In memory on D-Day

In memory of my Dad who was part of the Normandy invasion.
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Here he is in late 1943 - early 1944 fresh out of basic, probably still 17 years old. His father signed a release letting him join the Navy early.

Operation Overlord took place 2 months and 10 days after his 18th birthday. He was really just a kid. His ship (LST 6) can be seen sitting on Omaha beach right in the middle of this picture.
Attachment 348239

Some of the Higgins boats seen in the first few minutes of Saving Private Ryan were loaded full of men from his ship. He told us (reluctantly) that they were not taking fire on his ship but were close enough to "see them taking hell up on the beach." That event shaped the rest of his life.

Later that year on a trip back from Rouen to Portland his ship struck a mine and sank at the end of the Seine River.
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After that he was sent to Tampa to be reassigned which is where he met my mother. He was the ship's mailman and she worked in the Navy mailroom.

Once reassigned he went to Korea and China and was en route to Japan for the Invasion when VJ Day was announced.

Two months and 12 days after his 90th birthday (2 days after the D-Day anniversary) he died at the palliative care facility at the local VAMC.
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...and was buried in the the National Cemetery in Jacksonville
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Rest well old salt. I love you and miss you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

In memory of my Dad who was part of the Normandy invasion.
Attachment 348238

Here he is in late 1943 - early 1944 fresh out of basic, probably still 17 years old. His father signed a release letting him join the Navy early.

Operation Overlord took place 2 months and 10 days after his 18th birthday. He was really just a kid. His ship (LST 6) can be seen sitting on Omaha beach right in the middle of this picture.
Attachment 348239

Some of the Higgins boats seen in the first few minutes of Saving Private Ryan were loaded full of men from his ship. He told us (reluctantly) that they were not taking fire on his ship but were close enough to "see them taking hell up on the beach." That event shaped the rest of his life.

Later that year on a trip back from Rouen to Portland his ship struck a mine and sank at the end of the Seine River.
Attachment 348240

After that he was sent to Tampa to be reassigned which is where he met my mother. He was the ship's mailman and she worked in the Navy mailroom.

Once reassigned he went to Korea and China and was en route to Japan for the Invasion when VJ Day was announced.

Two months and 12 days after his 90th birthday (2 days after the D-Day anniversary) he died at the palliative care facility at the local VAMC.
Attachment 348241

...and was buried in the the National Cemetery in Jacksonville
Attachment 348242

Rest well old salt. I love you and miss you.

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It was a different time for sure.
He looks so young, very sad he did not get to enjoy his youth in the same way most did.
Their sacrifice was immense.
Glad he got to live a long life despite what he had to endure.

I think that everything in his life was viewed through the lens of the war. It was the most significant event of his life and understandably so. It was one of the most significant events of the 20th century.

My mother told me a story about when they went to France for the 60th anniversary of the invasion. They went to the museum and the cemetery and all the other sights to be seen. But when they went to the shore they were walking down the beach and he began sobbing uncontrollably.

Some time later he told me that for much of his life he felt guilty because he got to come home and so many men he knew and met didn't.

Yeah pops was there

Spent WW2 in the Army was in Panama most of the war then landed on Omaha, went through the Battle of the Bulge and up through Germany...

Got out in 1946

Went back in 1950, they gave him a choice Army or the newly minted USAF, after D-Day he chose Air Force, they immediately sent him to Thule Greenland after retraining on Radar...

From Greenland to Korea,

He and Mom bounced around until they ended up in Nagoya Japan, had my older sister, bounced around until KI Sawyer AFB in IN had me

We bounced around the world and the US,, from base to base landed in Columbus Ohio after Norway and they sent him to Vietnam in 1971

After that we got to Colorado and pops said after 30 years and 3 wars,, he was done,,, He became the best family man he could be..

My dad was in the US Air Corp now known as the US Air Force. He was in the 56th Fighter group and they flew the P-47 Thunderbolt. I have a few pics that are so awesome. The 56th was the most elite fighter group in WWII against Germany. my dad told me they would escort bombers over enemy territory to bomb ball bearing factories and such which is the exact storyline of the movie 12 O'clock High.