As a member of the James M. Henderson Post 32 of the American Legion it was an Honor to known him as my Comrade, my American Legion mentor and my "Hero"! Bob served with the 104th medical company of the 29th Division on D-D ay the 6th of June 1944. Coming ashore on "Sword" beach with all the heavy medical equipment needed to treat the wonded. That night with some help he found some batteries, headlights and wire from shell damaged vehicles and set thme up so the Doctors could do surgery on the severly wounded in the tents. After D- Day there were so many stories of the carnage and what had been done to our men by the enemy I was at times overcome with what Bob and his Men went through. The one he mentioned that I can not forget was when they came upon a barn with dead, burned American Soldiars he was incensed. He went into the town and gathered all the people and made them dig proper temparary graves. During his time in service he was wounded by shrapenel in his hand. He was awarded a "Purple Heart" , a "Bronze Star and a "Certificat of Merit" for his actions during the war. Much later, him and those that served at Normandy were awarded a medal by the French Government and I had the honor of being there with other members of our Post.
In looking back on the stories Bob told me about I had to remember the one my Uncle, William Elkind a kid from Brooklyn New York, my "Uncle Willie" told me what happened to him on D- Day the Sixth of June. When I came home from "Boodt Camp" at the end of December in 1960 I visited with Uncle Willie. He told me something no one in the family had known. They knew he lost his left leg in battle. But, that was all. He told me he came ashore that fatefull morning with others in a landing craft in what was called "OmahaBeach". Right after that he was hit and went down and could not feel his left leg. It was almost gone. Just then another Soldier coming ashore stopped and but a tournaquet on his leg and gave him a shot of morphene. He told him to stay low and someone will be back for him. During the day others stopped to help and give him a shot until night fall. They came and took him off the beach to an "Aid" station where Doctors and medics amputated his leg under the lights of "headlights" that were strung in the tent. One of the things he always remembered was the patch worn by those that helped him. It was a 'blue & gray' inverted patch that reminded him of the Civil War? He never knew what it was. But, was forever greatfull to those that saved his life. My Uncle Willie lived a long and happy life but, never told anyone about the war but me.
When talking To Bob those evenings at the Legion Hall I remembered what my Uncle willie had told me. Bob showed me the 29th Division patch on the wall with all the other patches from World War Two. It was the blue & gray patch Uncle Willie remembered. I asked him about it and the only thing he could say was there were so many he could not count. He did remember a young French girl that lost her leg and wondered what happened to her.
To all that read this Remember, YOUR FREEDOM WAS NOT FREE! it was bought and paid for by a Veteran who served this Country.
For God and Country, Forever!