![]() After the liberation of France, his outfit came upon somewhat of a prison camp for Vichy French. I don’t recall the reason why but it was something like they wanted to make sure he wasn’t where he was supposed to be. Dad saw maps of the invasion plan all around. Evidently, while on the coast of England the day before the battle, he was told by a superior to enter a tent. He spoke of landing in Europe on D-Day plus one. I was just a kid in the ‘70’s, more concerned about summer vacation and Little League baseball than studying World War II history, but two stories from Dad’s war days stand out. ![]() Most men didn’t until Saving Private Ryan opened the floodgates. So it was a matter of course that we saw these films, but coming out of those theaters, or even with the Vietnam War in the news all the time, I don’t recall him talking about his war experiences hardly at all. He was honorably discharged as a PFC after serving with Headquarters Company, Special Troops, 12 th Army Group under the command of General Omar Nelson Bradley in December 1945, fortunately never having to join the battle in the Pacific. He went on to earn five bronze stars, seeing action in the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes and Central Europe campaigns. Hayes in Columbus, Ohio in June 1943 at age 18. My father was a World War II vet, drafted into the Army at Ft. ![]() The 12th Army Group was formed on July 14th, 1944 from the former First U.S. Hannon in his World War II uniform sporting the 12th Army Group shoulder patch, sometime after July 29, 1944. ![]()
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