Dan Dougherty rises to receive recognition during a ceremony commemorating soldiers of World War II who reside at Paradise Valley Estates, 2022 (Photo: Nick Sestanovich / The Reporter)
Today, June 6, marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. To honor this milestone, numerous World War II Veterans are flying out to France, including Northern California’s Dan Dougherty. It is Dougherty’s first trip to Normandy since the war.
“Well, I’ve been back to Europe several times, but this will be the first time since the war that I’ve been to Normandy,” says Dougherty as he departs from Sacramento International Airport.
Dan Dougherty, a longtime resident of Marin County who now lives in Fairfield, is participating in American Airlines’ Old Glory Honor Flight program. Among those traveling to Normandy are women who played vital roles during the war, building bombers, tanks, and other weaponry. President Biden is also attending the commemorations, where the French president is awarding the Legion of Honor to 14 U.S. Veterans and a British female Veteran.
On June 6, 1944, the Allied invasion of Normandy began, eventually leading to the defeat of the Nazis and the end of World War II. The assault started with Allied aircraft bombing German defenses, followed by about 1,200 aircraft carrying airborne troops. At dawn, Allied forces began bombing German fortifications on the coast, and shortly after, vessels started landing troops on five codenamed beaches: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. Despite thousands of casualties, approximately 160,000 Allied forces arrived in Normandy by day’s end.
A few months after D-Day, Dougherty traveled to France and later joined the team that liberated the Dachau concentration camp.
“We came upon a long train of boxcars full of corpses. We were infantry used to death and destruction, but you can’t get used to walking up to a train and finding it full of over 2,000 bodies,” he recalls.
Dougherty, who recently turned 99, is among the dwindling number of living WWII combat Veterans. He is one of just 70 Veterans flown out by American Airlines for the commemorations. Earlier this year, the last survivor of the USS Arizona Pearl Harbor attack and American Legion Post 130 member passed away at the age of 102. According to the National World War II Museum, only about 119,000 of the 16.1 million Americans who served in WWII are still alive today.
Author: Rikki Almanza
Rikki is a Web Content Coordinator for the American Legion, Department of California. With a deep-rooted connection to the military, a spouse who is a Navy veteran, a father who served in the Air Force for 25 years, and a grandfather who proudly served, Rikki is committed to using her skills and knowledge to provide valuable assistance and resources to servicemembers and veterans.
