North Adams Commemorates 65th Anniversary of D-Day
 Marc Toureille, center, at the the D-Day commemoration. Top, James Zieba gives a history of the Invasion of Normandy. |
His father, the Rev. Pierre-Charles Toureille, a member of the French Resistance, helped rescue refugees and kept contact with concentration camp inmates in France through packages and message. Marc, then 14, was sent to the post office with a missal to find out what the latest delivery restrictions were.
The office was quiet, with five Frenchman and a German soldier there. But as soon as the German left, his countrymen broke out in excitement. "They cried out 'Guess what?! They landed this morning, they landed,'" he recalled. "We all shouted for joy but then we had to be quiet. ... we had to wait for the liberation."
Toureille and his wife, Michele, have resided in Williamstown for more than half a century, but they remember the hardships and horror of living in France under the Nazi boot. "We thank [American veterans] every time we see them," said Michele Toureille.
The couple had come to thank local World War II veterans at a commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy on Saturday evening at City Hall.
Organized by Frank R. Stiles American Legion Post 125 and lead by its Cmdr. Dennis St. Pierre, it included representatives from Legion posts in Adams and Readsboro, Vt., Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vietnam Veterans of America, auxiliary members and a number of World War II veterans, including Michael Catrambone, who was aboard a Navy ship during the invasion.
Retired Army Maj. James Zieba of American Legion Post 160 in Adams, who served in Vietnam and with Army Special Forces, gave a history of D-Day, the culmination of all the planning for Operation Overlord, the opening of a second front against German-occupied Europe. The code for the assault was "Operation Neptune."
"Operation Neptune was the greatest amphibious and aerial attack in human history," said Zieba. "Nearly 175,000 Americans, Canadians and British troops landed on that day. ... They were supported by thousands of aircraft that flew over 14,000 sorties ... almost 200,000 Allied naval and merchant navy personnel were involved."
  Michael Catrambone, 85, center, was in the naval fleet that supported the landings on D-Day. Left, sand from Omaha Beach. |
Among those who lost their lives that long ago day was Pfc. Arthur H. Miller of Beaver Street, who died stepping from his landing craft. His parents would not learn of his death until a month later, on Independence Day. And they would lose another son in short order: Pvt. Norbert J. Miller was killed Sept. 11, 1944, in Belgium.
Their sister, Alice Coody, spoke briefly of her family's loss. "It's nice to know that they will be remembered," she said.
Mayor John Barrett III said he had trouble fathoming how a family could survive losing two sons, two brothers, in less than five months. Coody had told him, he said, they survived because they understood what it was all about and that sacrifices had to be made.
"This is about making sure that future generations will never forget the greatest generation that served our country," he said. "And I hope that the city of North Adams, whether I'm here or not here, will make sure this legacy will continue that we will pay homage to the veterans who have served us so well."
Frank Presnal of Adams wasn't at D-Day, but the World War II veteran vividly remembers the happiness of the women and children he encountered as Europe was freed.
"I'd do it all over again for them," he said. "I'd do it all again."Tiny bags of sand from Normandy were passed out, courtesy of the Toureilles, whose nephew scooped it up from Omaha Beach. Marc Toureille told the gathering how his nephew had visited some years back and spotted a WW II-vintage plane descending to Bennington, Vt., Airport. He made his uncle drive to the airport and broke into tears when he saw three planes there.
"He told me, 'on D-Day, I laid down on the ground and watched those planes fly by.'"
"We've been allied for a long time," Toureille continued. "A French soldier died in Yorktown and Americans died in France ...
"Our relationship is sometimes rocky but you liberated us to be free people, the Russians, the Soviets liberated people to be satellites ... But you liberated us so we could be free."
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