Thursday, June 6, 2013

Lest we forget

Fr. Joseph Lacy


On this 69th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, here is the story of Father Joseph Lacy, "a small fat old Irishman," who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross "for extraordinary heroism" as a Ranger chaplain on bloody Omaha Beach. (h/t The American Catholic)

To help non-soldiers conceive of the violence on Omaha Beach that day, here is testimony from  Captain Richard Merrill, 2nd Ranger Battalion:

"I was the first one out (of the landing craft). The seventh man was the next one to get across the beach without being hit. All the ones in-between were hit. Two were killed; three were injured. That's how lucky you had to be."


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