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News Flash 
Defense
Secretary,
Servicemembers Reflect on D-Day Heroism
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
COLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France (AFPN) -- The defense
secretary was among hundreds of people who walked
above the windswept cliffs and paused among fog-shrouded
headstones here June 6 to honor those who died
during the D-Day invasion 63 years ago.
Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates tours the
American Cemetery during the 63rd Anniversary
of D-Day June 6 in Normandy, France.
(Defense Department photo/Cherie A. Thurlby) |
Secretary Robert M. Gates took a private moment
in the American Cemetery, reflecting on row after
row of crosses and Stars of David that serve as
the final resting place for 9,387 of those killed
on D-Day and in the bloody days that followed.
He traveled several miles down the road to Point
du Hoc to look out over Utah and Omaha beaches
and heard the story of the 2nd Ranger Battalion
that scaled a 100-foot cliff to face off against
German bunkers and gun turrets.
Earlier in the morning during his address at the
D-Day commemoration, Secretary Gates praised the
heroism and sacrifice demonstrated here.
"Stories of valor were countless," he
said. "As gunfire rained down, men stopped
to pull comrades from the water. Alone or outnumbered,
they charged heavily fortified positions. No amount
of firepower could overwhelm their instincts, their
bravery, their compassion and their humor."
Among those heroes was Walter Ehlers, who returned
to pay tribute to his brother, Roland, and other
Soldiers he served with who died on D-Day. Mr.
Ehlers earned the Medal of Honor in the action
here with the 1st Infantry Division's 18th Infantry
Regiment and said it's a miracle that he, too,
wasn't among those killed.
"A lot of my friends are here," said
Mr. Ehlers, now 86. "They are all my brothers.
It's important that we give them as much honor
as possible." Most importantly, he said, "we
need to make sure they didn't die in vain."
 Mr. Ehlers said the
cemetery and the new
visitor's center will ensure
these soldiers aren't forgotten in history. He
called it "a very wonderful
place to come and commemorate and remember the
sacrifices made by these men."
Harley Reynolds, who wore his old Army jacket
with its staff sergeant stripes to the June 6 ceremony,
said he takes special pride in the American Cemetery.
Mr. Reynolds' 1st Infantry Division unit was in
the first D-Day wave, landing on Omaha Beach and
seizing the land above.
"This ground was taken by my company on the
first day," Mr. Reynolds said proudly. "We
are a part of history."
It's a history retired Army Gen. Frederick Franks
Jr., chairman of the American Battle Monuments
Commission, said continues to inspire troops serving
today.
General Franks praised
those who served and were buried here as they "carried the hopes and
care of the free world on their young shoulders." These
troops fought for freedom through "duty and
service to something larger than themselves" and
set the example for those who followed in their
footsteps.
A new generation of men and women in uniform draws
inspiration from them, General Franks said.
Among them is Cpl. Justin Clark, who is assigned
to Marine Corps Embassy Security Command at the
U.S. Embassy in Paris, but came to the ceremony
to provide support.
"It's an honor" to
be able to recognize the D-Day heroes, he said.
Corporal Clark said
he's proud to be part of what's been called "the next great generation," another
generation of U.S. troops fighting for their country
as their World War II contemporaries did.
"We follow their example," he said. "They
laid it down. We just carry it on."
Army Pfc. Christian Lozano was among about 60
1st Armored Division soldiers, many slated to return
to Iraq this fall, who took a 10-hour bus ride
from Baumholder, Germany, to serve as color guards
and escorts and for the ceremony.
"These guys are hard-core," he said
of the D-Day veterans. "They showed us what
it's all about."
Army Spc. John Jennings,
also with the "Old
Ironsides" division, said that despite differences
between World War II and Iraq and the way the wars
are being fought, striking similarities remain.
"The big picture is the same," he said. "We
are fighting for our freedom. We are fighting for
our future."
Army Brig. Gen. Yves Fontaine, logistics officer
for U.S. Army Europe, called the ceremony a moving
tribute to the men who died here, as well as to
World War II veterans who survived. They showed
the price of freedom and the qualities it takes
to preserve it, he said.
"The previous generation opened the way for
us," he said. "And this new generation
is doing the same thing today."
LINKS: http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/no.php
SOURCE:
VNIS
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