Walter D. Ehlers

Quotes

• “What was it like on D-Day? That is the question most asked of veterans who were here then. We will surely all agree that it was the longest day of our lives.”
• “We were the men on the front line, but the hard work of our mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers still at home made this tremendous military operation possible. We came on our feet, but we brought their hearts- and prayers- with us.”
• “Today, fifty years later, the beaches are quiet. We come back to mourn our losses, and to celebrate our success. Our presence here commemorates our and our comrades' lives, and it validates the sacrifices we all made on D-Day. What was it like on D-Day? That wave in Southampton, England, was the last time I saw my brother. He died here, on Omaha Beach. That we can be here today proves that it was not in vain.”
• “I had medals, but they were never presented because we were always in combat. So when I got my Medal of Honor, why, they found out that I had gotten the Silver Star in Germany, and then I got Bronze Stars in Africa and Sicily, and then I got a Bronze Star for D-Day for that action I did there, taking out that pillbox. Also the British Military Medal. I got the Silver Star in Germany before getting wounded for the fourth time. I got the Purple Heart three times. I could have had it four.”
• “It probably changed my life, no doubt about it. But then, like I tell most people, I live life one day at a time, and what happens, happens. And that just happened to be a part of it. I didn't do any great big planning about my career- except I never wanted to be unemployed.”

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Wikidata facts

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Ehlers speaking at D-Day anniversary.JPEG

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