Normandy Vet honored

Stories about fighting in all theaters of WWII. I ask that these be stories directly from veterans and not previously published material.
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Bill_Wolf
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Normandy Vet honored

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WWII vet has his day; Belanger recalls service on D-Day

By VICTORIA GUAY
Laconia Citizen, Laconia NY

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Armand Belanger was in his early 20s when he arrived with thousands of other men on ships off the beaches of Normandy on D Day.

Not part of the first wave of soldiers, it was Belangers job to help others relay the wounded and dead back on board his ship during that long night.

In the morning, Belanger got his orders to drive a 40 ton crane out onto Omaha Beach under enemy fire and unload more ammunition and bombs for his fellow soldiers.

Describing how he felt before he drove the crane out, he said he didn't think he would survive the battle.

"I made the sign of the cross, and said 'Lord, my life is in your hands' and I just took off," Belanger said.

He survived extraordinary circumstances and then helped liberate France from the Nazis before heading into Belgium and Germany.

Now 89, the Laconia native was honored Friday at the HealthLink office in downtown Laconia, where he was presented with several medals and badges that he earned for his valor but never received.

Family, including his son, Norman Belanger (named after Normandy), and his two brothers, Ralph and Lorenzo, who also served in the military during World War II were there. His daughter Carol and her husband, David Gammon, were also there.

But Belanger said while the ceremony made him feel appreciated, he does not consider himself a hero.

"I didn't do anymore then anyone else would've done," Belanger said, shrugging. "It just had to be done."

Bob Jones, a physician's assistant who works with VetLink, a part of HealthLink, which is a service of LRGHealthcare helps the uninsured access health care, was contacted by Belanger's son-in-law, David Gammon of Gilford, to see how Belanger could get his medals.

"We're so happy and so proud," Jones said of HealthLink and LRGHealthcare's role in helping Belanger get the recognition he deserves.

Jones is a Vietnam veteran and a local advocate for prisoners of war and those missing in action (POW/MIA) and their families. He leads regular vigils in Hesky Park in Meredith.

He said when he heard from Gammon, he talked with fellow veterans' advocat Russ Armstrong and they were able to get Gammon and Belanger in touch with a representative from Senator Judd Gregg's office, Ann Warburton, who helped get all the paperwork and medal applications together.

Warburton was also at the ceremony Friday and she read a letter from Senator Gregg, who regretted not being able to be at the ceremony in person.

Joe Byron, founder of Honor Flight New England, a nonprofit organization based in Hooksett, presented Belanger with the medals.

"I hope in some small way you and your family know how much we care, we remember and appreciate what you did for your country," Byron said.

Honor Flight New England became part of the national Honor Flight network last year and has since flown 107 veterans, 16 prisoners of war and 4 sets of brothers and six women to Washington, D.C., at no cost to veterans, so that they can visit the nation's war memorials.

Belanger was one of the veterans who traveled to Washington last year with Byron.

After the ceremony, Belanger was urged by a relative to talk about his experiences liberating France and coming into Germany, where he saw the aftermath of some of the already-liberated concentration camps, such as Bergen-Belsen (also called Belsen), which was liberated by British troops in April of 1945.

He said after the war, he didn't really think about the medals too much.

"There were so many men that got discharged at the same time, I just figured everything got lost in the mail," Belanger said.

The medals he received Friday were the Good Conduct Medal; the American Campaign Medal; The European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and Bronze Star attachment and Arrowhead; the World War II Victory Medal; the World War II Honorable Service lapel button; Driver and Mechanic badge and Driver bar; the Marksman Badge and Rifle bar.
1945 GMC DUKW
1942 Chevy 125 Crash Truck from Dow AAFB,
1944 Chevy 325 Fire Truck
1942 WC-54 Ambulance
1944 M29C Weasel (x6)
1945 CCKW 353 A2 Open Cab "Air-portable"
1943 M5 High Speed Tractor
1942 Sperry Searchlight setup with GE Generator
1942 M-1 Fruehauf Searchlight Trailer (G221)
1942 M-17 Fruehauf Quad 50 Trailer (G221)
1942 M-10 Ammo Trailer (x3)
194? Steel Ben Hur (x4) 194? Wood Ben Hur (x2)
1945 Case VAIW-3 Aircraft Tug
1943 Case VAI USAAF with Mower
1944 Clark CA-1 Airborne Dozer
1944 PE-95G, 1944 PE-99B
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