REMEMBERING

As they stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, 75-years ago, some walked ashore, others ran ashore, some fell just short of the shoreline. There were no gallant displays of flags being stuck into the sand, only the bogged down equipment that sunk into the wetness of terra firma that eroded under their feet and the fallen comrades calling for medics and mom. Fighting for America and apple pie were a far cry from the realities facing these brave souls as they prayed for survival and saw with their naked eyes for the first time the reality that awaited them.

Their minds were about themselves and their buddies, those who still survived and those who just days ago were players in a crapshoot or card game lying in the sand to worry no more. Witnessing the slaughter in front of them, the survivors were urged to get off the beaches in order to survive, most did, and some didn’t.

Then, a number of years ago at a family event there was standing alone an elderly gentleman who seemed very friendly and wore a sparkle in his eyes and a smile on his face. I was introduced to him and he wound up being an authentic American Hero, too.

A retired NYC cop who served in World War II in one of the most heroic and daring missions to occur prior to the Normandy Beach landings on June 6th, 1944, D-Day stood 89-year old Frank Agoglia. It so happens Frank Agoglia was featured along with his story about D-Day in Long Island’s Newsday back in 2013.

It seems that Mr. Agoglia was part of the glider force that crash-landed in St. Mare Eglise in France on the early morning hours of D-Day, 1944, prior to the Normandy beach landings. In the dark and early morning hours he stepped on French soil, behind enemy lines, probably scared and sure it was his last day on Earth. His job was to secure the bridges that led to the beaches to prevent the Germans from re-enforcing their beleaguered garrisons and to find the enemy to engage him until the landings were complete and a beachhead was established. He was one of the 13,000 brave paratroopers from three regiments that did just that.

Can you imagine not really knowing where you are, blindly roaming about the unknown countryside in hostile territory and that someone will eventually try to kill you? He told some fascinating tales about his descending into the belly of the enemy as part of the 82nd Airborne Division and part of the 4,000 men who arrived via glider. And here is a clincher, he was one of 6 brothers who went into combat, and they all survived!

While I spoke to this hero, his daughter came by and introduced herself, and I asked: “You must be very proud of your dad, he is a hero!” “Oh, I know, we ARE so very proud of him.”

And so a special day was made extra special for me by meeting this wonderful man.

Thank you, Frank, for what you did, the whole nation owes you a great deal and yet could never repay such sacrifice and courage. But we owe to all of you who dare our enemies.

But if you think about it now, the winners on the beaches were the German soldiers who fought, died and surrendered because the invasion marked the beginning of liberation of their country from the tyranny they had to fight under and for the French and Dutch and Belgium peoples who lost their freedom to the madness of the Nazi yoke.

June 6th should be declared a Worldwide holiday where we all give thanks to God.