With
two of the boys, Steve and Bill, I departed NY on May 30,1994, and traveled
to Amsterdam meeting number three, Jim, there for a visit to the D-Day 50th
anniversary commemoration ceremonies. The trip was of particular interest to
me as I served on the U.S. LCT (6) 544 landing on D-Day. We rented a camper
and set off from Jim's home on June 2, driving the 450 miles to
Colleville-sur- Mere, France where we had a campground reservation. The trip
down was mostly via four lane highways with bypasses around most of the
small cities.
We
were at first surprised to see the number of WW 11 vintage trucks and jeeps
on the road. Jim explained that there are large numbers of reenacting groups
in Europe who mainly replicate WW 11 American units. I talked to one German
group with jeeps and larger vehicles. Their leader was dressed as General
Patton, who told me that he started the group some 20 years ago with one
jeep, and now had 83, all authentic models. There is an assembly each year
in Normandy where D-Day is reenacted, as well as other significant battles
of the period. For the German contingents, there is obvious irony in their
participation.
The
camp was located on the hills overlooking Omaha Beach, and with daylight in
those northern climes persisting until close to midnight, there was plenty
of time to walk around the beach that first night. James and Bill had been
there before. Driving to England from a 1963 vacation in Spain (half the
family flying and the others driving from our London home), we made a brief
stop at the beach. We were in a hurry to catch the auto ferry across the
channel, however, and remembered little of the stop. This time the location
of my LCT(6) 544 aborted first and then a successful second landing could be
identified by land contours with some photos taken on D-Day.
Next
day, was a planned trip to Caen, the provincial capital of Normandy where we
visited a spectacular memorial, 'The price for liberty," devoted to the
Battle for Normandy. It had an eight screen multimedia sound, film and slide
show depicting preparation for the invasion to its conclusion for both the
Germans and the allies. Using one set per combatant, it simultaneously
showed the actions of each at comparable times. While there, I was
interviewed by a TV news crew from Toledo, Ohio, obviously desperate for
footage.
The
Normandy Regional Council had authorized a decoration, a Liberty Medallion,
for veterans of D-Day, and I was scheduled to receive the same on June 3.
Lost most of the time in the back streets of Caen, we eventually arrived at
the Abbeye-aux-Dames, home of the Regional Council. The abbeye, a
masterpiece of Norman Romanesque architecture, was founded by Mathilda, wife
of William the Conqueror, and consecrated in 1066. It has been destroyed,
added to, desecrated during the French revolution, and finally faithfully
restored to its present condition.
The
award was given in groups of around 20 veterans. I was in with Canadians,
Yanks, and Brits. It was the traditional French ceremony. Council chairman
with his sash of office, medals on a velvet cushion held by a page girl, a
citation individually read to each recipient, an embrace and pressing of
each cheek, followed by a champagne and cookie reception.
The
next group were French, men and women with FF1 underground armbands, and
other units assigned to the allied army. Although old in age, they marched
with pride and spirit, led by bearers of worn French and unit flags. The
scene was both joyous and sad. Probably a final formal recognition for what
was accomplished, but, like their faded flags and banners, now passing into
the ever diminution process of history.
Next
day, June 4, was rainy with gale force winds reminiscent of the June 4,1944
weather that caused a one day delay in the landings, was a good day,
however, to visit the D-Day museum at Bayeux. Almost every town has a museum
of some sorts dedicated to what happened there some 50 years ago. All are
worthy of a visit,-but with time restraints only a few could be seen. The
Bayeux museum is located near the main British Cemetery, and features mostly
activities of the British forces. Like the others the Bayeux exhibits were
professionally prepared particularly with respect to weaponry. Later that
day we visited the Bayeux Tapestry that chronicles the invasion of England
by William the Conqueror. The 1066 Battle of Hastings being the only but
decisive battle.
The
weather on June 5th was much improved, clear but still windy We set out to
Saint-mere-Eglise, the first town to be liberated, to witness the
paratroopers of the 82 Airborne jump into the fields east of the town. We
parked on one side of the highway, closed for parking, and hiked around
three miles to the jump site. Leaving the road we plowed through muddy
fields to the bank of a small river (about 30' wide) to get a position as
close as possible to the jump field. There were thousands of people waiting
to see the show. The first parachutists were sports jumpers using flat
chutes and jumping from a C-47. The wind had picked up considerably and some
wound up in trees beyond the jump zone. Next there was a fly-by of 13 C137s,
making a slow pass over the field. On the next pass half of a battalion of
the 82nd jumped, and on still another pass the rest jumped. Somewhere in
-the cloud of chutes were the old timers and French airborne. All used the
old time WW II type of chutes. One trooper landing just in front of us was
dragged by the wind to the bank of the river. His life jacket popped
stopping him just short of the water. For the final act of the drop, the
planes returned, flew low waggling their wings as a salute to the crowd.
I
was wearing my amphibious cap with my D-Day veteran pass clipped prominently
to my jacket. Several French men and women introduced themselves, and asked
about my experiences. Some had small American flags that I was asked to
autograph. 1994 is truly the year of America in Europe.
Later
we walked back and into the city to witness the march of the 82nd Airborne
to the city square. It was liberation day all over. The streets and the
square were packed with humanity leaving barely enough room for the
paratroopers to pass. The army must have assigned only six foot and above
troopers. Lean and precise the battalion followed an army band and flag
bearers with regimental flags loaded with battle streamers marching through
the cheering throng. It was impossible to break through the mass of people
to return to the square for the official ceremony, and instead, headed back
to Colleville for the evening.
We
had hoped to attend the three main American ceremonies on June 6, but the
main road connecting Point de Hoc, the cemetery, and the beach, was closed
to vehicular traffic unless they had a special vehicle permit. Stranded, we
decided to spend the morning on the beach, and after lunch walk the half
mile or so to the cemetery. As things turned out it was a better choice. We
met a number of other veterans on Fox Green and Easy Red trying to identify
their landing spot. I had some D-Day photos with me, that helped in jogging
their memories Some were soldiers from the 741 Tank Battalion supposed to
land 32 dual drive tanks in the third wave on Fox Green. Only two made the
beach, the remainder either sinking, or destroyed by enemy fire. The LCT 544
was scheduled to land behind them, but with nothing there except a thin line
of survivors, we moved to a more promising spot. I promised to make copies
of the photos for them
and
other veterans I spoke to that day, a promise I intend to keep.
We
left the beach walking up the slope and westward to fortifications guarding
Easy Red. Atop a large bunker was a monument to the 5th Special Engineering
Brigade, awarded a unit Croix de Guerre by France. The unit, suffering over
60 percent casualties on D-Day, somehow managed to clear landing lanes and
organize the western park of the beach for subsequent operations (Half of
our D—Day cargo consisted of a unit of the Special Engineering Brigade,
and the rest a First Infantry Division scout team).
While there, Admiral William
Crowe, US Navy Ret., former Chairman Joint Chiefs, and now US Ambassador to
the Court of Saint James, came hurriedly down the path. He was joining Peter
Jennings who was preparing to broadcast from the bunker doorway. He paused
an brightened when I said "Hello admiral, I'm Bill O'Neill. We have met
before when I was executive vice president at Newport News
Shipbuilding." The admiral who probably didn't remember me at all,
graciously responded with "Hello Bill its has been a long time" My
son suggested that the ambassador look at the photos. A young lady who was
escorting him, obviously a network employee, tried to hustle him along, but
with a withering look continued to look and ask questions about the beach
and photos.
Leaving
there we walked to a monument to the First Infantry Division. A group of
army generals and colonels came by, mainly from the 29th Division, a
Virginia National Guard unit. The 116 infantry regimental combat team of the
29th was attached to the 1st for the Normandy campaign and had suffered high
casualties on D-Day. I shared my photos with the commanding general, and
later mailed him a set.
Jim's
previously injured knee was bothering him, and rather than return to the
camp, he went on to the cemetery. The rest o us returned to the camp for
lunch with the idea of meeting Jim later. After lunch, Steve went off to
find Jim, and Bill and I took a short cut intending to enter the cemetery
grounds thought one of the back gates. I had changed from cotton slacks and
a golf jacket to a blazer, shirt, tie and gray trousers to show respect for
the presidential occasion. To get my French medallion, I had pined my
military_decorations to the jacket, wearing them for the first and probably
only time. Shamelessly had wanted to impress the Europeans in the camp, and
still had the medals on the blazer. Bill was dressed in Vietnam fatigues
including boom Dockers, and floppy hat replete with those pins that Vietnam
veterans favor wearing. The gate, unmanned earlier now had a secret service
agent and an army sergeant blocking the entrance. At first they were
unwilling to let us in. After some discussion between themselves, the
sergeant voted to let us in on the basis that we had more medals than he
had.
The
back gate led to a closely guarded roped off reception building where the
official party was to gather prior to the ceremony. Looking confident, like
we belonged there, no one challenged us. General Mundy, Marine Corp
Commandant came along moving at double time, apparently to be in place for
the president's arrival. Bill threw him a snappy marine salute, saying,
"Former Marine private first class, former lance corporal Bill O'Neill,
ready for your orders, general". General Mundy with a broad smile and
without breaking his stride, returned the salute, and said, "Carry on
former marine lance corporal O'Neill".
D-Day
veterans and their guests had preferred seating as did Clinton's entourage.
The ceremony was brief led off by the president laying a wreath, and
speeches by Walter Cronkite, General John Shalikashvili, Joseph Dawson,
Distinguished Service Medal, (credited with leading the first troops
forward), and finally President Clinton. The speeches were dignified in the
spirit of the occasion. Clinton (and Hillary when introduced) received
polite, somewhat scattered applause. Veterans that I had talked with
generally agreed that the president should get the respect the
office
entitled him to regardless of personal feelings. The staff that he brought
along, the unholy 700, should have been left at home. Sprinkled with faggots
and no doubt the "I hate the military" group they were obviously
on a junket, their presence inappropriate to the occasion.
We
stayed for another day in Normandy going first to Arromanches Les Bains the
site of the British and Canadian landings to see the remains of Mulberry
Harbor and the museum located there. Next it was off to Falaise to see the
battlefield where the Allies ha trapped some 300,000 German troops. Jim also
wanted to visit a Polish Army cemetery located in Chambois. You may recall
that he works for ATT, and currently is the marketing engineer on a large
contract with Poland. Jim wanted to take some photos to show to his Polish
colleagues. My favorite nuns, Sister Leonia, and Barbara-Ann of Mary
Immaculate Hospital, are of Polish descent and very proud to be so, and I
also wanted to show them pictures of the cemetery,
Before
going .to the cemetery and battlefield, we stopped for lunch in Falaise, an
ancient walled city on the banks of the Ome River, the birthplace of William
the Conqueror. We were beyond lunchtime, but with Steve's command of the
French language it was possible to get the chef to stay on. While no longer
true in large cities, it is impossible get a bad meal in small country
restaurants. So was the case in Falaise. We showed our appreciation by
leaving a generous tip.
At the
cemetery. President Waleska's wreath placed the day before was still on the
Polish Monument, and we noticed that all of the dead had died within week of
each other. While there a French Polish group of elderly people conducted
their own service for the dead. First a wreath was placed, then prayers,
including the rosary was said. Their leader made a stirring, emotional
speech to the group in French. Generally he catalogued the suffering of the
poles under the Germans, how some of them fought alongside the French,
either with the army or the underground. Some escaped to join the British
the British. He said that while others may forgive Germany and the Soviets,
he would never do so. After victory, expatriate Poles who returned home,
were murdered by the Soviets.
Prior
to the service, we had a brief English conversation with one of the Poles.
Missing an arm, with a French Legion of Honor ribbon pinned on his lapel, he
was wondering what brought Americans to the cemetery. Jim's few Polish
words, and our reason for being there was apparently appreciated. Also
showing up was a bus load of other Yanks, one of the many D-Day tourist
groups. That had stopped because one of their group was bom in Poland and
wanted to see the cemetery. Leaving the cemetery we headed for the Falaise
Gap, site of the final battle in Normandy. The gap was the result of
Hitler's order to the Normandy command to stand and fight to the last man.
The main German force of 300,000 was caught between the Ome and Dives
rivers, out flanked by the British and American armies. A Polish tank
division advancing into the gap expected to be supported on each side by the
American and British armies. For some inexplicable reasons both armies
halted well short of the gap, leaving the Poles surrounded and well behind
German lines. The Poles held the high ground between the two German escape
routes, and were decimating the enemy as they streamed by.
The WW
I Somme River battlefield was only a short distance from our direct route to
Holland, and because I had an uncle with the Irish Fuse hers who had been
wounded there, we decided to visit the battle site. The battle fought in
July 1916, was to destroy German salient which was thought at the time to
endanger the Allied Western Front. In an earlier battle at Ypres in February
1915 the French and British lost 350,000, and at Verdun and the Somme in
1916, 950,000 men were lost. The Germans had somewhat lower losses. The
Somme battle was fought in July on a 25 mile front, the British holding 15
miles and the French the balance. On the first day of the attack the British
lost 60,000 men. In the first week they gained five miles and lost 170,000
men. The -Germans fell back on heavily fortified positions and the Allied
attack faulted. In September the Germans counter attacked and retook the
territory.
For
our visitation we went first to Albert to visit a museum in the deep sub
cellar of the town cathedral. There was an interesting video using old films
and battle diagrams. In one part an old film of troops moving down trench
lines was juxtaposed on a film of the same trench that has been preserved It
gives an eerie ghostly effect. The curator was very helpful, and opened
glass doors of exhibits of life in the trenches. The cathedral's spire
played a part in the Brits morale. Knocked for a vertical to a horizontal
position by German shells, legend was that the Germans would not prevail as
long as the spire remained
The
battlefield consisted of rolling fields now lush and planted with crops. We
saw the crater caused by British miners who had tunneled for miles under the
lines, and blew up a strong point. Even today with almost 80 years of
erosion, the hole is 50 feet deep and 300 feet across. We visited the site
of a German fort named Goliath by the British because of its invincibility.
It was at an early stage of archaeological excavation. Bill picked up a few
artifacts for possible use by his War Museum. One that was left alone was a
five inch shell with a live fuse, the apparent reason that work was not
going on that day.
As
with other WW I sites the cemetery and graves were well tended. Because of
the ferocity of the battle 77,000 allied soldiers were listed as missing in
action. The memorial monument listed the names of the missing carved in
stone.
From
there it was back to Holland for rest and further exploration. On Saturday
we visited Amsterdam for museum visits and a canal tour. On Sunday we were
off to Amhem to the battleground where the British and American paratroopers
and a British ground unit sort to end the war quickly by capturing an intact
bridge over the Rhine. For reasons best told in the film "A Bridge too
Far " the venture was a disaster. The only units to accomplish their
objectives were the American paratroopers. The British and Polish troops
fought with in creditable Bravery, but could not overcome the poor planning
by Monty's staff.
We
visited the airborne cemetery, the museum and the Amhem Bridge that was
never destroyed. All of the WW II buildings are gone, replaced with
industrial facilities. We also stopped at Nijmegen, an ancient town with the
ruin of one of Charlemagne's castles located in a park overlooking the
river.
Returning
to Jim's home my 1994 adventure ended. A day later it was plane trip home.
Bill
O’Neill
