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NEWS: [See all News]
Trump to visit France for D-Day 75th anniversary
US President Donald Trump is to visit Normandy in June this year for the 75th anniversary commemorations of D-Day, he has said. Mr Trump made the announcement during a reception of World War II veterans in the Presidential Oval Office, at the White House, in Washington DC. [Connexion FranceRead more...
[Posted: 2019-04-30 09:01:00]
Bernard DARGOLS, 98, died April 28, 2019
We have just learned that Bernard DARGOLS has died. Bernard DARGOLS landed on Omaha Beach with 2nd Infantry Division. Read more...
[Posted: 2019-04-29 22:00:00]
   3 - 4 / 21 news   
WALL - IN MEMORY OF: [See all Messages]
LAHAYE EDWARD J
8TH AIR FORCE
I had the great honor of visiting the Normandy American Cemetery in June, 2023. I walked the grounds until I found a Texas soldier. It was that of Edward J Lahaye. It was truly a moving experience. I hoped to reach out to his family with a photo of his cross, but see it is already posted on this
Honored by Lil Metzger
[Posted: 2023-07-23 04:48:28]
COPENHAVER JAMES E
90TH INFANTRY DIVISION
Today our family remembers our brave husband, father and grandfather who left a wife and daughter to serve and fight for the freedom we enjoy today. Thank you James!!! And, thank you citizens of the Normandy region for your appreciation and gratitude shown during our visits.
Honored by Jim Shafer
[Posted: 2023-06-11 01:08:37]
   3 - 4 / 87 messages   
OMAHA BEACH MEMORIAL - TESTIMONIES
Partager
Sergeant Dalmain H. Estes

467th Automatic Weapon Battalion
Battery C


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At dawn on the morning of June 6, 1944, we could see the French Coast as we circled prior to making our run for the beach. I watched through binoculars as men were mowed down by machine gun and rifle fires. I watched as many crafts were hit in the water and either sunk or listed to one side, I watched as one landing craft, full of tanks, stopped too far out and when the tanks disembarked they sank. I watched as my Caption Grzybek's jeep took oft the ramp and he and his driver went down in about one hundred feet of water and they had to swim to shore. I watched as men from landing crafts floundered in the deep water, trying to reach the shore before they drowned. I watched a couple of tanks made it to shore and were knocked out and burned with men pouring out of the turrets.
The landing beach was a mess, dead men, knocked out equipment and others trying to land behind us. It was mass confusion-landing crafts were landing too far off shore some were landing in the wrong zones, men were being separated from their units, many men were hit in the water and either died of the wounds or drowned.
Men were trying to help the wounded only to get hit themselves. Salvos of artillery, rocket fires, machine gun and rifle fire continued from the Germans above us down onto the beach and it was simple to see we had to make the shelter of the bluffs as soon as possible, and them up on top as soon as the exit was cleared.
Our radio man had both legs blown off within fifteen minutes after we hit the beach, our medic was blown away (we believe by a direct mortar hit) Staff Sergeant Greenlee who was shot in the buttocks would not be able to serve with us for some time, several of our other squads suffered injuries.
It was approximately 300 yards from the water to the protection of the bluffs. We kept the half- track moving forward, several of us not on the guns moved from cove to cove, we took cover under a tank and then it was hit "There were no atheists on the beach that day." We all looked to God for help... Smoke and the stench of war was everywhere, we finally reached the top of the bluff. We were delayed at the crest of the exit and we viewed Omaha Beach with awe as it was really a mess-bombed out buildings-vehicles burning-barges sunk at the shore and bodies lying sprawled in the sand.
Private First Class Shelton and I decided to look inside the large bunker overlooking the beach at Saint Laurent sur Mer. I took a Nazi flag laying on the concrete casement and stuck it my battle jacketed returned the flag to the Mayor of Saint Laurent sur Mer fifty years later when my son and I returned for the anniversary of D-Day.

Posted: July 16, 2011
Copyright: Laurent Lefebvre

Dalmain H. Estes - 6 June 2005