D-Day Hero Frank DeVita Recalls Lowering the Ramp in 'First Wave' at Omaha Beach

[Swede]

His chilling experience would haunt him for the rest of his life. Watch as he tells his remarkable story of service.

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[rurallib]

1. My FIL was among those on Omaha Beach

The only time I ever saw him get mad was when his cousin (a nurse) asked if he wanted to go back for the 50th anniversary. He just blew up

[Irish_Dem]

2. What those soldiers went through is just unbelievable.

The carnage was horrific.

I am glad those that survived are no longer alive to see what America has become.

[paleotn]

3. Agreed. I'm glad dad didn't live to see this. It would break his heart.

[Irish_Dem]

4. Same with my father.

He was career Air Force, flew combat in three wars.
It would break his heart to see what has happened to this country.
He risked his life over and over, for what?

[paleotn]

5. These stories need to be preserved lest we forget.

Poor guy. My heart just goes out to him.

Dad landed at Normandy on D-Day + 11. Fought in the hedgerows, the breakout, Aachen, The Bulge and into Germany. Tangled with the 1st SS Panzer twice. Even mom didn't know much of what he'd done or experienced until very late in life. Two things we all knew as children though was nothing was EVER as cold as Belgium in the winter of 44 / 45 and he'd joke about being a British soldier for a time. British? "Yea, during the bulge we got cut off up north from the rest of US 12th Army Group and were folded into Monty's 21st Army Group until the bulge started to closed." Thus, "unofficially", he "served" in the British army for a few weeks. Or so he would joke. Snarky to the end. I love that man.

[Dustlawyer]

6. I presented approximately 2,000 men, mostly WWII vets with a few WWI, Korea, and

Vietnam vets for their asbestos depositions. It is where I got “Dustlawyer” from. We had to go through their life histories to determine when and where they were exposed to asbestos which was in just about everything.

I have heard of ever major battle from people who were there like this gentleman. Their stories are sitting in transcripts that tell the true horrors of war in the twentieth century. I cannot imagine being in their shoes facing the things they had to live through. They are all heroes to me!

[drmeow]

7. My great uncle

was the commanding general of that operation

[Duppers]

8. Wow! Did you know him?

If so, did he ever speak about D-Day?

My father was there in the second wave but didn't say much except about finding a German jeep with two dead Germans and driving farther inland. He apparently liked the French - learned a bit of the language which I knew nothing about until I took a French class. He surprised me and my mother who had no idea he knew that much French.

[drmeow]

9. I think I met him

in 1978 - we made a trip to DC and spent time with all the extended family. However, I was only around 14 so what did I care? By the time I would have met him, he would have been 81 or so. I was much more interested and excited about meeting my cousin-once-removed, his nephew - Astronaut Michael Collins (who I also met at a big Collins family reunion about 15 of so years later). I've certainly met his kids and grandkids, nieces, nephews, and other grand nieces and nephews in subsequent years.

We didn't get to know that side of the family well as they were all in NY, NJ, DC and we were in CA. My sister spent more time with them as she went to Georgetown from 1980 - 1984 (he died in 1987) - she certainly is much closer to (what I think are) his grand or great grand kids. I have a hard time keeping his and Michael Collins' lines straight so I'm not sure if the people I know better (who I last saw in the late 2000s/early 2010s) are his descendants or Michael Collins' siblings and their kids!