For three days in August, the beaches of Conneaut, Ohio, are teleported back in time to June 6, 1944, and transformed to resemble the beaches of Normandy. On the small bluffs overlooking these beaches, more than 45,000 people gathered to help 1,800 reenactors memorialize D-Day, and this year Navy Talent Acquisition Group Ohio River Valley (NTAG ORV) was there to help.
“An ultimate truth is having the Navy and all the other services here is a great thing,” Luther Sawicki a Retired Navy veteran and the Veterans’ Coordinator for the board of D-Day Conneaut said Saturday.
Seven Sailors from NTAG ORV attended the three-day event where they held a pull-up challenge, spoke with veterans, and related daily life as an active-duty Sailor to attendees and reenactors alike.
“The Conneaut D-Day Event was very fruitful for spreading Navy awareness and community outreach,” Fire Controlman First Class Andrew Hill said after spearheading the NTAG’s participation. “We were able to interact with a large group of people from multiple states including a good amount of Boy Scouts and Sea Cadets.”
Hill also said that he really enjoyed the event and was impressed by the dedication of the reenactors who spent day and night living like they were in the 1940’s.
Throughout each day reenactors dressed in period correct uniforms and went about daily life from World War II. Military drills, marching, morale events, and skirmishes took place each day and culminated when allied forces leapt off restored Higgins boats and stormed the beach in a tribute battle recreating that fateful day in 1944.
16 World War II veterans from across the U.S. were at the event answering questions and relating their stories about the events they survived during their service.
“It was really great to be able to meet with some of our World War II veterans and mix the old military with the new,” Naval Aircrewman Helicopter Senior Chief Jeffrey Onion, the Command Senior Enlisted Leader for NTAG ORV related after walking the crowds of people and talking with attendees. “Events like this allow us the opportunity to meet and talk to future generations of military personnel.”
“When these older veterans are here the younger generation sees them, and with you guys being here, you just never know how it can impact somebody,” Sawicki said.
| Date Taken: | 08.24.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 08.23.2023 12:17 |
| Story ID: | 451976 |
| Location: | CONNEAUT, OH, US |
| Web Views: | 44 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Sailors Support 79th Anniversary of D-Day Invasion in Conneaut, Ohio, by PO1 Theron Godbold, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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