D Day June 6 1944

 Today's story begins in early June 1984, back in my mail carrier days. I was walking through my old neighborhood, dropping off the day's bundle of bills, magazines and useless advertising when I approached the house of Albert Blattel who lived directly across the street from my grandma. He was sitting on his front porch as I arrived. Amidst his stash of envelopes and flyers was this issue of Time Magazine.

I had known Albert my whole life, so I felt comfortable enough to blurt out what popped into my mind, "What were you doing 40 years ago, Albert?", not having a clue as to what his response would be. For all I knew he could still have been in school, working, anything. His response surprised me.

"I was on a ship in the English Channel waiting to reinforce the initial landing." He made it clear he was not in the first landing although I believe he said one of his brothers was.

This is not a picture of Albert.

This would be a meaner looking version of Albert to give you an idea of who I am trying to describe. His obituary proudly stated that Albert was 'A kind and gentle man. An understatement to those of us who knew him.

To imagine him with a helmet and rifle hitting the beaches of Normandy was quite difficult. Throw in the fact he was still shy of his 19th birthday on that day makes my mind spin. This is what they did in those days. Typical of his generation, he seemed intent on me understanding he was 'In Reserve', not in on the action, no big deal. We know however that D Day was just the beginning of European liberation. It would take several weeks just for the Allies to retake Paris so he must have seen serious action. 

Albert never married; he basically lived the rest of his life in his childhood home with his parents until they passed, and until he did in 2005. His life revolved around his church, the KC's and the VFW. His obit said he worked many years as an accountant in Sikeston, but he stayed mostly at home, listening to the Cardinals in the summer and helping out with his organizations.

I wonder if his experience in WWII shaped his quiet and unassuming lifestyle. When these Veterans went to bed in the evening, were there unwanted thoughts or images still lingering? I will never know because, as with my deceased uncles, I never took the time to ask to hear their experiences. I can say that none of the many WWII vets that I knew ever volunteered any of it and now that I want to hear them, it is too late. It is quite possible they would have declined, but I regret not making an attempt.

A comment on how much has changed in 80 years. I listened to a few minutes of the actual broadcast of NBC's national radio show the morning of June 6th, 1944. As the nation awoke that morning, the news was out of the invasion. We cannot begin to understand the feeling of the nation at this time or how big this event was to those on the Homefront. Keep in mind this is 2 and a 1/2 years after Pearl Harbor. The outcome of the war was far from determined. The part I listened to was when the home base in New York checked in with their correspondents in each of the larger cities. Each city had the same response. Churches were filled with people stopping to pray before going to work. Churches announcing special services. Churches that now have likely been leveled in these larger cities. President Roosevelt announced he was composing a prayer to be delivered later that day. How often do you hear the word 'prayer' on a national broadcast today?

I will be watching a new D Day documentary on the History Channel tonight and 2 movies are on later, 'Private Ryan' and 'The Longest Day' on TMC I think which I will probably watch some of and try to imagine that one of those teenagers portrayed by the actors could be my neighbor Albert.