Local Man Remembers D-Day
Tallahassee, FL --June 6, 2012--
Sixty-eight years ago today 6-6-44 Allied Forces landed on the beach in Normandy, France, to fight the Nazis in one of the most pivotal battles of World War II.
Henry Vernon was just 25 when his infantry landed on the beaches of Normandy. He joined more than 150, 000 other soldiers in what would become one of the biggest battles in U.S. military history and a major turning point in World War II.
Today, Vernon is 93 and he still remembers that day in vivid detail. That infamous day saw more than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft flying overhead, which provided cover for the Allied Forces and helping them in this pivotal battle. The victory would allow them to march through Europe and defeat Adolf Hitler.
"Our mission was to land on the beach and take Saint Leo, which is about 27 miles inland, in three days. They took Saint Leo in 43 days because of the hedgerows," says Vernon.
Over 9,000 Allied soldiers were either killed or wounded during that battle.
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