More Heroes

More interesting family stuff. I just learned a little tid bit of info about my Great Uncle Pat who grew up in good ole Charlestown with my grandfather and my Great Aunt Lorraine. He was part of the first troops to land on the Beach in Normandy (a la Saving Private Ryan) at H hour on June6, 1944 (D Day) in World War II. So cool to know that a family member of mine is a hero. He is still living out in Ocean Beach, CA. But I am pretty proud to be related. He never told me this information when I was a kid. This monument stands on the beach in France in tribute to Uncle Pat's 1st Engineer Special Brigade. From an article from the Observer where he lives I found out the following information, Following the fox holes and "C" and "K" ration days of Normandy, his group was moved "packed like sardines" in box cars and "forty and eights" meaning 40 men and 8 horses to Antwerp, dubbed, "the city of death". There they faced a constand rain of Buzz and V-2 bombs. It was so bad there that front line troops, sent to Antwerp for R&R soon requested a return to the front lines in preference to facing the German counteroffensive against Antwerp. For his wartime valor Uncle Pat was awarded the Croix de Guerre in May 1945; European, African, Middle Eastern Theatre Campaign Ribbons and Arrohead Assault Troop's Badge. On the 28th of September 2001, Pat received the Ministere de la Defense of the Republique Francaise's Diplome de Reconnaisance de la France envers la soldate des armees alliees engage dans les combats debarquement en Normandie et de la Liberation 1944-45 (basically and award of recognition for his effort during the war from the French department of defense). Toast to you Uncle Pat. Thanks for saving the world and helping to end a massive war.