Jackson honors veterans on D-Day
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JACKSON, Tenn. — Seventy-one years ago, allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, during World War II. It was originally called Operation Neptune, but now the iconic invasion is remembered as D-Day. “Elated, thrilled to death because we didn’t know if we were going to make it or not,” Lacy Rose said. “We were afraid they was going to win over there and come over where we was.” Nearly 9,000 men were wounded or killed on D-day, making it one of the most significant invasions ever. However, local veterans fighting the war in other places at the time said word spread fast even though the historical impact was not immediately felt. “I really forgot all about that. We was so busy doing our thing that we didn’t give it too much thought ,” Jim Pratt said. On Saturday, Jackson’s VFW Post 6496 honored the brave veterans who fought that day and those who fought in other wars. “When I see my flag go by, it’s like I was in Vietnam,” Richard Ray said. “I said, well, I am fighting for her — United States is what we called her.” Each veteran at the ceremony was recognized with an honorary bell ring and given a free meal. Organizers said the honor of still having the generation who fought more than 70 years ago is something we all need to cherish. “What can I say — all of us, we gave,” William Arnold said. “But these guys are special. They are aging out and there’s not many left, and we want to honor them while we can.”
