A tribute to Norman Whitman on Omaha Beach

On a Monday afternoon, families, veterans, flag bearers, authorities and members of Deep Respect gathered at Omaha Beach in memory of Norman Whitman. The American sailor had landed on June 8, 1944. First a helmsman and then assistant to the captain in the US Navy, he had stayed three months on this beach before joining the Pacific.

Mayor Antoine de Bellaigue greeted his daughter Déborah Deleault and granddaughter Mélissa Paciulli, present at the ceremony. He expressed to them the gratitude and affection of the commune, recalling the sacrifices of the fighters, the friendship between the two countries and the commitment to transmit this memory to the following generations.

The audience gathered in front of the ashes of the veteran. According to his last wishes, they were to be dispersed a few days later off the coast of Omaha Beach. His daughter and granddaughter thanked the association and the municipality for organizing the tribute.

Archive image: https://vierville.cordelle.eu/PhDoc12/2012-juin6-DR-NW.jpg