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Wrinkled faces, stories of warBy LOUISE ANDRYUSKY © St. Petersburg Times, published February 21, 2001
Here they were, proud veterans of the Normandy invasion, ready to receive medals of gratitude from the people of France, 57 years later. The ceremony took place at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10209 in Spring Hill on Feb. 10 and was attended by U.S. Rep. Karen Thurman, D-Dunnellon; the veterans; their families; and Paul Conde of Spring Hill, the commander of Chapter 560 of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. It was an especially proud day for Conde because he had tackled the enormous job of contacting the French Embassy in Miami to see to it that these veterans received these medals and awards. Time and space did not permit me to interview all 16 of the veterans. But, as always, I was amazed at the stories behind these elderly faces. Having been a teenager during World War II, I have no trouble at all envisioning them as the very young servicemen they were as they faced the fiercest battle of the war. Seaman 1st Class John Dolan was all of 17 years old when he went in on the first wave to hit Omaha Beach. He was with Naval Combat Demolition Unit 128, which brought in soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division. "We must have hit a mine about a half-mile from shore, and our ship sank," Dolan said. I asked him how he was rescued, and he laughed. "I swam," he said. "I had two bags of demolition explosives weighing about 80 pounds on my back, but I managed to get ashore. "I found a tank with wounded men in it and gave them all the cigarettes I had. After that, I proceeded on to the beach and spent 22 days there." After fighting in southern France, Dolan was shipped out to the Pacific, where, once again, he was on the first wave of men landing on Okinawa. I asked Rep. Thurman how it was that she became so interested in veterans affairs. She said her father had been a tail gunner on a bomber during World War II, and, even though she wasn't around at that time, she has never forgotten the greatest gift these veterans gave us. "They gave us our liberty and freedom -- not only to me, my husband and children, but for all of us," she said. In addition to their medal and certificate of appreciation from France, Thurman gave each veteran an American flag that had been flown over the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Pfc. Anthony F. Klimbal was also a 17-year-old when he faced the guns of Normandy. He was a scout with the 4th Cavalry Squadron. Four of his older brothers were in the service and saw action in North Africa and Sicily, and young Anthony insisted that his father drive him to the recruiting office to enlist in his hometown. It wasn't long before this youngster from Minnesota found himself on Omaha Beach and in the breakout to the hedgerows along the roads of France. He was wounded and evacuated to a French hospital. He was sent back to duty in September and fought in the infamous Battle of the Bulge, where he was wounded again. Cmdr. Conde, who engineered the ceremony for these veterans, had learned that the French government had awarded the Liberte Medal of Honor to the survivors of Normandy on the 50th anniversary of the liberation of France in 1945. Conde set out to find the veterans who had not received the medal in 1995. It was a job that required lots of time and paperwork. "Even as it is, I'm willing to bet there are at least 80 or 100 more veterans in this area who did not receive the medal," Conde said. Originally from Puerto Rico, Conde was with the 65th Infantry, 36th Division during the Battle of the Bulge. Staff Sgt. Edward Reichert of the 28th Infantry Division said he came in after the initial landings at Normandy and was in the breakout to the hedgerows of France. "We had a lot of casualties right away," said Reichert. "We went all the way through Belgium into Germany. I was shot in the leg and spent some time recovering. "They sent us back again, and I joined my outfit in Luxembourg. On the 16th of December, I was in the Battle of the Bulge and was captured by the Germans when we were 80 kilometers into Germany. We were dumped into a German prison camp with the Russians and French. One time, we were strafed by our own planes. I was there 106 days before being liberated." As I often remind my grandchildren, the faces of the elderly that surround us in Hernando County are not just faces, but people with stories to tell -- incredible stories, sometimes. They are stories that can serve to remind the younger generation of the great spirit of those who fought in World War II. -- Louise Andryusky is a columnist for the Hernando Times. The honoreesVeterans who received the Liberte Medal of Honor on Feb. 10 included: Paul P. Beagle, Port St. Lucie Thomas S. Cardillo, Hudson Robert A. Crye, Hudson Walter J. Danielson, Spring Hill John N. Dolan Jr., Spring Hill Charles W. Hudson, Hudson Clifton R. Kemp, Hudson Anthony F. Klimbal, Spring Hill Ellis K. Kuoppala, Port Richey Robert V. McCarthy, Hernando Harold J. Mascher, Brooksville Edward Reichert, Brooksville Joseph P. Rinaldi, Inverness Salvatore R. Rinaldi, Inverness Kenneth A. Wehyrauch, Ridge Manor Thomas J. Eschmann, Spring Hill (Mr. Eschmann died recently, and his medal was accepted by his widow, Isabella Eschmann.)
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