79TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY
The Best Defense Foundation and Delta Air Lines with the support of Michelin will be taking up to 50 WWII veterans back to Normandy to commemorate the 79th anniversary of D-Day. The veterans will experience ten days of celebrations, remembrances and commemorations in honor of the liberation of France and their historic return!
EVENT SPONSORS
PRESENTING & TRANSPORTATION SPONSOR
DIAMOND SPONSOR
SILVER SPONSORS
COPPER SPONSOR
For helping us to share our veteran’s stories, we thank:
OFFICIAL SUPPORTERS
This program would not be possible without the support of these amazing organizations.
EVENT SCHEDULE
May 30, 2023:
- Veterans Arrive in Atlanta, GA
- Kick-off Dinner
May 31, 2023:
- Depart for Normandy
June 1, 2023:
- Arrival at Deauville – Normandy Airport
- Normandy Region Welcome Dinner
June 2, 2023:
- Cemetery Visit
- Cabbage Patch Ceremony-Legion of Honor
- Carentan Port Dinner
June 3, 2023:
- Carentan Parade
June 4, 2023:
- La Fiere: Paratroopers Jump
- Ste Mere Eglise
June 5, 2023:
- Pegasus Bridge Ceremony w/ British veterans
- Pointe du Hoc visit
June 6, 2023:
- US Cemetery Ceremony at Coleville
- International Ceremony at British Memorial
June 7, 2023:
- School Visit
- Farewell Dinner
June 8, 2023:
- Return to Atlanta
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
VETERANS
JACK MYERS
One of 13 children, Wilbur Jack Myers was born on June 17, 1923 in Williamsport, Maryland. In 1943, he was drafted into the Army and trained to be a gunner with the 692nd Tank Destroyer Battalion. . .
ANDRE CHAPPAZ
Andre Chappaz was born on September 14, 1925 in San Francisco, California. As a child of French parents, his family moved to Paris in the early 1930s, but when it became apparent that the French. . .
GIL NADEAU
Gil Nadeau was born in Beverly, Massachusetts on April 4, 1926. He was only thirteen years old when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, but knew that the country was at war and wanted revenge. . .
DICK RAMSEY
Richard “Dick” Ramsey was born in Brooklyn, New York on October 31, 1923. When the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred, Dick was at home with his family when he heard the report of the radio...
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MEDIA GALLERY
WWII Vets Return to Normandy: An Emotional Journey 79 Years After D-Day
What is The Best Defense Foundation
Tec5 Cletis A. Bailey
Company K, 333rd Regiment, 84th Infantry Division.
Cletis A. Bailey was born November 30th, 1925 and raised in Bradley County, Tennessee. Shortly after graduating from high school, he was drafted into the Army on August 4, 1944.
He was shipped to Europe as a replacement. There, he was assigned to Co K, 333rd Regiment, 84th Infantry Division. He arrived when his new unit was in the Battle of the Bulge in late January, 1945. After the Bulge, he fought in the Rhineland to cross the Roer River and further into Germany. Cletis was discharged on June 26th, 1946. Upon returning from WWII, Cletis remained in the Army under Active Reserves for nearly 3 years while attending National School of Business. In 1968 he enlisted in the United States Air Force achieving the rank of Master Sergeant and served in Vietnam.
SGT William Becker
492nd Bomb Group, 856th Bomb Squadron, 8th Air Force
William was born in the Bronx, New York City on February 7, 1926 and graduated from high school in 1943. Prior to enlisting in the Army Air Force, he worked as a propeller mechanic at Casey Jones School of Aeronautics and then at Curtis Wright propeller straightening school in New Jersey. He was chiefly concerned with straightening propeller blades, removing kinks, hammered blades into line and tested propellers for balance.
He entered active service April 17, 1944 attending basic training at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi and trained as a top turret gunner at Tyndall AFB, Panama City, Florida. His crew was sent to Harrington, England where they were assigned to the 801st/492nd Bombardment Group code name ” CARPETBAGGERS.” This group was the air arm of the OSS, the pre-runner to the CIA. The group flew many covert missions to the French, Norwegian and Danish underground dropping spies and supplies at night only when there was a moonlit sky to guide the B24 Liberator Heavy Bombers to their targets.
Within six months, William and his crew flew seven missions and was awarded the Air Medal. He was honorably discharged on March 27, 1946. The CARPETBAGGERS were awarded the French Croix de Guerre in 1987.
Tec5 Arlester Brown
599th Quartermaster Laundry Company
Arlester Brown was born on April 1, 1924 in Homer, Louisiana and spent a great deal of his life in Shreveport, Louisiana. At age 18, he was drafted on July 6, 1942 into the U.S. Army. After attending basic training at Camp Ellis in Peoria, Illinois, Arlester sailed to Southampton, England.
Arlester was deployed in various locations across Saint Lo and Normandy, France, Belgium, The Netherlands and the Rhineland area in Germany. He worked as a Quartermaster engineer with the 599th Quartermaster Laundry Company which was known for its involvement in the historical cleaning and supply for the front line. The supply line was formed by all Black troops who worked tirelessly to keep the troops’ clothing and cleaning supplies in line while the soldiers were in and out of combat during World War II. He also assisted in providing the soldiers personal hygiene and clean clothing. Arlester and other black soldiers were treated with more respect and equality in Europe than home in a highly segregated American culture. His most memorable time in World War II was in January, 1945 when an unmanned buzz bomb exploded near him and he was hit by shrapnel.
Arlester was discharged at Camp Shelby on December 28, 1945.
PFC Henry “Sam” Carlile
441th Complement Squadron, 355th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force.
Henry ‘Sam’ Carlile was born on January 9, 1924, in Hickory Flat, Mississippi.
He enlisted June 16, 1943, at Camp Forest, TN and was sent to Ft. Monmouth, NJ to be trained as a radio operator and was assigned to the 327th Signal Co. Wing (Signal Corps).
Sam shipped out on June 1, 1943 and upon arriving in Liverpool, England, he was transferred to an R.A.F airfield that had been turned over to the American Allies. From there, he worked on servicing all types of military network communications between all commands including combat orders, intelligence reports, weather, personnel transfers, supplies, and Red Cross assistance.
When the invasion took place in Normandy onJune 6, 1944, Sam worked as a radio operator for more than 32 hours straight. He handled various kinds of messages with five levels of classification– from deferred to urgent for transmission speed and from unclassified to top secret as well as some encrypted for security.
Later, in the war Sam participated in the Battle of the Rhineland supporting fighter aircraft and later in Germany near Augsberg. He was honorably discharged on December 11, 1945.
Andre Chappaz Bio
TEC5, 1885th Aviation Engineer Battalion, U.S. Army
Andre Chappaz was born on September 14, 1925 in San Francisco, California. His family moved to Paris in the early 1930s, but when it became apparent that the French military could not hold off the Germans, they decided to return back to the states. After high school, he attended art school at the Academy of Fine Arts and joined the Army in 1943.
Andre served with the 1885th Engineer Battalion, responsible for building airfields on Guam. He also served in Okinawa building runways for the B-29s landing in the Marianas. Using his art background, he chronicled life in the war through his drawings.
While in Okinawa, preparing for the invasion of Japan, Andre learned of the Japanese surrender. After the war, Andre finished art school through the GI Bill and spent 30 years in the field.
Cpl. Robert L. Chouinard ‘’Boots”
Battery B, 128th AAA Battalion, 3rd Army.
Robert was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts on December 21, 1923. He attended military prep school and was drafted into the Army in 1943. Assigned to the 128th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, he served as a gunner on a 90MM. They left New York Harbor on April 10, 1944 on the Queen Mary without escort and arrived in Scotland before traveling on to England.
Robert came ashore at Omaha Beach on June 28, 1944. They landed without incident, and saw the beach still cluttered with debris. His unit was assigned to protect Cherbourg Harbor. As a part of General Patton’s Third Army, they went on the race through France liberating
Le Mans and Toul. When the Battle of the Bulge started his unit was in Nancy, France where they were hit with “Buzz Bombs” (V1) and railroad guns. In January 1945, they protected Metz, France and continued into Germany. They stayed on the banks of the Rhine River and on the road to Munich, Germany, his unit shot down 7 planes, captured 181 German prisoners and expended 6,000 rounds of ammo fighting the last soldiers of the German Army.
The war ended for Robert in Linz, Austria on the Danube River. At the end of 1945, they went home through Le Havre, France back to the United States and Robert was discharged on January 5, 1946.
Pete Corrao
S1c, U.S. Navy
Pete Corrao was born in San Diego, California on November 3, 1925. Just 3 months before graduating high school, he was drafted and never received his diploma. On the afternoon of December 7, 1941, he was attending a football game at Balboa Stadium when it was announced that Pearl Harbor had been attacked.
He attended boot camp in San Diego and went on to radio school. Pete served on ships throughout the Pacific including the USS Oahu, USS Orveta and USS Zeus spending three weeks in Hawaii and then to Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands supplying water to the larger ships in the convoy.
Pete was serving on Eniwetok atoll when the bomb was dropped over Japan to end the war. He was discharged in March, 1946, serving 2 years in the US Navy. After the war, he returned to San Diego and became a commercial fisherman and then managed a grocery store where he worked with his wife.
PFC Jimmy Doi
G Company, 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team
Jimmy Doi was born on April 5, 1925 in Oxnard, California.
In 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Executive Order 9066 was signed interning thousands of Japanese Americans living on the west coast. At age 17, Jimmy and his family were incarcerated at Gila River, Arizona by the War Relocation Authority. After a year and a half, he and others were given the chance to serve in the U.S. military.
Jimmy enlisted on April 12, 1944 and attended basic training at Camp Blanding, FL. He was assigned to G Company, 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team—an all- Japanese American unit.
Jimmy boarded the Queen Mary and arrived in Glasgow, Scotland. He then crossed the English Channel, landed at Le Havre, France and was transported to northeastern France just as the 100th/442nd completed their missions in the Rhineland. From mid-November, 1944 through March 23, 1945, Jimmy participated in the Rhineland-Maritime Alps Campaign. He conducted daily combat reconnaissance patrols and defended an 18-mile stretch from the Mediterranean coast northward into the French Maritime Alps. They were tasked with protecting and guarding against the enemy all on the southern coast of France. Jimmy and the 100th/442nd RCT also protected the French pass at Col de Braus that encompassed a strategic road running from Nice to Italy where they continued to battle enemy patrols and snipers.
Jimmy Doi was discharged on 8 March 1946.
He reenlisted that same day and stayed in the Army until 1949. The 442nd became the most highly decorated unit in WWII earning 21 Medals of Honor.
Cpt. Alan N. Daun
2531st AFF Base Unit
Alan N. Daun was born on July 24, 1925 in Ocean Beach (San Diego), California. At the end of his senior year, when he was 17 years old, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps on April 19, 1943. His active duty service began on September 25, 1943 after his 18th birthday as he hoped to become a pilot.
All of Alan’s training and experience was in Texas. He trained in single engine planes, including in PT-19s and BT-13s, and later in a twin engine bomber, the B-25. After graduating from flight training, he was assigned as an AT-7 and C-47 pilot. He flew cadets on navigation missions over both land and water. Later, as an AT-11 pilot he flew bombardier students on training missions. He had a total of 550 flying hours and an excellent efficiency rating. His memories are too many to list, but his best memory was having his wings pinned on. The war ended before he went overseas, but he was fully prepared to serve his country. He was discharged on December 4, 1945.
SM2c Carl T. Felton
HMS Ceres; USS Baker; USS Scott
Carl was born on February 6, 1926 in Somerville, Massachusetts. Four months after graduating from high school, he joined the US Navy in October, 1943 at age 17 and attended bootcamp in Sampson, NY. After receiving training in Morse Code, he became a Signalman and was assigned to the HMS Ceres. The ship was in charge of directing traffic in and out of Omaha Beach.
In the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, the ship left for Normandy and took heavy fire off the coast. Carl was stationed on the bridge sending and receiving messages. Many ships around him were sunk. He was stationed at Omaha Beach throughout the summer of 1944 before moving on to Cherbourg to help rebuild the port. Carl was transferred in 1945 to the USS Baker whose main job was to search for mines.
Carl returned to New York City on the Queen Elizabeth in 1945 and was transferred to the USS Scott which escorted a captured German submarine to Washington DC. He was then sent to Florida to assist in the decommission of several ships and was honorably discharged in April, 1946.
Cpl. John D. Foy
Company A, 347th Infantry Regiment, 87th Infantry Division, 3rd Army
John was born October 12, 1925 in Rochester, New York and enlisted in 1943 in the ASTP. Due to heavy losses in the European campaigns, the Army needed infantrymen. He was assigned to Company A, 347th Infantry Regiment, 87th Division.
On October 12, 1944 he was shipped over to England. John served as a front line machine gunner in the Battle of Northern France, and then went on to serve in the Battle of the Bulge.
During the Battle of the Bulge, his company fought two German tanks and hundreds of soldiers. The Germans launched a high explosive shell about a hundred yards from John and shrapnel smashed his machine gun. His assistant gunner was hit in his chest, so he put the cellophane from a cigarette pack over the wound, put a belt around him, grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him to cover. He helped load the seriously wounded man on a jeep, never expecting to see him alive again.
Fighting through the Siegfried Line, his company of 200 men lost a total of 80, and more than 100 men were wounded. They then crossed the Mosel and the Rhine River and continued to fight across Germany to Czechoslovakia, where they met the Russian Army at the end of the war.
John was discharged on April 11, 1946.
Tec5 Robert P. ‘’Bob’’ Gibson
Battery A, 116th AAA Battalion, 1st Army
Robert was born on September 4, 1923 in Hampton, New Jersey. Before he could complete his senior year of high school, he was drafted into the Army in March, 1943. He attended basic training at Camp Davis, North Carolina and was assigned to the 116th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, Battery ‘A’ . He boarded the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth in October, 1943 to Great Britain. In England they trained to perform the duties of an AAA gun battalion.There he learned to be a M4 High-Speed tractor driver.
On June 6, 1944, Bob and his unit, attached to the 1st Army, made their way to Utah Beach landing in the second wave. He saw dead American soldiers floating face down in the water and tried his hardest to avoid driving over the bodies on the beach. They landed after the assault troops but still faced much danger. Two men of his unit were killed by artillery in their Jeep.
Bob drove the M4 tractor with 90mm AA guns engaging the enemy day and night. He continued to serve through Normandy, France. In the Battle of the Bulge their mission was to use the guns against tanks and armored vehicles instead of planes. They continued on into Germany and across the Rhine river and Battery A was there when Germany surrendered in May 1945.
Bob was discharged on December 6, 1945
Tec4 Raymond Glansberg
Hq Co., 50th Armored Infantry Battalion, 6th Armored Division
Raymond Glansberg was born on November 17, 1921 in the Bronx, New York and enlisted on July 20,1942. He was sent to Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey to Signal Corps school and from there he also trained at Camp Edison and Camp Reynolds. On August 7, 1944, he went overseas and came ashore in England. At that time, the 6th Armored Division was subsequently assigned to General George S. Patton’s 3rd Army, and took part in the Allied counteroffensive to stop the German advance during the Battle of the Bulge. At the end of March 1945, the unit crossed the Rhine River and moved quickly into central Germany. After fording the Werra River and advancing deeper into Germany, the 6th Armored Division overran the Buchenwald concentration camp on April 11, 1945. The first US troops arrived in Buchenwald shortly thereafter, to be greeted by the cheers of the liberated prisoners. The “Super Sixth” reported that some 21,000 inmates were still in the camp. Further in April, they linked up with Russian forces and some of Ray’s most memorable recollections of the war was getting to know the Russian soldiers. Ray was discharged on November 20, 1945.
Major Billy C. Hall
VMSB-141, MAG-11, 1st Marine Division Aviation
Billy C. Hall was born on March 11, 1926 in Frederick, Oklahoma and enlisted in the Marine Corps in August, 1941 at the age of 15 years old when the recruiter lied about his age. He was sent to Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego for basic training before he deployed to Guadalcanal in August, 1942 making the beach landing in a Higgins Boat with fixed bayonet.
Assigned to the Marine Air Group 11, VMSB-141, Billy then served as a Radioman/Gunner in a Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber engaging the enemy over the Solomon Islands, including Peleliu and Munda, in ship convoy cover, strafing in support of ground troops, and fire and dive bombing. He also flew in TBF Avenger torpedo bombers performing anti-submarine patrols and glide bombing enemy ships.
Billy flew 100 combat missions by the time he was 17 years old. In 1943, he transferred to California as a radioman/gunner instructor, but returned to action in 1945 at Peleliu, flying 50 TBF anti-submarine and enemy shipping patrol missions until the war ended.
After the war, Billy joined the CA National Guard and served in Korea and as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. He retired as a Major on January 31, 1967.
Rd2Mc George Hamilton
USS King (DD-242); USS Orleck (DD-886)
George was born in West Monroe, Louisiana on April 2, 1922. He enlisted in the Navy on August 26, 1942. After attending boot camp, he was assigned to a destroyer that patrolled the Aleutian Islands and then was sent to Jackson, Mississippi to attend the V-12 programs at Millsap College.
Serving aboard the USS King (DD-242) and USS Orleck (DD-886), George served most of the war around the Aleutian Islands as a Radarman. While out to sea in the North Pacific, George and his crew were hit by a severe storm and the ship listed 57 degrees. He rode out the storm on deck duty and was told that if it had listed one more degree, they would have gone into the sea.
George earned an honorable discharge on December 23, 1945. He spent 40 months in the service. He went on to play minor league baseball for the Opelika (Alabama) Owls and was inducted into the Central Alabama Softball Hall of Fame in 2010.
Pfc Melvin Hurwitz
493rd Bomb Group, 863rd Bomb Squad, 8th Air Force
Melvin Hurwitz was born on March 12, 1925 in Baltimore, Maryland. He started college in Nashville, Tennessee but soon after joined the U.S. Army. He attended basic training in Greensboro, North Carolina and then to the Army Air Corps training centers around the country assigned as a radio gunner on a B-17 “Flying Fortress.” Serving with the 863rd Bomb Squadron, 493rd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, it was the last bomb group assigned to the “Mighty 8th” in the war. Melvin’s B-17 was nicknamed “Disorganized Confusion” and flew 4 combat missions. However, his plane participated in the dropping of food supplies to the starving Dutch civilians and flew returning French prisoners of war from Austria. Arriving back in the United States, the crew began B-29 training in preparation for the ongoing war in Japan. While awaiting orders to the Pacific, the war ended.
Tec4 Karl D. Kammer
396th Field Artillery Battalion, 16th Armored Division.
Karl D. Kammer was born on January 13, 1926 in Cleveland, Ohio. After graduating from high school, he was drafted into the Army on his 18th birthday in 1944 and began his basic training on March 29, 1944.
Karl was sent to Ft. Knox, KY armored school, where he learned to operate radio equipment transmitting and receiving messages and using International Morse Code. He was then assigned to the 396th Field Artillery Battalion, 16th Armored Division as a Radio Operator at Camp Chaffee in Arkansas.
On February 5, 1945, Karl departed from the New York Port of Embarkation and arrived in Le Havre, France. While in France, he awaited an assignment and on April 17, 1945 they were assigned to Patton’s 3rd Army. He entered Germany two days later and prepared for combat.
During the final days of the war, Karl crossed the Sudetenland between Germany and Czechoslovakia. The 16th Armored Division was on their way to liberate the city of Pilsen in Czechoslovakia.
The 16th Armored Division suffered the lightest casualty count of all US Armored Divisions in Europe.
Karl was discharged on May 21, 1946.
Flt O. Daniel Keel
Tuskegee Airman
Daniel Keel was born on September 10, 1922 in Mineola, NY. In 1941, he graduated from Boston Latin School where he attained the rank of Cadet 2nd Lt in JROTC. He continued his education at Northeastern, majoring in aeronautical engineering.
In 1943, Daniel was drafted into the US Army Air Corps and attended training at Keesler Army Air Field and Tuskegee Army Air Field. He received his Twin Engine Navigator and Aerial Bombardier Rating in 1944 as a part of the famed ‘Tuskegee Airman,’ an all Black aviation unit.
While training in Midland, TX, he and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen officers protested the segregated facilities on base.
Daniel earned his third rating as a pilot in the basic single engine T-6 Texan Training and completed training in the B-25 in preparation of serving in the Pacific. The war ended before his deployment. He was discharged in 1946 and is one of three black officers to earn three aeronautical ratings during WWII.
Wallace “Wally” King1st Lt.–9th Air Force Division, U.S. Army Air Corps
Wally King was born in Courtland, Ohio on October 31, 1923. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, he was visiting a girlfriend in Ohio and was stunned at the news. He knew that would mean he would be serving his country. After enlisting in the U.S. Army, he was assigned to the 9th Air Force Division as a Private. Shortly after, he became an aviation cadet and eventually a 1st Lieutenant.
During his service, Wally flew 75 combat missions as a fighter pilot. It was his mission to shoot at the Germans and keep them at bay so the American transports could drop supplies. During one mission, the squadron was sent to “quiet” or dive bomb before transports arrived. His wingman was wounded and taken prisoner and his squadron commander was killed in action. Later on, Wally’s plane went down near Berlin and he was captured and became a prisoner of war.
Wally’s war ended on May 3, 1945 when he was turned over to the American bridgehead at Magdeburg, Germany by the German medical unit. He was awarded the Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross and three Presidential Unit Citations, among many others. He recently received the French Medal of Honor.
Sgt. Jack Kinyon
503rd Army Air Forces Base Unit
Air Transport Command
John H. “Jack” Kinyon was born in Long Beach, New York on March 24, 1923.
Jack worked at American Airlines on DC-3s as an Apprentice Mechanic before joining the Air Transport Command (Army Air Forces) in the autumn of 1942. He served as a Loadmaster on C-54 aircraft in the North Atlantic Division. Flights were from New Castle Army Air Base, Delaware via great circle routes, to French Morocco in North Africa as well as extended flights to Tripoli, Libya; Cairo, Egypt; Abadan, Iran; and Karachi, India. He also flew the northern routes via Goose Bay, Labrador; Keflavik, Iceland; and Prestwick, Scotland. Flights to mainland Europe did not occur until after the D-Day operation and the subsequent liberation of Paris in August 1944.
The Battle of the Bulge began in December 1944. The C-54 was the only plane that could cross the Atlantic Ocean. From Paris they carried wounded soldiers, an Army nurse, and a medic to Mitchell Field, Long Island, NY. Return flights carried only whole blood. These evacuation flights continued until the battle ended in late January 1945. Subsequent flights were to Frankfurt and Berlin, Germany. Jack served throughout World War II and until February 1947.
Cpl. Tom R. LaceyC Company, 393rd Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division
Tom was born on April 12, 1925 Huntington, IN and grew up in Wheaton, IL.
He enlisted in the Army on July 15, 1943 at Ft. Sheridan. He completed basic training at Camp Fannin, TX. Together with two friends, Tom requested a transfer for pilot training and eventually volunteered to be a radio operator (FM SCR 300s) for C Co., 99th Infantry Division.
Tom arrived in Liverpool, England on the SS Athos II in early October, 1944 and then transferred to Blandford. Three weeks later, Tom left Bournemouth in a LST and arrived at Le Havre, France.
After being trucked to the Siegfried Line near Krinkelt, Tom heard the screeching sound of
60mm mortar shells and spent the next five weeks in the dreaded Hürtgen Forest. On December 16, 1944, Tom was awoken by a tremendous artillery barrage at 5:30am, which was the start of the largest military engagement in US history– the Battle of the Bulge. Tom lived through relentless artillery barrages from both the enemy and US 105s and helped evacuate one of his buddies (Red Netter) who had been hit. The 99th Inf. Div. was the first entire division to cross the Rhine on the infamous bridge at Remagen.
Tom was discharged at Ft. Lewis, one of only 11 men who survived of the 200 men in his unit.
SSgt Jake M. Larson
G3, V Corps
Jake M. Larson was born on December 20, 1922 in Owatonna, Minnesota. He enlisted in the National Guard in 1938, lying about his age as he was only 15 years old. In February 1941, his guard unit transferred into federal service and they were now officially part of the Army. Jake trained at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana and was assigned to HQ Company, 13th Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division as Company Clerk.
In January 1942, he was sent overseas and was stationed at Bellamina and Armaugh in northern Ireland. Transferring to G3, V Corps, Jake became the operations sergeant and assembled the planning books for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy. Landing on Omaha Beach, he ran onto the beach while being peppered with machine gun fire and made it to the cliffs without being wounded. That night he was assigned to the night shift for the G3 as they needed to operate for 24 hours a day and he continued this duty through the Battle of the Bulge. Jake was discharged April 13, 1945.
Tec4 Moshe D. Lenske
Co A, 2d Armored Medical Battalion, 9th Armored Division
Moshe D. Lenske was born on June 20, 1925 Portland, Oregon. After graduating from high school, Moshe enlisted into the Army on September 18, 1943 in Portland, Oregon.
He attended basic training at Fort Lewis, WA and received technical training in radio operation and Morse Code in Fort Benning, GA. After being sent overseas to England, Moshe trained for two additional months. He was sent in as a replacement in Luxemburg serving with Company A, Second Armored Medical Battalion which was a part of the 9th Armored Division, Combat Command A. During the Battle of the Bulge, Combat Command A was placed just south of the confluence of the Our and Sure Rivers wedged between the 109th Infantry Regiment of the 28th Infantry Division.
Moshe continued on with the 9th Armored Division as they crossed into Germany. In March, 1945, Moshe crossed the famous last bridge across the Rhine River–the Bridge at Remagen and fought his way into Germany all the way to Czechoslovaskia. Moshe was honorably discharged at Fort Lewis, Washington on March 16, 1946.
Sgt. William Kenneth Luttrell
1st Joint Assault Signal Company, 4th Marine Division.
Ken Luttrell was born on January 16, 1924 in Brentwood, Missouri. He enlisted in the Marine Corps 1943 and completed basic training at Marine Corps Base San Diego.
Three months later, Ken completed radio school and Scout School at Camp Pendleton and was assigned to the 1st Joint Assault Signal Company. On Dec 17th 1943, Ken was in the radio squad of Team 2.2 and pursued maneuvers along the west coast on the USS Elmore (APA-42). On Feb 1, 1944, Ken’s squad stormed the beaches of Roi – Namur during the third wave. In late May, they departed for Saipan for the invasion on June 16, 1944 landing on the beaches in the second wave. Immediately following, on July 24, Ken landed in the first wave of the invasion of Tinian. After a short transfer to Maui, the 4th Marine Div embarked for the invasion of Iwo Jima on Feb 19, 1945. Ken’s team was in the first wave of the amphibious assault of ‘Yellow Beach’ with Motoyama airfield as their objective and directing naval gunfire. On Feb 21, he was setting up a 20 ft naval telescoping radio antenna and was hit by a piece of shrapnel that ripped through his left cheek to exit out his right cheek. He was taken to Saipan on the hospital ship USS Solace. He was honorably discharged on Nov 21, 1945 at Great Lakes Naval Station.
TSGT Neal McCallum
Company F, 2nd Battalion, 29th Marines Regiment, 6th Marine Division
Neal was born on March 27, 1927 in Star, NC. Upon turning 17 years old, Neal volunteered for the Marines. After boot camp, Neal was sent to Guadalcanal with F Company, 29th Marine Regiment, joining the 22nd and 4th Regiments, forming the new 6th Marine Division. The division trained for seven months in the jungles.
Operation Iceberg, the invasion of Okinawa, occurred on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945 when multiple Army and Marine divisions assaulted the island. Neal, turning 18 a few days prior, fought as an infantryman in the mortar section of F Company, until he was seriously wounded on May 19, 1945 in the battle of Sugarloaf Hill, where the Marines suffered over 3,000 casualties. Neal’s company lost many men and his best friend, Victor Hansen, was killed in action. Neal was evacuated and after multiple hospital stays and surgeries, Neal returned to duty, after 90 days, in the US guarding German prisoners, as he did not have enough points to be discharged.
Neal had four brothers serving in the war in Europe. His brother, Allen Swede McCallum was killed in France.
Neal was discharged as a Corporal on December 12, 1947 when he was 20 years old.
Pfc Norris J. Morvant
Supply Clerk
89th Compliment Squadron, 8th Army Air Corps
Norris Morvant was born on February 7, 1924 in Thibodaux, Louisiana. He was inducted into the Army Air Corps on March 29, 1943 attending basic training in Kansas City,
MO. He began training as a radio operator, but due to illness was reassigned and given orders to deploy to Headquarters in Teddington, England.
Upon arriving in France, he was assigned to the 89th Compliment Squadron, 8th Army Air Corps after the landing at Normandy. He was assigned special missions bringing messages to units at the front while his French speaking skills helped the effort with translation duties.
Norris was stationed at St. Germain near Paris and then to Wiesbaden, Germany until arriving home on Christmas morning, 1945.
Norris was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Good Conduct Medal, EAME Medal, World War II Victory medal, City of Lafayette Coin, Canadian medal and flag honoring “Frenchie” and the French Legion of Honor Medal attaining rank of Chevalier.
SSgt George K. Mullins
Co. C, 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
George was born on April 29, 1925 in Jenkins, Kentucky. He attended basic training at Camp Wheeler, GA where he was assigned to the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment (GIR) of the 101st Airborne.
On June 7, 1944, he landed on Utah Beach and participated in the fighting of Saint-Come-du-Mont. The 327th GIR liberated Brevands and participated in the liberation of Carentan. George fought in all campaigns of the 327th GIR. In Operation Market Garden in Holland, he earned a Purple Heart for wounds received on November 9, 1944. He also was with the 101st Airborne in the Battle of the Bulge, and later went into Germany where he crossed the border into Austria to Hitler’s ‘Eagle’s Nest’ in Bertesgaden, Germany.
George was honorably discharged on December 10, 1945.
Cpl. Wilbur J.“Jack” Myers
Company B, 692nd Tank Destroyer Battalion, attached with the 104th & 42nd Infantry Division
One of 13 children, Wilbur Jack Myers was born on June 17, 1923 in Williamsport, Maryland. In 1943, he was drafted into the Army and trained to be a gunner with the 692nd Tank Destroyer Battalion.
Arriving in Cherbourg, France, on September 23, 1944, they rapidly advanced to the southern part of the Netherlands to support the 104th Division and British forces in the Battle of Antwerp, Belgium. Soon after, the 692nd Tank Destroyer Battalion advanced to Aachen, Germany and the Siegfried Line. His battalion occupied the defensive positions along the Roer River during the Battle of the Bulge and supported the 104th Division from the Roer to the Rhine River and helped capture Cologne. After clearing more Siegfried Line fortifications, they crossed the Rhine on March 31, 1945 and drove across Germany to advance to Munich by April 30th. Jack and the 692nd Tank Destroyer Battalion were attached to the 42nd, 63rd and 104th Infantry Divisions during WW2, and was also involved in the liberation of Dachau concentration camp when attached to the 42nd Infantry Division.
For many years, Jack was too emotional to speak about his experiences during WW2 because of losing so many friends in combat. But when he eventually started talking about his experiences, he discovered it became easier to deal with the past. Jack is now married with his second wife, Mary Jo, and is still active with singing and dancing. He sky-dived for his 96th birthday and is planning to sky dive for his future birthdays.
S3c Gilbert D. Nadeau
Signalman, LCS(L) 45, U.S. Navy
Gilbert D. Nadeau was born on April 4, 1926 in Beverly, Massachusetts and lived there with his family when war broke out.
His brother enlisted in the Navy immediately, but Gil had to wait to join until he turned sixteen and had his parent’s permission. Upon completion of boot camp and advanced training, Gil declined duty with an amphibious unit but was ordered to the unit anyway.
Gil became a signalman on LCS(L) 45 in the Philippines and Borneo. He was headed to Iwo Jima when his ship collided with a larger vessel and had to abort their mission and be repaired. His final combat mission was Okinawa, where he witnessed and survived devastating kamikaze attacks.
When the Battle of Okinawa ended for Gil’s ship, his unit returned to the Philippine Islands and prepared to invade Japan; Japan surrendered before the invasion could happen.
Sgt. Andrew ‘Andy’ Negra Jr.
Hq Battery, 128th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
6th Armored Division
Andy Negra Jr. was born on May 28, 1924 near Avella, Pennsylvania and was the first in his family to graduate from high school. Joining the U.S. Army on August 2, 1943, he attended basic training at Ft. Bragg, N.C. and shipped out overseas on February 11, 1944. Upon landing in Wales, he was attached to the 128th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 6th Armored Division.
Andy´s unit landed on Utah Beach in Normandy on July 18, 1944. From Normandy, he fought in the battle of Brest, France. In December 1944, the 6th Armored Division was ordered to take part in the Battle of the Bulge. The unit was heavily engaged in the battle for Bastogne, Belgium and after a short period of rehabilitation in January 1945, the division resumed the offensive, penetrating the Siegfried Line. On April 11, 1945 battalions of the 6th Armored Division liberated Buchenwald concentration camp. The division continued to race on, taking Leipzig followed by the crossing of the River Zwickau Mulde at Rochlitz on April 15, 1945. Andy and his unit held their defensive positions along the Mulde River until the end of hostilities in Europe. He then went on to serve in the Army of Occupation in Germany with the 2nd Armored Division. Andy was honorably discharged on December 17, 1945.
CPL Joseph R. ‘’Joe’’ Picard
Battery C, 552nd Field Artillery Battalion
Joseph R. Picard was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on June 25, 1925. He was drafted into the Army on August 10, 1943 and was trained as a Cannoneer of a 240mm Howitzer at the Field Artillery Training Center at Fort Bragg prior to being shipped overseas. He was appointed Battery Clerk and in April, 1944, was sent overseas to England. After completing training, they moved across the channel. On June 28th and 29th, his unit disembarked on the French coast at Utah Beach and started firing their guns on June 30th, 1944. From then on until early September, they supported the 1st Army through Normandy and Northern France. Later that month, they moved into the vicinity of Aachen, Germany and fought in the Battle of the Bulge in support of the 18th Airborne Corps. On November 5, his best friend, Raymond A. Bolduc was killed by shrapnel from an oncoming artillery shell. After the Bulge, they made their way further into Germany where the 552nd fought from the Roer River to the Rhine River and supported the Remagen bridgehead. At the end of the war they had occupation duty and Joe was discharged on January 1, 1946.
Dick RamseyCOX—USS Nevada, U.S. Navy
Richard “Dick” Ramsey was born in Brooklyn, New York on October 31, 1923. When the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred, Dick was at home with his family when he heard the report of the radio. He was not old enough to be drafted, so he did not know what to expect. However, he was motivated to quit school and sought employment at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. While there, he helped to build the USS Missouri and the USS Iowa.
In 1943, Dick enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was sent to Great Lakes Naval Station for boot camp. He served as a Coxswain, in charge of driving small craft, and was send to Normandy for the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944 aboard the USS Nevada. The invasion on the beaches of France was his first experience in combat. Dick also participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the Jaluit Atoll in the Marshall Islands all before the war’s end in 1945.
When the Japanese surrendered, Dick and his shipmates were in the Philippines. For his service, he received the French Legion of Honor. He was honorably discharged on January 25, 1946.
Sgt. George F. ReitmeierF Company, 264th Infantry Regiment, 66th Infantry Division
George F. Reitmeier was born on June 3, 1925 in Lackawanna, New York.
In his senior year an Army recruiter visited the school and promoted the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) looking for engineers. In June, 1943, George was accepted into basic training at Ft. Benning and was sent to the University of Missouri to begin classes.
In 1944, when the ASTP was disbanded, George was sent to Ft. Rucker to form the 66th Infantry Division and was assigned to F Company, 264th Infantry Regiment, 66th Infantry Division.
He arrived in England in November, 1944 and then on to join the fight in December for the Battle of the Bulge. While aboard his troopship, they were struck by a German torpedo while crossing the Channel. A British destroyer pulled alongside them as they were sinking and George leapt onboard. He was then sent to the Ardennes as reinforcements for the badly depleted division where he experienced combat. From there, he was sent to the Lorient sector of Brittany where he remained until the end of the war.
George remained in France assisting with moving troops back stateside until he was moved to Linz, Austria to build a camp for displaced persons.
He returned home in May 1946 upon discharge.
2Lt. Betty L. Huffman-Rosevear
Army Nurse Corps
Betty Huffman Rosevear was born on June 3, 1921 in Big Valley, Canada. She moved with her parents and 10 brothers and sisters to Oregon and trained to become a nurse in a Catholic School in Baker, Oregon.
Betty was training in a program at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland in June, 1943 when she married 2nd Lt. Billy Huffman on June 6, 1943.
Betty enlisted in the Army Nurse Corps in 1944 and was sent to train at Fort Lewis for 6 weeks. She was commissioned as a 2Lt. and was assigned to an Army hospital in Auburn, California where she worked in a psychiatric ward–specifically with soldiers with brain injuries.
On February 20, 1944, Betty’s husband, Billy was shot down over Denmark and became a casualty of war. He was buried at the Ardennes cemetery and brought home in 1948. After his death Betty continued with nursing, working in a tent hospital in the Philippines in Leyte and Luzon. She was moved to a hospital in Manila where she tended to wounded soldiers of the Pacific Theater and was there when the war ended. Betty was discharged in 1946.
TEC4 Richard Rossi
1301st Engineer General Service Regiment, 3rd Army
Richard Rossi was born on June 1, 1924 in Lorain, Ohio. He was 17 years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked and enlisted in the US Army on May 10, 1943 with his best friend Robert Bailey. After completing basic training, he completed Radio School at Fort Benning, GA and became a radio operator. He continued to keep in touch with Robert throughout the time.
Richard deployed to the European front from Boston, MA and arrived in Liverpool, England. He was assigned to the 1301st Engineer General Service Regiment which was part of Patton’s 3rd Army. They departed for France landing on Utah Beach in early July, 1944. As a radio operator, his job consisted of a two-man team in the field. He typed Morse Code while the other generated voltage to transmit the message.
He was later detailed to the 3rd Army HQ in Nancy, France on an errand, when he learned of their need for a saxophone player. Richard auditioned and was transferred to the 3rd Special Services Company where he was a member of an orchestra playing Jamboree shows for service members. It was there that he learned that his friend, Robert Bailey had been killed in action on July 8, 1944.
Richard continued on spending time in Germany, Belgium and Czechoslovakia, performing for the troops and boosting morale of the men fighting. He experienced bombings and strafings by the Germans as he made his way through Europe. After the end of the war, he returned home to New York Harbor on Christmas Day and was honorably discharged on December 29, 1945.
Richard’s friend is buried at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville.
MoMM2c Richard Rung
LCT 539; LST 309
Richard was born on September 24, 1924 in Buffalo, New York. While attending automobile school, he was inducted into the Navy on July 22, 1943 at 18 years old. Richard trained at Sampson Naval Training Base in Geneva, New York, but once his superiors discovered his auto-mechanics background, he was sent to the U.S. Naval Institute in Richmond, Virginia.
Assigned to LCT 539, he was sent overseas and took part in the D-Day invasion of June 6, 1944. After they landed and disembarked the troops, time was spent hosing down the deck of the blood of those who were killed. They went back and forth to the USS Samuel Chase to deposit both wounded and casualties from Omaha Beach.
Richard’s LCT 539 stayed in Normandy for almost 5 months. His ship transported troops, supplies and vehicles from larger ships to shore. In December 1944, he was assigned to LST 309 and was shipped to the Pacific Theater where he spent the rest of the war. He was honorably discharged on March 22, 1946.
SGT Robert L. “Bud” Sabetay
773rd Field Artillery (Normandy)
E Co., 359th Infantry Regiment, 90th Division (Battle of the Bulge)
Bud Sabetay was born a fraternal twin on November 2, 1924 in Des Moines, Iowa. He was drafted into the Army in May, 1944 and was assigned to the 773rd Field Artillery in Normandy as a field lineman and radio operator. He was then transferred to E Company, 359th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division under General Patton for the Battle of the Bulge. During his first combat experience in Belgium, Bud was wounded as a rocket exploded near him.
He continued to serve in Normandy at Metz and the Siegfried Line. While patrolling a small town, he was ordered to throw a hand grenade into a basement. Thankfully, the pin would not come out and he didn’t throw it. Had he done so, he would have killed the women and children of the town.
Bud was honorably discharged on December 2, 1945.
Robert’s book “Memoirs of an American Jewish Soldier,” details his service during WWII.
MM3c George Sarros
LST 515
George was born on April 17, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois. After being drafted in 1943, the government granted his request to join the Navy. He attended basic training in Great Lakes, Illinois and advanced training in Farragut, Idaho.
George was assigned to LST 515 and traveled from New Orleans along the Eastern seaboard to pick up ammunition before making the transatlantic crossing with a convoy in January, 1944. Arriving in Southampton, England the ship was unloaded and the men began training for the invasion of France. George and his shipmates participated in ‘Exercise Tiger’ which was the last training exercise with all combined forces before D-Day. During the exercise, the German Navy picked up radio transmissions and torpedoed three of the ships. The Captain of LST 515 disobeyed a direct order and turned them around to pick up survivors.
On June 6, 1944, George landed on Utah Beach at 1pm. His ship delivered ammo, men and vehicles in exchange for wounded paratroopers to be brought back to England for medical attention. During his time overseas, George and the men of LST 515 made 65 cross-channel trips without one sailor killed or wounded. He was honorably discharged in June, 1946.
TEC5 Richard V. Stewart
459th Signal Construction Battalion
Richard was born on November 29, 1920 and raised in Marion, Indiana and graduated from high school in 1939. While attending embalming school in 1942, he received his draft notice and was inducted in the U.S. Army on December 31, 1942.
Richard received specialist training in communications and became a lineman responsible
for installing and repairing telephone lines. He landed on Omaha Beach in July, 1944 and continued to serve in France, Belgium and Germany providing area communications support for various Army Air Forces commands until the end of the war. Due to segregation during that time, and the fact that black soldiers were not allowed to fight alongside whites, Richard’s unit was called in after the fighting to run communication lines throughout the war-torn area.
Richard was discharged from the Army on November 13,1945.
SC2c Jack E. Stowe
U.S. Navy
Jack Stowe was born in Denton, Texas on September 28, 1928 and was working at a grocery store when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Jack knew this was a life changing event and wanted to fight for his country, but at 15 years old, he was too young. Jack quit high school, altered his birthdate on some documents and joined the Navy at fifteen years old.
After basic training in San Diego, Jack was assigned to Halavo Seaplane Base on Florida Island, just across from Tulagi, where President John F. Kennedy was stationed as a PT Boat commander. Jack witnessed them frequently patrolling the water around the Solomon Islands and watched the large naval battles in Iron Bottom Sound.
Halavo Base was frequently attacked with one raid resulting in a large explosion causing many casualties. As the war moved closer to Japan, Jack stayed at the base to maintain security.
When the war ended, Jack and two of his navy buddies hitched a ride on a Dutch freighter back to the US.
After serving for over three years, Jack was discharged in January, 1946 at 18.5 years old!
S1c Walter L. Stowe
CASU (Carrier Service Unit)-48, Naval Air Station San Diego
US Navy
Walter Lee Stowe was born on February 2, 1928. He dropped out of school at 12 years old when he was in the 7th grade and entered into the workforce. At 14 years old he worked for Consolidated Aircraft Manufacturers building B-24 Bombers. Walter experienced the war on the homefront, and when his brother joined the Navy in 1942 at age 15, he couldn’t wait to follow. He enlisted three days after his 15th birthday with a doctored birth certificate just like his brother.
Walter attended boot camp in San Diego and boarded ship on his way to Saipan. He stopped in Hawaii and waited for Marine support in Kaneohe Bay. Once on Saipan, he helped set up a seaplane base in Tanapag Harbor where he served as a swimmer, swimming landing gear out to the seaplanes.
Finishing out the war on Saipan, he stayed there for a few more months as many Japanese came out of hiding to surrender. He was officially discharged on May 20th, 1946.
At just 17 years old, Walter met the love of his life, Lois and they were married in 1946. He became a pastor and preached the love of God for 60 years.
Clifford A. “Cliff” Stump
Company E, 80th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division.
Cliff Stump was born in Van Meter, Iowa on June 13, 1924 and was one of eight children. He was drafted into the Army in 1943, one month after his high school graduation and two weeks after his 19th birthday. He trained in California and Texas before joining Company E, 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, of the 82nd Airborne Division. This glider outfit provided anti-aircraft defense and anti-tank capabilities to three infantry regiments in 1944.
Cliff landed in Normandy on June 6, 1944 on a glider. These landings were extremely dangerous—canvas wrapped around an aluminum frame and crash landing to the ground. Throughout his time in combat, he would be dropped behind enemy lines, suffer frostbite on the battlefield and fight in several historic battles including Normandy, Holland, Bastogne at the Battle of the Bulge and the occupation of Berlin.
On VE Day, he was in Berlin when he heard the war was over. There was no celebration as there was lots of work to still do. They went house to house looking for weapons. In total, Cliff served three years and was honorably discharged in 1946 and later joined the Air Force serving from 1946 to 1955.
1LT– Denny Thompson
487th Heavy Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, U.S. Army Air Corps
Denny Thompson was born in Fargo, North Dakota on July 28, 1922. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, he was working on the railroad. He knew this meant war and he was ready to serve and wanted to go. Denny joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and trained in Texas to pilot the B-17, B-24, bombers and later P-51 fighters, and was assigned to the “Mighty 8th Air Force” 487th Heavy Bomb Group out of England.
Throughout his time in the European Theater, Denny flew thirty combat missions over Germany, France, Belgium and Poland. He flew 11 missions with the B-24 nicknamed “Problem Child”. After 11 missions they exchanged the B-24s for B-17s. He flew with the same crew on both planes. On one mission they hit a German Tiger tank factory and for that he received a Distinguished Flying Cross.
He was wounded on his 27th and 30th missions where his plane had 500 bullet holes, one engine out, and damaged landing gear. He spent two weeks in the hospital and they removed about 10 pieces of shrapnel. One piece was left in his arm and is still there today.
Denny was training on the P-51 fighter when news broke out that the war was over. Denny was discharged on November 5, 1945.
AO1c Matt Yacovino
VP-63
Matt Yacovino was born on August 24, 1924 in Port Reading, NJ.
At age of 18, Matt enlisted into the U.S. Navy and was assigned to the Naval Air Service. After attending aviation ordnanceman, bombardier and aerial gunnery school, he was shipped to North Africa to serve as a Combat Air Crewman in Patrol Bombing Squadron VP-63.
At the time of this assignment the Nazi U boats were wreaking havoc on American and Allied shipping and VP-63 was flying submarine patrol in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. Matt served flying combat missions over the Mediterranean, North Atlantic and Bay of Biscayne. During his 2 years in Africa, England, and Gibraltar his squadron sank 4 German subs. The only German sub U-541 to surrender during the conflict surrendered to his flight crew in the Bay of Biscayne. His squadron lost 5 airplanes with 10-man crews.
He reached permanent rank of Petty Officer Aviation Ordnance First Class and temporary rank of Chief Ordnance man. He served two years in the European Theater and was honorably discharged on March 3, 1946.