www.esryle.com
Posted on 06/03/2004 4:32:24 PM PDT by esryle
OMAHA BEACH, France - Waves of memories on a beach where the waves themselves once ran red with blood. Tears for the dead. Questions, still unanswered, about how it was that they, the lucky ones, survived.
Sixty years after they stormed Omaha Beach, American veterans of the deadliest D-Day assault returned Thursday to the now peaceful rust-colored sands to remember the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France that changed the world.
Although worn by their years, these old men's memories of June, 6, 1944, remain sharp. Gathered at a memorial overlooking the beach where Nazi guns spat death, they spoke of loss, sacrifice and pride of their role in liberating Europe from tyranny.
"D-Day changed my life and the memories will live with me forever," said Ivy Agee, 81, of Gordonsville, Tenn., who fought with B Battery of the 111th Field Artillery.
Normandy, painfully aware that this 60th anniversary may be the last major chance to honor the aging veterans, is turning back the clock, with commemorations, dances, parades and other ceremonies for the troops to whom many here say they owe their freedom.
Recent tensions over Iraq that have dogged relations between the governments of France and the United States are being put aside. Many Normans have hung the Stars and Stripes on their homes. Many came up to the 75 veterans gathered at Omaha - most of whom fought with the 29th Infantry Division - to thank them in person.
"They can't do enough for us. Oh God, the women come up and kiss me," said 84-year-old New Yorker Frank Marino.
The landings pierced Adolf Hitler's western defenses, trapping Nazi Germany between an Allied push from the west and Soviet forces in the east, forcing its surrender 11 months later.
In the 60 years since, Germany has risen from the ashes to become a major European power, a U.S. ally and France's closest friend. The combatants have had children, grandchildren, careers and lived lives that almost ended young. But the emotions of D-Day still catch in their throats and bring tears to their eyes.
"This week is very special for us, very emotional and very heart-wrenching, as we remember our buddies and friends who fell," said Norman Grossman of Boston.
Just 19 when he landed, Grossman added: "Who would think that on the morning of June 6, 60 years ago, we would make it through the day and, more miraculously, would be here to remind the world of that great event."
The story of D-Day has been told and retold. But, as the torch of memory is passed on to generations born after the war, it is worth telling again. Thousands of Allied troops were killed and injured - the chaos of battle prevented a definitive count. Some veterans said they long were unable to talk about their experiences but now want to share them.
They recalled the storms that whipped up the English Channel, delaying the invasion; the meals, which some called "the last supper," doled out before they embarked with the biggest armada in history; the shelling of German defenses that lit up the skies; seasick troops vomiting beans and hot dogs on the landing craft that carried them to the beach that became known as "Bloody Omaha."
"It was a scene from hell. So many dead. So many wounded. Total chaos," said Charles Heinlein of Baltimore. Now 82, he is making his first visit back since 1944.
"I didn't really want to go through it before," he said. But "I think this (anniversary) might be the last one, because the next one is usually 10 years later, and I'd be about 92 years old, if I'm still lucky to be here."
He said D-Day history should be taught more in schools.
"A lot of children, you say 'D-Day,' and they don't even know ... One child said, 'What, that was the day I took my math test,'" he said. "It should be spread around. You know, there's not many of us left."
Before they landed, the troops were told that craters from Allied bombardments would offer cover on the beach. That proved to be wrong. Gale Garman, who was with the 116th Infantry Regiment, said he tried scooping out the hard sand with his bare hands.
His clearest memory, he said, was of a tank crushing a wounded soldier.
"I wanted so bad to help that GI out of harms way. I'm bothered by what I could possibly have done, while realizing that there was nothing I could do under the circumstances," he said.
Raymond Moon, now 79, had his first cigarette that day. As they fought their way inland, he said he looked back to the thousands of ships along the Normandy coast bringing in more men and equipment.
"I had one thought: There was no way the Nazis were going to win," he said. "We were coming and we were not backing off."
PING
"I had one thought: There was no way the Nazis were going to win," he said. "We were coming and we were not backing off."
My that also apply to the war on terror!
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And 39 years ago in Vietnam it was also...
'WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE and YOUNG'
(Photos)
http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_set1.htm
http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_set2.htm
http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_set3.htm
http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_collection.htm
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Yes....what about the Pacific....my dad was on a battleship in the Battle of Leyte....
Normandy bump.
Latest Gallup poll shows 53% of Americans 18-25 do not know that Germany (and briefly, Italy) were America's enemies in Europe in WWII. In a few more generations perhaps WWII will be forgotten all together.
I hope all the France bashers finally learn something from this.
I'm glad there were some of the 29th Inf. able to make it back to Omaha Beach. My father (85) is too ill to make it back - 29th Inf, 115 Reg. Cav Recon. But he will be there in spirit - I'll be spending Sunday (6/6) with him. He was even too feeble to make it from Pittsburgh to DC for the WWII Memorial dedication, but there were others that did.
It's a shame that so many WWII vets are dying each day.
The man between the officer Ike is speaking to and the man with Ike's thumb pointing at his chin is my Father in-law.
Ralph Bud Thomas. He was in the 327th Glider Infantry squandron. The whole squadron was ordered to land on Utah beach the afternoon of D-day because they ran out of planes to tow their gliders.
Bud and about 100 other men from his squadron did land with the 101st airborne (They started out with the 82nd and they were reassigned to the 101st for the landings) that night to support a couple of anti-tank gun teams. He was wounded a few days later and recuperated in England. He also participated in the Market Garden operation.
As a side note he shared with me his opinion that the paratroopers looked down their noses at the glider infantry types and really thoght they were hotshots. He said they actually had an easier time (remember this is a comparative opinion) landing than the glider infantry and that "we had it rougher than they did.
Last week I saw a fellow in my store with an 82nd airborne shirt on and thanked him for his service. I told hime my father in-law was in the glider infantry and he said, "Oh we really looked down on those guys until D-day. They had it tougher than we did."
I can't wait to share that with Bud the next time I talk to him.
http://www.campbell.army.mil/1bde/regiment_history.htm
Above is an address that has the history of the 327th.
My apologies to those I've already shared this information with.
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