Looking at the vastness of Utah Beach, its sand blowing in strong wind and bright sunshine, made Robert Gibson's memory of D-Day even more vivid.
“It was tough,” the 99-year-old veteran said of the moment when he landed there on June 6, 1944, alongside more than 150,000 other Allied troops.
Gibson landed on Utah Beach on D-Day in the second wave, after the assault troops. He survived to continue fighting in Normandy and eventually into Germany. “Every place we went, people are cheering, clapping, and they’ve been doing this for I don’t know how many years,” he said. Donnie Edwards, president of the Best Defense Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps World War II veterans visit former battlefields, said, “For us, every year is a big one.”
“The fallen will never be forgotten. The veteran will ever be honored,” an inscription in the stone reads.Matthew Yacovino, 98, became emotional as he remembered what happened there to his older brother, who almost died after his jeep blown up during the landings.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'It was tough': WWII veterans return to Utah Beach to commemorate D-DayDozens of World War II veterans have traveled to Normandy this week to mark the 79th anniversary of D-Day, the decisive but deadly assault that led to the liberation of France and Western Europe from Nazi control.
Read more »
Florida police arrest man, search for 2 others in Memorial Day beach shootingPolice in Florida have arrested one man and announced arrest warrants for two others believed to be the gunmen who opened fire along a crowded beachside promenade on Memorial Day
Read more »
Police arrest suspect in Florida's Hollywood Beach shooting that injured 9 on Memorial DayOne suspected gunman has been arrested in connection with the Memorial Day mass shooting on Florida's Hollywood Broadwalk that left at least nine people hurt and sent holiday revelers fleeing for safety, police confirmed to CBS Miami on Saturday.
Read more »
Florida police arrest man, search for 2 others in Memorial Day beach shootingPolice in Florida arrested one man Saturday and announced arrest warrants for two others believed to be the gunmen who opened fire along a crowded beachside promenade on Memorial Day, wounding nine people.
Read more »