Posted on 06/06/2003 9:37:30 AM PDT by knighthawk
But little is done to commemorate their WWII sacrifices
German artillery shells screamed over Lewis Monroe's head as he waded toward the Normandy beach on D-Day.
To the 19-year-old rifleman, there was nothing heroic about facing his first test of combat.
"When you've got water behind you, you have nowhere else to go," he joked.
But, as important as June 6, 1944, is in 20th-century history, Monroe laments there's little to commemorate the sacrifice and courage of 150,000 Allied troops who took part in what officially is known as "Operation Overlord."
"It's good to tell our history to our children," said Monroe, who isnow 78, a semi-retired Midlands resident, a grandfather and avid golfer.
Few public ceremonies are planned today; none locally. The largest event will be at the D-Day Museum in New Orleans.
"There isn't a really big push for D-Day from World War II veterans," said Ed Simmons, adjutant quartermaster of the Veterans of Foreign Wars' state chapter. "And we're losing so many of them."
The Veterans Administration estimates 1,000 World War II veterans die every day. That toll is felt in South Carolina, home to about 70,000 World War II vets, according to a Census Bureau report.
A local D-Day memorial would be fitting, said retired Army Col. Sid Britt, who taught military history at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
"Frankly, it ought to be pretty darn big," said Britt, a Vietnam veteran and former brigade commander at Fort Jackson. "But it's going to take somebody to generate the enthusiasm, generate the community interest and raise the money."
A D-Day monument isn't the only memorial veterans say the Midlands lacks. The S.C. Memorial Park Commission still is trying to build a World War II memorial at the downtown Columbia park.
Preserving the memory of World War II is important for all Americans, Britt added. "This was one of the greatest wars between the forces of good and evil since the Medieval Ages," he said.
'GET ME OUT OF HERE ALIVE'
Monroe has done a small part of preserving the memory of Utah Beach. He's in a popular photo of the assault.
The picture, taken by an Army photographer, is in World War II museums in England and Germany. It also has been the cover of USAA, a military affairs magazine.
But in the thick of the fight, Monroe didn't think he was doing anything monumental.
"The only thing you ever think about is surviving, trying to make it to the next day."
A farm boy from Anson County, N.C., Monroe joined the Army on Jan. 2, 1941, when he was 16. An older brother was a B-25 gunner in the 8th Air Force.
Monroe went through basic training at Fort McClellan, Ala., and even made a brief stop at Fort Jackson. His outfit arrived at Liverpool, England, in January 1944 and began preparing for the assault.
On D-Day, Monroe was assigned to the 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. The 4th's job was to take Utah Beach and then march toward the port city of Cherbourg, at the tip of the Normandy peninsula.
After being aboard a landing craft that tossed about in the sea for more than a day, Monroe said he and the other troops were ready to head to shore despite the prospect of being killed.
"Everybody was seasick. We would have about swam off that ship if we could."
Monroe, who stood about 5-foot-7-inches and weighed 135 pounds, carried 50 pounds of gear, including a backpack, gas mask and M-1 rifle as he waded through waist-deep water to shore .
The battle for Utah Beach, a flat sandy beach that reminded Monroe of Myrtle Beach, was far less bloody than what the 1st and 29th U.S. divisions faced at nearby Omaha Beach. About 200 died or were wounded at Utah Beach, compared to 2,000 casualties at Omaha, according to the D-Day Museum.
By the end of D-Day, Monroe estimated his unit was about a mile inland. Although the amphibious assault was very successful, Monroe knew danger lay ahead.
That night, in his foxhole, he prayed over and over.
"I told the Lord, 'I'll be everything you want me to be if you get me out of here alive.'"
'HE SURE HAS BEEN GOOD TO ME'
Monroe and his unit pushed on, fighting through the thick hedgerows, liberating one French town after another, including the heavily defended port of Cherbourg.
Monroe kept on fighting until his unit reached St. Lo on July 17. Huddled in a trench with 15 to 20 other soldiers, Monroe suffered a severe concussion when a German artillery shell exploded nearby.
He spent about six weeks in a military hospital in England and recovered. Then he was reassigned to the 705th Military Police Company, stationed at Le Harve, France, close to where the Battle of the Bulge was being fought.
After Germany's surrender, Monroe's outfit was dispatched to the Philippines. By the time they arrived, Japan had surrendered.
After being discharged from the Army in December 1945, Monroe started to make good on that promise he made to God from his foxhole.
He graduated from the University of North Carolina and carved out a successful career in sales and banking. He raised a family, retired as a colonel in the S.C. National Guard and has been a faithful churchgoer. He and his wife of 39 years, Mary, live near Irmo.
"I know one thing: He (God) sure has been good to me."
Every America should visit this memorial.
Thank you WWII vets for your sacrifice and your service.
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