Dday landing

Saturday July, 10, 2010, we rented a car and drove to Normandy. My heart kept turning to my father who would tell his Navy stories. I remember his pride, patriotism, and love of the Navy. All those memories came flooding back as I stood upon this ground. I wanted my father to be with me. I wanted to tell him that I finally got it and how grateful I was for all this courage, brotherhood, and sacrifice. As Welc and I stood in front of the crosses on that still afternoon we couldn't speak to each other. Our throats were knotted and our eyes wet.

We stopped in a museum the pictures that I took were three separate standing walls.

COMPETENCE: "We had to know where we were, where we were going, we couldn't afford to be wrong; we had to be right on it, we couldn't afford a disaster." Pvt George Tily

COURAGE: "I started out to cross that beach with thirty five men and only six got to the top, that's all." 2nd Lt Bob Edlin.

SACRIFICE: "then it all came down to this brief first day of battle on the coast of Normandy, and, for so many of them it all ended. For the rest of us, what has been since has not been the same." Capt. Charles Cawthorn

I moved on down the hall and saw for the first time a purple heart. "Sgt Frank Peregory received the Medal of Honor for his heroism on June 3, 1944 while moving inland from Omaha beach. When machine gun fire halted his unit's advance, Peregory stormed through enemy positions and attacked with his rifle, bayonet, and hand grenades. His daring actions cleared the way for his battalion's successful advance. He was killed a week later and is buried at the Normandy American Cemetery."

We went down and walked that beach looking up at what was left of those bunkers that Sgt Frank Peregory faced.