The Fort Miles Historical Association (FMHA) commemorates D-Day this week.
June 6th, 80 years ago, over 156,000 Allied troops stormed beaches in northern France to begin the Battle of Normandy.
United States forces suffered over 21,000 killed in action during the intense fighting across northern France during the campaign. Forty men from Delaware died in the invasion.
This Saturday, at the Fort Miles Museum Event Overlook in Cape Henlopen State Park, volunteers will read the names of each of those Delawareans while a ship’s bell is tolled after each name.
Fort Miles Historical Association’s Will Short says the bell tolling has a special significance for the association.
“We ring the bell after every name is read, name, rank, branch of service, hometown and where they were killed. The two bell ringers are grandsons of Dr. Gary Wray who founded the Fort. Miles Historical Association.”
The event’s keynote speaker is the Rev. Carol Flett. Short says the Reverend Flett is bringing along a chaplain’s kit that is part of D-Day history. It belonged to Army Chaplain Morris Arnold.
“He along with several other Army chaplains were part of the invasion force that invaded the Normandy beaches June 6, 1944.”
Following the war, The Reverend Arnold gave the chaplain’s kit to the Reverend Carol Flett, who is now at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Lewes.
The Mason Dixon VFW Post 7234 Honor Guard will provide a rifle salute and play taps after the reading of the names. The ceremony concludes with Amazing Grace by bagpiper and Air Force veteran Lani Spahr.
The Fort Miles Historical Association’s D-Day commemoration is this Saturday, June 8 at 11:00 a.m.
