Remembering D-Day

[data66]

My grandfather died on D-Day. Wish I had known him. If this post isn't allowed, please remove it. Thx.


A little info:
20 year old EM3c Henry J. Arsenault, of Brewer Maine, who was attached to the LST 314.

On June 6th the 314 left Portsmouth England for Normandy. Upon arriving, the crew spent the next few days unloading her cargo. In the early morning hours of June 9th, a German submarine had the LST 314 in her sights. After being hit by 2 torpedos, the Captain gave the order to abandon ship. Hank did not survive the sinking of his ship.

 

[data66]

I believe I have those dates wrong. It should be June 6 when it was hit. I'll see when it left Portsmouth when I can get with my Dad.

 

[Tiffany]

You're grandfather and so many other amazing people helped to save the world from evil through the most honorable sacrifice anyone can make which is giving up ones life to save others. I'm sure you miss your grandfather. In reading your short history of what happened to your grandfather, I felt moved, sorrowful and grateful for such bravery.

I have some pictures from my dh's dad that was in the Navy in WW2. He was a gunner.

 

[data66]

@Tiffany feel free to post a tribute to him too if you would like. This thread is for anyone to post a tribute if allowed.

 

[Retro]

I'm sorry for your loss, @data66. Clearly you still feel it even though you never knew him and it was so long ago and yes, we should all be grateful to the men and women like him who sacrificed their lives so that future generations like us can live in peace, like @Tiffany said. Well, relatively, unfortunately there are still so many wars, but nothing on that horrible scale.

I've been to war museums and have seen the horrors of war in the exhibits, made worse by just how primitive the technology was back then. Absolutely no creature comforts at all, it was all hard graft, a truly awful experience.

Tributes are absolutely allowed here.