D-Day June 6, 1944 Operation Overlord
June 6, 1944…Operation Overlord…D-Day.
To some of you this day may just be another day on the calendar, but to others (like me) this day stands to remind of us the degree of sacrifice courageous men have gone to defend this great country and it’s people.
In this post I am sharing a few pictures from a journal that somehow ended up in my possession.
The background story…my father, Joseph E. Nachman died on July 11, 1970. I was two weeks shy of my 6th birthday. As I grew up I heard of stories of how he had earned the medals that rested in the special footlocker in my mom’s room and I heard that my dad was involved in Big Red One, but what that all meant I did not know.
Fast forward…I had moved several times…at least 10 and one day I was looking through a box and saw a Manila envelope that was addressed to my dad. It had been opened, but not seem like it had been viewed too often.
I opened the envelope and inside found a journal. It was not my dad’s personal journal but one written by an E.E. Nickel. It was a platoon diary that detailed the events experienced by the I &R platoon of the 16th infantry 1st division….my dad’s group.
I started reading a few pages(I’m sharing a few here) and when I got to a page where I saw my father’s name I just bawled.
At the time I found this diary I was around 32 years old maybe 33. At this point I knew what D-Day was about. I knew about the bravery…the incredible display of courage…the death…sacrifice..perseverance…and now I saw my dad’s name in a diary about one of the groups who were there on those bloody beaches.
Thank you! I’m one of many who deeply appreciate the sacrifices many have made and do make for individuals like me to be able to live free.
If you could kindly share this post as I have hopes of connecting with anyone who might know who EE Nickel is or have a relative who was in this I & R platoon.
Thank you!
Enjoy your freedom…it comes at a cost. One of the many stories I heard about my father was of the night terrors he had. He would wake up screaming. …yep…freedom is not free. Please appreciate what military personnel do on your behalf.
#dday #I&R #operationoverlord #omahabeach June,1944 #thankyou
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