Remembering D-Day

In remembering D-Day today, I want to reprint a portion of my post from last year:

I've written before about Greenwood Cemetery here in Shreveport.  It's not far from my house and Steve and I visit there occasionally because there's a huge veteran's section; plus, I have some family buried there.  One day a few weeks ago we decided it had been a while since we'd gone through there so we pulled in, got out of the car and started walking through the veterans section reading headstones.

The veterans buried there are from the Spanish American war on up to current times.  I've mentioned before, we found several with "Purple Heart" notations on their headstones.  I'm always curious about their stories.  Every one of those people buried there has a story.  I wish I knew them all.

I'm particularly interested in the Kelley (brothers?).  I posted on these two not long ago.  We stopped at these graves first because we noticed that they both had the same last name ("Oh how sad for this family to lose two sons in the same year!") and on closer inspection, Steve gasped and said, "Oh no!  He died on D-day!"

Bose F. Kelley died on D-day, June 6, 1944.  William G. Kelley, (his brother?) died on November 10, 1944.

I've tried to do some online research on them but come up pretty empty.  I found this:

...but I can't swear it's the same guy because the date of death isn't the same as what's on his stone.  I have found record of Bose F. Kelley here.  He was part of the 507 parachute infantry regiment; their mission was to drop near Amfreville and "hold the La Fiere causeway in support of the 505th PIR."  They were to hold a defensive line between Gourbesville and Le-Hameau Renouf.  You can read about the mission here and here.  Here is one soldier's testimony of that day.  Here is the site of the son of one of the members of the 507th with pictures and information about that day.

I wish I knew the Kelley's stories.  They have surviving family here somewhere; somebody goes out there regularly and places flowers.  They are not forgotten.

I'm not trying to be lazy in recycling last year's post, but I think about these two fellows on D-Day.  Like I said, I don't know them, never knew them, don't know their family, but I hope one day to learn who they were and hear their story. 

In all actuality, they were like most boys in WWII: young hometown boys who went off on a war to support their country. 

Here are a few D-Day links for you:

WWII Veterans Mark D-Day Anniversary in Normandy.

Omaha Beach and the 67th Anniversary of D-Day

D-Day Veteran Recounts Battle

D-Day Veterans Remember Fighting, Fear, Courage

Watch this lovely video of one veteran's trip with the Louisiana Honor Air program:


Take time to remember today.  I'm going to place a flag at the graves of the Kelley brothers.