NOW LET US PRAISE FAMOUS MENMy closest neighbor and one of my closest friends is a hero. James Fudge was a nineteen-year-old sailor on LST 54, a small naval ship designed to transport and deploy troops and supplies in World War II. His little ship was among those that delivered American troops into the fierce battle at Omaha Beach in the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944. Of the 50,000 brave Americans who were deployed into the battle, 5,000 were killed. Today’s BLOG entry is a salute to Jim and to all those who changed the course of history on that fateful day. If the battle had been lost, it is likely that the world would be a very different place today. President Barack Obama said in a tribute to the valiant Allied soldiers and sailors who participated in the invasion, "As we face down the hardships and struggles of our time and arrive at that hour for which we were born, we cannot help but draw strength from those moments in history when the best among us were somehow able to swallow their fears and secure a beachhead on an unforgiving shore."
I persuaded Jim to put on the Navy uniform that he wore when he was nineteen. He could still get into it, something I would not be able to do with anything I might have worn when I was nineteen. Everybody who knows Jim knows that he still wears that smile he was wearing when he was nineteen.
The star on the top bar signifies Jim's participation in the Normandy Invasion.
Jim looks out on Coronado Beach. One can only wonder what this place would be if the Nazis had been successful in their attempt to conquer the world.
8 comments:
Jerral, Thanks so much today (june 6th, the 65th anniversary of the Normandy landings at Omaha Beach as well as Utah, Sword, and Juno. ine was omaha, and didn't you have a swell time pulling my old Navy jumper over my head to take a series of pictures for this old veteran!
Jim
Jerral,
What a pal! First your son, David, prepared a wonderful feast for Irene's birthday, and previously you donated you photographic skills to make this octogenarian not look too bad! You're friendship is appreciated as is your talent and your other skill as a poet. How lucky all of us are!
Jim
Saw your article about James Fudge, my father also served aboard LST 54 during the Normandy Landings. He was aboard from the time they sailed from the US until he was detached and sent to Scotland. He was one of the hospital men assigned to the ship and landed on Omaha Beach on June 6th. He survived his time in the Atlantic theater and was later assigned to and served aboard the USS Laffey in the Pacific theater. He stayed aboard the Laffey until he was discharged in December of 1945. My father passed away in 2007.
Greg,
I've sent your comment to my BLOG and to Jim Fudge. He will be glad to know about your father. I am glad to know about him, too. Your father is one more reason for me to feel honored and blessed to be a citizen in a country with people like him and Jim Fudge.
Jerral
It would be interesting to hear from Greg and know his name as well as his dad's. We had three corpsmen and two doctors on our ship to tend to the wounded that we took on board from the beach. Later we pulled onto the beach at Mont San Michael during Patton's dash through France and took on wounded there, those who had been involved in the battles that ensued in the race to the German border. During both times I recall the medics and MD's doing surgery on our tank deck as we steamed back to England. Often we shipmates had to sleep on the bare deck as our sacks were full of wounded men.
Sorry to hear Greggs dad has passed away. We WW2 guys are getting long in the tooth and soon our group will all be gone. Good to have been a part of that historical event.
Jim
Jerral, Once again how good of you to refer to my time in the service. You are a dear and special friend, one of the best i've known. Again, thank you. Jim
My fathers name was Allen Henry and he was from St. Paul MN. He also told me of the two doctors and the 3 corpsmen that were on board the ship. He also spoke of the Army medical team that was on board. I don't remember if they went over from New York or they came on board after they reached England. I will have to check the diary that he kept of his time on board LST 54, his time in Scotland and his return trip to the US after VE Day. I made a copy of his diary and had it sent to the National D-Day museum in New Orleans. He was also able to make an oral history of his experiences in Europe before his passing, which is now at the National WW II museum in Washington.
Gregg, Allen Henry I knew well. Allen bunked with me, Walt Strutthers, Bob Fox, Vern Rand, Bill Nolen and several other guys in a port-side compartment on LST 54. I remember him as a pleasant young man (weren't we all?) and quite a good-looking fellow. I do recall he mentioned he was from St. Paul and had several sisters. I know St. Paul and the Twin Cities well since Irene and my son, Tom, attended undergraduate studies at Macalester College, and has a masters in journalism from the U of Minnesota. What a small world and sorry to hear that Allen is no longer with us!!
Gregg,
If you check back to this BLOG... Jim Fudge who knew your father very, very well would like to be in touch with you. His e-mail address: jfudge1@san.rr.com
Jerral
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