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Technical Sergeant Milton Staley, 90th ID, 06.06.44


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This is the account of the high spot of my recent visit to Normandy. My wife and I were sipping coffee in the Roosevelt Cafe which is just opposite the Utah Beach monuments. It's actually built around a German bunker which can still be seen today and which features in some famous WW2 stills as it has fake windows painted on it to disguise its true purpose (see pic)

 

The cafe itself is a well known landmark and is a rallying point for US Army vets who come to visit Utah Beach, the monuments and the museum. It is full of WW2 memorabilia and the walls are covered with the signatures of the many vets who have visited it over the years. Anyway....on with the story. As we were enjoying out coffee I noticed an elderly gentleman enter the cafe, accompanied by two other people whom I assumed to be his son and daughter. I knew immediately that he was a real "live" D-Day vet! He wore a vet's ball-cap with campaign ribbons to which was pinned a small enamelled Purple Heart, a DUI and a small lapel-sized enamelled Silver Star ribbon. He sat down no more than six feet away from me. I didn't want to intrude, but I just had to speak to him.

 

"Excuse me sir, but do I deduce from your cap that you're a visiting WW2 American D-Day veteran?"

 

He was! His name is Milton Staley, a native Minnesotan, age 93, and now residing in Northern California. During WW2 he served in the 359th regiment of the 90th Infantry Division, the "Tough Ombres", largely made up of men from Texas/Oklahoma. His Regiment was attached to the 9th Division for the assault on Utah Beach. He fought his way across Europe ending the war in Czechoslovakia before rotating back to States under the points system. During his military career he reached the rank of T/Sergeant, earned two Purple Hearts, Two Bronze Stars and a Silver Star! I felt it would have been impertinent to delve too deeply into how he'd won his awards...but I wish I had now! He also told me he was one of three brothers, all of whom served in WW2, one in the Armored Corps and another in USMC aviation. All survived the war.

 

I found him to be a charming, modest, kindly old gentleman. We chatted freely for about fifteen minutes before we had to move on. Meeting him was an honour and was the undisputed highlight of my week in Normandy!

 

When I returned home I "googled" him and found the links below. :salute:

 

http://triggertimeforum.yuku.com/topic/10387#.T9W5GrC0xXu

 

http://mayenne-ww2.forumactif.org/t1987-67...w2-en-normandie

 

 

post-8022-1339446605.jpg

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T/Sergeant Staley's signature on the wall of the Roosevelt Cafe...and the focus of his journey, the 90th Division monument.

 

post-8022-1339446912.jpgpost-8022-1339447356.jpg

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The Roosevelt Cafe. The painted bunker can be seen behind me.

[attachment=532838:2012_060...ndy20156.JPG]

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He's the "Real Deal'', and doesn't look a day over 70! :thumbsup:

 

 

Yes JS..."real deal" is right...and he's not looking too bad for a 93 year old!

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I bet you could locate his address at one of the event venues or the newspaper that covered the event. OR google the 90th division web-site.

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I bet you could locate his address at one of the event venues or the newspaper that covered the event. OR google the 90th division web-site.

 

Roger that JS. The sadly dwindling numbers of bona-fide D-Day vets makes it a little easier to track them down these days via associations and VFW.

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Yes JS..."real deal" is right...and he's not looking too bad for a 93 year old!

 

Ian,

 

Great story! It must have been amazing to talk to him! One thing that always impresses me is how well these WWII vets get along in their 90's! We recently had a 100 year old vet on an Honor Flight.

 

I LOVE the cafe and the signatures on the wall.

 

I can see why this was your favorite part of the week.....Kat

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Thanks Kat. I'd have liked to have spent more time chatting with him. The thing is knowing how much to ask without appearing to "pry"...if that makes sense? I would have loved to have learned how he earned his Silver Star but was reluctant to ask.

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The thing is knowing how much to ask without appearing to "pry"...if that makes sense?

 

I understand exactly what you mean. I would LOVE to talk to them over and over and over again.

 

....Kat

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Ian,

This is just great!!! Nice Job. Do you know if this was his first time back?

 

 

Thanks Troy. I believe he might have been back at least once before, but I'm not sure precisely when.

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Ian!!!! We got a new recruit, do you mean someone else here wants to HONOR old veterans!! :o

 

 

Yup...that makes FOUR of us now! :w00t:

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  • 2 months later...

Milt is a truly wonderful guy and a good friend of mine.

His story is more amazing than just Utah Beach, he actually served in the Pacific first, was wounded, brought back to the US, assigned to the 90th and brought to Europe to land at Utah Beach!!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

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