BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – Thursday marks 75 years since the allied forces in World War II began its military operations to retake Europe’s Western Front.
It was known as Operation Overlord…or D-Day.
More than 160,000 Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944 to retake France from Nazi Germany.
“For us, it’s still kind of a poignant memory,” Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park’s Superintendent, John Branning, whose father was a World War II veteran, told WBEN. “But the realities nowadays with younger generations, our military history is not taught quite as thoroughly at school as it once was. Remembrances like this are so important to re-emphasize this because the last thing you want is for people to forget D-Day. Without D-Day, the destruction and defeat of fascism and Nazism, we’d all potentially be speaking a different language.”
DeGlopper’s sacrifice gave Allied forces a tactical advantage. For his sacrifice, DeGlopper was given the Congressional Medal of Honor.
LEARN MORE ABOUT DeGLOPPER HERE
“These men were jumping out of boats and some of them drowned before they made it to shore because they were carrying so much gear,” Branning said. “Then you get out of the water and you have all this open beach to run across and into the teeth of machine gun fire, mortar fire, gunfire of all sorts and caliber.”
“I think (movies) help in a way because Spielburg tried to make it as authentic as he could make it,” he said. “For some that’s a turn off because of the blood and gore. Well, that’s what war is.”
The Buffalo Naval Park will be commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day by giving out free cards to all of its visitors. On one side of the card is the speech that General Eisenhower’s gave to those who took part in D-Day.
“On the back of that will be a synopsis of Charles DeGlopper and what he did,” Branning said.
The Buffalo Naval Park is beginning its summer schedule which includes major events like the tall ships appearance on July 4. Branning also said that there’s a number of events on the USS Little Rock, including an optimal place to watch the Fourth of July fireworks.
“The season has just started for us,” he said.
One of the new features this year at the Naval Park is an automated audio tour. As you walk around the ships, the radio you’ll bring with you will communicate with you what you’re seeing.
“It’s a lot more personal than just walking around with a sheet of paper,” Branning said.
Kelly Sullivan, the granddaughter of Albert Sullivan, is the narrator on most of the audio tour of the USS The Sullivans.
The Naval Park also recently began a capital project where they will raise funds for upkeep and preservation of the various ships at the park. The USS The Sullivans has been in the water since 1965 and the Naval Park is responsible for raising the funds. The other ships will be updated following the upkeep of the USS The Sullivans.
Learn more about the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park by clicking HERE