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		Ens. Lois and Lt. Comdr. George Hoffman Hear their story

		Machinist mate Grant Gullickson Hear his story

		Flight nurse Evelyn Kowalchuk Hear her story

		Squad leader Sgt. Robert Slaughter Hear his story

		Beachmaster Joseph P. Vaghi Hear his story

-	Untold Stories of D-Day
-	D-Day Map
-	Sights & Sounds of D-Day
-	Remembering Pearl Harbor
-	Oil and Honor at Pearl Harbor
-	Ghosts and Survivors Return to the Battle of Midway

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Photograph by Brian J. Skerry

Relics of D-Day

In the summer of 2001, a National Geographic team used sonar and cameras to find D-Day remnants still in the chill waters off Normandy—like this ammunition from a British ship that sank during the invasion. Underwater archaeologists of the U.S. Naval Historical Center are surveying D-Day debris off Omaha and Utah beaches.

Were you or someone you know in the D-Day invasion? Add your tales and thoughts to the Memory Book.

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found 66 stories, showing stories 1-5

Plantin

I was told that D Day was not all American. Is it true that the British had their own air landing operation and landing beaches ? I saw the film "Saving Private Ryan" and there were no Brits there ! Can somebody help me here, I'm confused.

Norma Salter Stigall

Mr. and Mrs Norman Salter were married during World War II. The letters they shared remind us of a different world. Today the Louisiana education department is suggesting that children understand and define Word War II . Our class has used the website of National Geographic to understand the concept. I have told the modest personal story ,that my parents have shared with me, to the students. War Babies,such as myself, have always understood that their fathers did not talk about the war much. Mr.Norman Salter ,my father is now 92.He served as a sergeant in the United States Army. He was part of the ,Screaming Eagles.Though Daddy never reiterated many stories about the war, he always kept in contact with his buddies. They laughed about things ,such as, "Who stole his foxhole? " The veterans quietly spoke the names of the men they still admired,and the bravery of fallen soldiers. Daddy, like so many other flew in in gliders with explosives,right after storming the beaches of Normandy. Once, when he was shot in Holland , he and his glider ended up in an apple tree.Battle of the Bulge,the cold wintry Bastone and other battles , put them in harms way. Daddy has a grand sense of humor and he does tell about stealing a motorbike from the Germans. During the war,he received 2 purple hearts and went back to his men after recooperating. In my prayers I still thank God for allowing my father to come home. Mother ,now 85, spent her time during World War II working on the air force base packing parachutes and working in shipping and receiving.This included hanging a light out on the railroad track. Her simple living quarters consisted of one room ,which happened to be a dining room, in an old southern home. My father has quietly accepted the pain of war wounds, that he has lived with, and mother has never forgotten the letters and telegrams saying he was coming home. When his grandson entered the military as a captain. He was asked ."Why?".His reply included the fact that he wanted to be like his grandfather and the men Grandfather called his freinds. Mr.Salter's grandson went on the serve in the Army in Baghdad and receive a bronze star. His other grandson served in the Marines before the Iraq War.

Earle Cook

I'm a Canadian, Both my father and Grandfather were WW1 and WW2 veterans respectively. Both are sadly gone now. I don't think enough can be done or said to honour the bravery, dedication, and sacrifice made by the men and women who served. They are certainly honoured in my house as often as possible. Thank You from all my generation and future generations for we wouldn't be here is not for the likes of all of you who served. This includes all services and countries from the allied side. Oddly enough my grandfather was in his eighties and was touring WW1 battlefields with my father and he became quite irate at a group of German Veterans touring the field. He could never move beyond the loss of his comrades by German troops. Thank you all once again.

Mary

I had always heard my father was at Pearl Harbor.Just wondering if anyone knew of or ever heard of him... His name was (Allen E.Lee McKee) I would love to talk to anyone that might have know him.He has passed away now.

Norman Foster Pierce

My name is Eunice V.Pierce. This is about my husband of almost 58 years, who was a part of 'the greatest generation'. We recently visited the D-Day Museum in New Orleans, LA and were told that there were 6 D-Days in Europe and 140 D-Days in the Pacific. Norman turned 17 in July, 1941 and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in Sept., 1941. Needless to say, he was on his way to the Pacific shortly after Pearl Harbor (on the USS Lorelei before it had been converted into a troop ship - still had the white table cloths in the dining room and all of the civilian waiters). He was in the initial landing on Guadacanal; Tulagi(the Japanese headquarters island); Bougainville; Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands. In fact, he was on Okinawa helping to load ship for the invasion of Japan when word came that the Atomic Bomb had been dropped. He still had to go to Japan but thankfully, after the peace had been signed. He participated in the occupation of the Japanese homeland at Sasebo, Kyushu, Japan. Out of 50 months of enlistment, 36 were spent out of the country, so he had enough 'points' to be discharged and was among the first troops to be sent home. He was swept by the current 3 miles behind enemy lines and was lost in the jungle for 3 days (along with 2 other men who got ashore with him) after losing all of his equipment and rations, and was reported as 'missing in action' in the landing of Bougainville,BSI. All if this and he was never wounded!!!

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