Centennial event salutes ‘The Greatest Generation’

Tom Rice drew laughs from the crowd gathered outside American Legion Post 416 in Encinitas, Calif., to hear him speak on March 2.

“This is Normandy weather,” Rice said, referring to the drizzling rain and cool breeze impacting Post 416’s centennial celebration. “We’ll survive it, no problem.”

Rice, who as a member of the 101st Airborne Division jumped into Normandy as part of the D-Day invasion in World War II, regaled the crowd with stories of his experience as part of Post 416’s centennial celebration March 2, “A Salute to the Greatest Generation.”

“We were 37 days in Normandy,” Rice said. “As I crossed the window, the bullet (from a sniper) hit the concrete in front of me and then bounced up and hit me in the left leg just above the knee. That knee was taking an awful beating in three or four years of war, it’s a wonder I still got it.”

Rice noted that he got caught in the door of the plane during the D-Day jump.

“My left arm got caught in the lower lefthand corner of the door,” he said. “So here I am hanging outside of the aircraft … I was upside down, the reserve parachute was in the way. As I swung out, I recognized some of the guys going by. I wished I was with them.

“As I came in and hit the side of the aircraft again, I turned just enough to get my arm loose. I was scraped from armpit to wrist. I had a brand new Hamilton wristwatch … that was torn off and I think some good Frenchman probably got it.”

Rice will repeat his jump into Normandy — likely with a little less drama — on D-Day’s 75th anniversary on June 6. He and others participating in the jump will be featured in a documentary about the event, with some footage for the movie being shot during Post 416’s event.

Post 416’s centennial celebration drew Legion Family members from across the state, including incoming department commander Ed Grimsley.

“Without these veterans coming out here and doing what they’re doing, and these younger people seeing exactly what we came from and what we are doing, this is what it’s all about,” Grimsley said. “The American Legion, we are taking care of the American people, whether they are civilians or veterans.”

Post 416 Commander Matt Shillingburg thanked the veterans in attendance for their service and touted The American Legion’s history, both overall and in Encinitas where the post is the community’s second-oldest business.

Other speakers at the event included Encinitas Deputy Mayor Jody Hubbard, who said, “As we reflect on the last 100 years, think about all the men and women who have walked in and out of Post 416, and all the other American Legions around the world. We are forever indebted to those who served and are currently serving our country in all branches of our nation’s military. I think it is important to pause in gratitude for all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, and those who are not able to join us today.”

During the event, District 22 Commander Chris Yates recognized the efforts of Dr. Kevin Murphy, a Navy veteran and professor at the University of California, San Diego, who specializes in brain tumors and has treated several veterans with PTSD with a new treatment, PrTMS (Personalized repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation).

Yates expressed optimism that PrTMS can be used by the Department of Defense. “If a person serves in the military, their brain should be measured, and there better be a treatment plan for any neurological illness before they leave. And if it’s not before they leave, it better be as they leave,” Yates said. District 22 presented a $5,000 donation to Murphy’s company, PeakLogic.

After Rice’s speech, actor and comedian Hank Garrett spoke to the crowd about his charitable efforts for wounded soldiers, and local band The Mar Dels played a concert.