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PORTSMOUTH, United Kingdom -- Amidst the sea of a mighty
applause marched a band of 40 old men, confidently striding
through two lines of riflemen as a ceremonial salute was
rendered in their honor.
It was June 3, 2014 ...
nearly 70 years after the 40 left family and friends to
embark on one of the most significant battle of the Second
World War.
John Luckadoo, a D-Day veteran
from the U.S. Army Air Corps, 100th Bomb Group, and his fellow
veterans, march through two lines of riflemen as a ceremonial salute
is rendered in their honor at Portsmouth, United Kingdom, June 3,
2014. The 422nd and 423rd Air Base Groups Honor Guard members of the
501st Combat Support Wing showed their respect and helped kick-off
the veterans' journey to Normandy to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of the D-Day landings. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech.
Sgt. Chrissy Best) |
"Everyone was scared", said Bill Colwell, as he remembered
the moments before he stepped on the beach at Normandy. "The
last thing I heard before I went out the door, 'look to the
left, look to the right, one of you will not see daylight.'"
High above Colwell and his fellow Soldiers storming the
blood-soaked beach, Conrad Lohoefer and his B-17 crewmates
rained fire and destruction upon the retreating enemy like
avenging angels on steel wings.
"I was all of 19
years old when I went in. I flew 35 missions over Germany
and I was on my way home before I turned 21," said Lohoefer.
"I was very fortunate to survive."
At 90, he still
remembers the names and hometowns of his fellow crewmates.
"We were a mixed crew," he said. "They were all very
good kids."
Seventy years later, Lohoefer and the
rest of the 40 are traveling back to Normandy and paying
their respects to the good kids who didn't make it home,
resting near where they fell at the Normandy American
Cemetery.
"That cemetery in Normandy is impressive,
it takes your breath away," he said.
With a sharp
salute that contrasted his age, Lohoefer and his comrades
marched past the riflemen from the 501st Combat Support Wing
Honor Guard, who stood as a silent gateway to an enduring
legacy.
"It's a game of chance, I guess. It makes
you wonder why they are there and I am here," he said,
describing what may be his last trip to Normandy. "How come
I am so lucky?"
More photos available below
By U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Chrissy Best
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2014
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