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6 June 2011 very special day ...


IVY
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Opération UTAH BEACH 6th june 2011

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Plan by "la boutique du Holdy" and "Challenge LCVP association" with "l'association du souvenir militaire" and "the Lions of Carentan"

 

This crazy project for the 6th june 2011 was to land in the morning on Utah Beach with original LCVP landing craft , the first time since 1944 !

 

I will try to write this story , for ever in our mind !

 

For us all became real the 5th june evening when we went to carentan for a briefing with the LCVP association member , the occasion for us to go aboard the PA30-4 for the first time.

We talk about all point of the operation and it was a big problem , the weather !

The operation was nearly canceled , the hight wind and a very bad see made the beaching very dangerous.

The execution of the operation will be confirme or not on the 6th at 3am

 

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First contact with PA30-4 and his crew

 

The night was full of doubt few of us can sleep . At 3.am .... the call here we go boys , departure in 30min !

All was getting ready , with strange feelings

 

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Loading in a GMC a starting of a raining day , next stop Carentan.

 

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The road was quiet , all was thinking ....

 

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waiting ....

 

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Out of the night the PA30-4 arrived at the RDV , 4.15am the stress it high .

 

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It's in this small space we will pass 4 hours in hard conditions , in the dark wainting the daylight with only 4 red light .

 

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For the boarding the crew was wearing modern stuff , later the were wearing wet weather USN dress and navy M1 and life jacket.

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Stressed face before bording.

 

Boarding start with rain like in 1944

 

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Our mascot a landing craft made of lego by the lions

 

To be continue ....

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Lets go !

A last goodbye for our friends, we were half exiting and half scared.

 

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the worst was later .... the river befor the see in the dark

 

to be continue .....

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Johan Willaert

I knew this was going to be posted and cannot wait to see the actual landing pictures....

 

BTW IVY we crossed each other as you walked all-soaking wet up the causeway towards Ste Marie Du Mont and I was driving down to the UTAH Beach museum on Monday at roughly 0945Hr....

 

Looking forward to seeing the rest! And please post some pictures of the SteMdM displays!!

 

Cheers,

 

Johan

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wep johan we did the footstep after ! difficult for us totaly wet , after 4 hours in the craft and without a minute sleeping but we made it !

Yes I will post some pictures of the 4th ID CP display !

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Got da Penny

Thank You for posting photos. I feel like i was actually there along with you guys.

 

I can only imagine how it must have felt to have retraced histories "footsteps". :thumbsup:

 

Regards,Carey

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Thank you for posting these pictures! I bet you all could not sleep, just like the soldiers on D-Day. Very exciting and I can not wait to see your landing...

 

Also, great items you are all wearing!

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This is the first time that I have been in the reenactors section of the forum, I saw your title regarding D-Day and had to check it out. The pictures that you have posted as well as your squad’s authenticity depicting the U.S. Solider are most impressive. Thank you for posting your squad’s tribute to the Utah Beach Landing and I salute you for it. Gregg

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hy

It was a verry good experance ,that I will never forget ! certainly like the veterans never forget ther landing in 1944 !!!

Thank Ivy for thes pictures :thumbsup:

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Corpsmancollector

Fantastic photos Ivy, thanks for posting them. It must have been a very special experience for you and your friends. Look forward to seeing some more!

 

Will

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  • 2 weeks later...
willysmb44

Like everyone else here, I am anxiously looking forward to seeing the photos of the landing itself.

Having been in a LCVP twice underway (in broad daylight and close to shore), I understand how scary they can be to ride in, you get the feeling it will flip over or sink instantly in rough water. I cannot imagine how that must have felt being in one across the channel at night time!

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hbtcoveralls

militaria magazine has photos of the landing from the beach side and WOW! It is one of the most extrordinary things I've ever seen. I just want to impress on everyone just how dedicated these guys are. A good number of troops were killed doing just what they were doing even without being shot at. The danger is real. Landing craft can be broached and people could be drowned. It is one thing to do this because you're ordered to and it is your job. It is another thing to do it to honor and respect and remember, as a volunteer. My hat is off to the men who did this. If you do it again, I'll buy the plane ticket and be there in a heartbeat!

Tom Bowers

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Thanks for the comments all , I finaly post the rest of the pics

 

After boarding start the Carentan river with for only light our TL 122 and the 4 red light , after 1 h we were at see in the dark with rain .

 

 

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Arrived in the channel the first daylight , we can see the coast .... Utah Beach !! For us watching the first daylight from an LCVP on utah beach a 6 june it's unbelievable !

The see is not so calm ans the craft is mooving , start for us turn in circle to wait the beaching .

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During 3 hours we did "round in the water" in weather condition not so easy , the cold and the rain never stoped !

Some guys sleep , other smoke or eat but only one was sick !

 

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7h we aproching the coast , the want to watch if the beaching condition are ok , near the beach we can see lot of people wainting !

 

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to 8h we get bach at see waiting for the "H" hour .

 

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