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In reply to the discussion: Eighty one years ago on this day. [View all]elocs
(24,486 posts)30. My dad landed on Omaha Beach. He was a heavy machine-gunner.
He was not a big guy but in the course of his war starting in North Africa and ending in Germany in November of '44 he won a silver start and 2 Purple hearts.
I have a short letter he wrote to his dad a few days after D-Day where he told him that he almost had 1 less son that day.
He became a 100% disabled vet and died at age 49 in 1970 as a result of what we now call PTSD.
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My uncle (my mother's brother) drove a tank in that assault. He got his first Purple Heart there
yellowdogintexas
Jun 2025
#51
A friend was an Italian teacher at the University of Kansas. He was in Sicily when the Allies landed.
erronis
Jun 2025
#37
My cousin 'chuted into France on D-Day, part of the invasion forces launched that day.
CTyankee
Jun 2025
#8
But they didn't have the media we do today. They probably couldn't imagine what the horrors were that lay ahead.
CTyankee
Jun 2025
#12
There were quite a few soldiers died in the waters. Never had a chance to even fire their weapon.
chouchou
Jun 2025
#20
My favorite movie as a kid was "The Longest Day", a great war movie full of stars
elocs
Jun 2025
#31
or the series "Band of Brothers" which follows a team all the way through their war experience
yellowdogintexas
Jun 2025
#52
My father's war ended just before the Battle of the Bulge when he got wounded for the 2nd time
elocs
Jun 2025
#54
My school bus driver when I was in 7th Grade had served as a glider pilot during World War II.
Aristus
Jun 2025
#33
You can request all records of his service. I did for my Dad. Took awhile but it was about two inches thick.
Evolve Dammit
Jun 2025
#39
Veterans Affairs I think? It was 20 years ago but they had a ton of his records.
Evolve Dammit
Jun 2025
#49
You can request them and the Congress person in your father's home district is where you start
yellowdogintexas
Jun 2025
#53
That would be great if you could get that. I didn't need a congress person?
Evolve Dammit
Jun 2025
#59