"The Longest Day"? Unquestionably

The Old Man has a lifetime "To Do List". At the very top is the entry, 'Stand on Omaha beach at Normandy'. While there are many places on this earth that beckon and compete for my attention, only Normandy touches some place deep in my psyche and drives an intense desire to pay some degree of homage to those who died there 65 years ago today. This posting will be a tribute to those "Bedford Boys" whose lives have touched my own.

On June 5, 1944, General Dwight D. Eisenhower turned to his driver Kay Summersby with tears in his eyes and said quietly, "Well, it's on". Earlier he had made the 'go' decision and given the order to begin the invasion of Adolph Hitler's stronghold in France known as The Atlantic Wall . Having just visited the departing troops and given them words of encouragement, he now was feeling the terrible weight of command....of knowing that he was sending some young men to a certain death.

Weather had been a problem for several days but a small window of opportunity had opened and Operation Overlord had to go now or be postponed for 2 weeks. Had it been delayed, the fleet would have to be refueled, and the tides would not be favorable for a landing.

June 6 dawned with the seas in the English Channel still roiling from the departing low pressure driven storms that had plagued the decision-making for days. Waves of 3-4 feet and sometimes up to 6 feet were the norm. Thousands of troops were stuffed into Higgins boats; the landing craft of choice for beach invasions. Men were soaked to the skin quickly, and the violent movement, up, down, and sideways, as well as the constant pounding caused most to puke uncontrollably. Among these dear souls were the men of Company A....now known, thanks to author Alex Kershaw's book, as "The Bedford Boys".

Coming off the end of the Great Depression, young men from Bedford (and of course elsewhere) had joined National Guard units to earn a few extra dollars. Little did they know.........

The withering hell of German gunfire and its effect on the landing is well documented by historians and other authors, so I will not spend time on it here. It's been said that the opening 20 minutes of the movie, "Saving Private Ryan" is as accurate a description of what Omaha Beach was really like as could be shown. Of the 35 men from Bedford, 21 lost their lives. Nineteen of the boys from Company A were killed in the first wave, and two shortly after.

What I want to accomplish is to make some of the boys who gave their lives there seem a little more personal to you; to make their sacrifice perhaps more meaningful. And to do that, I'll share with you my connection to them.

Lucille Hoback Boggess is a dear lady and prominent Bedford citizen. She has served our county and town well for many years. During my early years, her husband, Ralph, ran a newsstand and small sundry store. I bought my model airplanes from him. I got one dollar a week allowance and a Monogram Kit cost ninety-eight cents. Lucille's two brothers, Raymond and Bedford Hoback were both killed. As I grew, there wasn't a lot of talk about that horrible day. I knew this family, but.......little did I know.

Frank Draper, Jr, a gifted athlete and strikingly handsome young man paid the ultimate price for our freedom. I knew his brother, Gamiel. Gamiel was one of the "town police officers". Back then, we knew them by name and they, in turn, knew us. .........little did I know.

One of the young men was Weldon Rosazza. His little sister was my youth choir director.......little did I know.

Earl Parker was one of the older of the Bedford Boys. He was 26. Married to Viola, he had a daughter that he never saw. Her name was 'Danny' and she and I went to school together. A delightful and pretty girl, she was a cheerleader and was one of the most popular and well-liked girls in our school. In one of his letters, he wrote words to the effect .."all I want is to get home to hold my baby girl in my arms." His body was never found. I've been in their home many times........little did I know.

While not one of the Bedford Boys, Bill Peters deserves great mention here. Bill left his young wife, Louise to serve as a medic. Within a couple of months after D-Day, Bill was shot and killed by a German sniper as he walked down the road. Louise moved on with her life and married my uncle, where she remains a much loved member of our family.

In thoughtful moments, other connections flood my soul. The Western Union Telegraph Office that on July 17th became the conduit for those 'With regret' telegrams was located in the rear of Green's Drug Store. I've had countless cherry cokes and banana splits at the very lunch counter where Bedford mourned...........little did I know.

The train station from which the Boys left is now a restaurant. People sit daily and enjoy the food and ambiance, mostly unaware of the scene acted out there all those years ago......little do they know.

Bedford folks are a resilient lot. All of the grief, the heartache bred of loss, and the struggles with hatreds have all but disappeared. Growing up, I heard very little about the sacrifice. It seemed to be accepted as an ugly part of life; life which must go on.........little did I know.

....but now I do.