Thanks, Ralph, that's a powerful memory. I was born just after D-Day, in August of 1944, and when I was a boy I remember Memorial Day year after year that commemorated those who died on all the D-Days of all our wars. Now, as a veteran myself, I also honor and remember the friends who went to war with me who are gone now.
Tim Tim Millar Sea Scout Ship "Spirit" C-27 #6254 On Jun 6, 2010, at 2:37 PM, Ralph Ahseln wrote: June 6th 1944, With an arm load of Portland Oregonian newspapers, standing at one of the Exit gates of the Kaiser Shipyard Vancouver Washington. I stood waiting for workers to come out. They would be heading home after 8 hours of building Victory ships and Baby "Flat tops" (aux. aircraft carriers). Finally, streaming out, came the Graveyard shift. Those hundreds of welders, form makers, all kinds of skilled and apprentice Ship Builders. There I was, a 13 year old newsboy shouting the headlines printed on the paper's front.... "Extra, Extra, read all about it...It's D-Day .. . Allied forces land in France ... "Extra, Extra. ". I remembered that the workers didn't buy many papers. They just walked by, with sad faces. Most of them women or older men. I was too young then to understand that D-day meant that their Husbands and Sons were dying. It was later in the day that the streets of Vancouver Washington began to fill with people. There was no celebration, just people walking around. My friends and I rode our bikes into town looking for the excitement. There was none. It was strange and confusing to 13 year old boys who collected pictures of warplanes and played at being soldiers. But then, we never died.. running, walking and charging up the sandy beaches of the Columbia River.. Today..... I'm remembering the Canadian, British and U.S. men who walked, ran.... and died on the beaches of Normandy. Ralph Ahseln "Oblio" Lying: Portland OR
