George Washington (CVN 73) - Naval Cruise Book

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Post-commemoration wreath laying brought home the spirit of Normandy sacrifice “Eve, Shortly after the television cameras were turned off and the dignitaries left, another wreath was laid in the English Channel. Before deploying, a George Washington crew member was planning to honor the historic anniversary for a group that wouldn’t be making the trip, the veterans and families of American Legion Post 327 in Norfolk, Va. DC3 Roy Louis left Norfolk with a wreath made by the post’s auxiliary group. The auxiliary, made up mostly of legion wives, made the wreath and asked Petty Officer Louis if he would carry out their special request. As a fellow member of Post 327, Louis felt honored that he was selected. “The Legion is really big on helping veterans,” Louis said. “They like to remember. The wreath was for D-Day veterans who are or who have been members of this Post and all American Legion veterans.” When the day of the commemoration arrived, George Washington was buzzing with high-profile visitors and other WW II veteran groups. Louis patiently stood by waiting for his chance to fulfill his Legion’s request. At the same time Louis found out it was his turn to lay the wreath, another group of veterans were boarding the ship. The USS Corry Survivors’ Association were delayed getting to the ship and missed seeing the wreathlaying ceremony with President Clinton. The USS Corry Survivors' Association, a group of veterans whose ship was sunk during D-Day, and mem- 62 GW Spirit bers of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post, were asked if they would like to join in the American Legion wreath laying ceremony. They were honored and accepted. During the ceremony, within a hundred yards above the sunken remains of the Corry, a crew member read the deck log from another ship that was working with Corry and recorded the loss, literally guns firing to give support to the beach until the ship was racing through my head when the chaplain was giving his prayer; I was thinking when the last message of the Corry was given; it hit me deep. I can only imagine what it must have been like being there.” - OC3 Roy Louis sank. The gunners lost their lives in the fire and sinking. Each member of the association placed red poppies on the water as a remembrance of their lost shipmates once the wreath was laid. The eeriness of that moment as the fight to save the ship was ending and the struggle to save the surviving crew members' lives once again played on the minds of the survivors. “Everything was racing through my head when the chaplain was giving his prayer. “I was thinking when the last message of the Corry was given, it hit me deep. I can only imagine what it must have been like being there,” Louis said. The shared idea of honoring heroes brought them together. The offering of a wreath was a meaningful token that said they remembered their fallen brothers and they would never be forgotten. The wreath was also made of red poppies in remembrance of all veterans of the Normandy invasion.

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fT Post-commemoration wreath laying brought home the spirit of Normandy sacrifice ‘‘Eve Shortly after the television cameras were turned off and the dignitaries left, another wreath was laid in the English Channel. Before deploying, a George Washington crew member was planning to honor the historic anniversary for a group that wouldn’t be making the trip, the veterans and families of American Legion Post 327 in Norfolk, Va. DC3 Roy Louis left Norfolk with a wreath made by the post’s auxiliary group. The auxiliary, made up mostly of legion wives, made the wreath and asked Petty Officer Louis if he would carry out their special request. As a fellow member of Post 327, Louis felt honored that he was selected. “The Legion is really big on helping veterans,” Louis said. “They like to remember. The wreath was for D-Day veterans who are or who have been members of this Post and all American Legion veterans.” When the day of the commemoration arrived, George Washington was buzzing with high-profile visitors and other WW II veteran groups. Louis patiently stood by waiting for his chance to fulfill his Legion’s request. At the same time Louis found out it was his turn to lay the wreath, another group of veterans were boarding the ship. The USS Corry Survivors’ Association were delayed getting to the ship and missed seeing the wreath-laying ceremony with President Clinton. The USS Corry Survivors' Association, a group of veterans whose ship was sunk during D-Day, and mem- bers of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post, were asked if they would like to join in the American Legion wreath laying ceremony. They were honored and accepted. During the ceremony, within a hundred yards above the sunken remains of the Corry, a crew member read the deck log from another ship that was working with Corry and recorded the loss, literally guns firing to give support to the beach until the ship was racing through my head when the chaplain was giving his prayer; I was thinking when the last message of the Corry was given; it hit me deep, can only imagine what it must have been like being there.” sank. The gunners lost their lives in the fire and sinking. Each member of the association placed red I poppies on the water as a remembrance of their lost shipmates once the wreath . was laid. - DC3 Roy Louis The ceriness of that moment as the fight to save the ship was ending and the struggle to save the surviving crew members' lives once again played on the minds of the survivors. “Everything was racing through my head when the chaplain was giving his prayer. “I was thinking when the last message of the Corry was given, it hit me deep. I can only imagine what it must have been like being there,” Louis said. The shared idea of honoring heroes brought them together. The offering of a wreath was a meaningful token that said they remembered their fallen brothers and they would never be forgotten. The wreath was also made of red poppies in remembrance of all veterans of the Normandy invasion. 62 GW Spirit

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DU plus l Commemorali ve events were not limited to George Washington and June 6. George Washington’s Battle Group Commander, RA DM A lexander J. Krekich represented the United States at a special service in downtown Brest two days after the Normandy ceremonies, where he helped rededicate a monument erected after WWl in honor of French and American mariners who lost their lives in battle. The new monument commemorates those sailors lost in both wars. 1944 - 1994 63