never let us forget.
My son and I attended the celebration at the
national D Day memorial in Bedford Va.
The impact brought tears. There were a very
few veterans of the landing in attendence.
Dr. McManus, a historian , stated that only
about 225 thousand vets remain of the nearly
16 million men and women under arms during
” THE War” and are departing at a rate of 200
per day. Myself, like many of us, were born
and raised under the wing of this generation
much to our eternal benefit. The first man
over the top of Point du hoc came to be the local chief of police in my town. My high school
history teacher had been a gunner on an SPD
dive bomber at midway. My uncle was a tanker
who rolled across France and rarely spoke of things too terrible to comprehend. These men
did not whine or complain about their problems.
they only kept moving forward to insure that
their children in as much as possible would never have to experience the horrors and depradations of war. It is beyond sad to see them fade from life. They must never be allowed to fade from memory.
Hats off and salutes to all who have served and serve today. Thanks.
