A Navy Soldier on Omaha Beach [Paperback]

Alan Dube (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2005

U.S. Army troops weren't the only ones storming Omaha Beach on D-Day; many Navy sailors were called upon to be foot soldiers as well in this decisive and pivotal battle. "A Navy Soldier on Omaha Beach" is the personal account in words, pictures, and illustrations of the D-Day and World War II experiences of Gilbert H. Dube, USN, 7th Naval Beach Battalion (NBB), Company B-6, as told to and written by his son. It includes a detailed history of the formation, training, and use of NBBs in Normandy, as well as the combat experiences of several NBB members on June 6, 1944, on Omaha Beach and in the Normandy campaign that followed. The book also describes the veteran's poignant return to Omaha Beach for the first and only time some 55 years later.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Alan C. Dube is an Air Force veteran who served in support of USAFE/NATO in Germany, and NORAD and the Space Command in Colorado during the latter years of the Cold War. He was awarded the Air Force Achievement Medal and Space Communications Badge for meritorious service. He holds a B.S. degree from Bryant University, and an M.B.A. from Providence College. An avid hockey fan, traveler, and historian, Alan works as a database/software consultant. Alan is a member of the American Legion and the American Sons of Normandy, and toured the Normandy battlefields extensively in 1983 and 1999. He returned to Normandy in 2004 to observe the 60th anniversary of D-Day in honor of his father and all Americans who served and sacrificed themselves on June 6, 1944. He continues to educate the public on the often unheralded role of the American Naval Beach Battalions in the Normandy landings. Alan resides in Standish, Maine,and can be reached by email at [e-mail]. He welcomes all comments, criticisms, and corrections pertaining to this work.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

He stood over the grave of his fallen friend, and the moment overwhelmed him. I rarely saw my father cry when I was growing up – perhaps here and there when he was in the depths of an alcohol-induced depression. This was very different. In the bright, sober sunshine of a clear blue day at the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, which overlooks Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, my father started to sob. The images of what he had seen and experienced on June 6, 1944, came rushing back to him. The memories of a lost friend, and thoughts of a life cut tragically short, were just too much to bear. It was June 7, 1999, and more than fifty-five years after my father had stepped onto the shores of Omaha Beach, and stepped through the gates of hell. This was his first time back to the area since the D-Day invasion, and while there was great joy and merriment during the trip, there were also some haunting recollections to confront.

Product Details

• Paperback: 42 pages
• Publisher: Lulu.com; 2 edition (August 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1411642732
• ISBN-13: 978-1411642737
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,487,850 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)