“It feels good after all of these…
By Betsy Scheinbart
Fifty-seven years after they stormed the beaches of Normandy in France, D-day veterans from Queens and Long Island were honored Sunday with a medal commissioned by the country they helped to liberate from the Nazis.
“It feels good after all of these years to finally get the recognition we deserve,” said Robert Domanico, a longtime Flushing resident and World War II veteran.
Bayside resident and veteran David Kramer said: “Better late than never.”
The Jubilee of Liberty Medal was commissioned in 1994 for the 50th anniversary of the invasion. That year 35,000 Americans were honored with the medal in France. Since then, similar ceremonies have been taking place on American soil.
On Sunday, 153 veterans gathered at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Great Neck, marking the largest Jubilee of Liberty Medal award ceremony to date in the United States.
On D-day, June 6, 1944 175,000 men, an armada of 5,333 ships and landing crafts, 50,000 vehicles, and 11,000 planes crossed the English Channel to land on Normandy beaches. By nightfall nearly all the Allied forces from the United States, Canada and England were onshore in Operation Overlord and had invaded Europe, which set the stage for the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany.
U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside), whose district covers parts of Queens and Long Island, secured the medals for veterans who fought in Normandy from June 6 to Aug. 31, 1944, during the invasion.
“Fifty-seven years ago the world had gone mad,” Ackerman said, “and 175,000 young men from all over America put their lives on hold … to launch the largest amphibious assault in history.”
Each veteran received a medal from Ackerman or the other presenters, who included officials from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, the Northport American Legion and several local veterans’ groups.
Some of the veterans were close to tears as they received their medals.
Cosimo LaMarco, of Floral Park, said he has only recently been able to talk about his war experiences because of all the painful memories.
“One thing I can’t forget was in Southhampton the English people were crying for us, American boys, because we were so young,” LaMarco said. He was 20 years old when he joined the Allied forces a few days after the invasion.
“I lost a lot of friends and my brother-in-law,” LaMarco said, “but now I am starting to remember the good times.” When the Allied forces liberated Paris, LaMarco was in the parade, receiving cheers from the crowd.
Even as a few of them wore their old uniforms, it was difficult to imagine this group of men in their 70s and 80s were once little more than 18 years old when they changed the course of history.
“I feel wonderful despite all the people who are not here,” said College Point resident Frank Milano, who wore his old U.S. Army uniform to the event. “This is out of respect for all the men who are not here.”
The families of 35 deceased veterans of Operation Overlord also received awards on behalf of the war heroes.
The medals represent Normandy and bear the Torch of Freedom surrounded by a quotation from William the Conqueror: “Diex Aie” (“God is with us.”). On the opposite side, “Overlord 6 Jui 1944” is inscribed, with flags of the allied countries and the names of the landing beaches.
Reach reporter Betsy Scheinbart by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 138.
