D-Day Anniversary: St. Petersburg, The Veteran Remembers Omaha Beach
ST. PETERSBURG - Like many young people who fight wars in distant lands, Salvatore Santoro went from a simple life in the United States to achieve an enormous responsibility in places never imagined
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There was a 25 year old worker at a bakery in Queens Village, NY, when Hitler invaded Poland. On June 6, 1944, he was on Omaha Beach with 741: Tank Battalion in Normandy, and 17 years during the first wave of D-Day. He would receive four Purple Hearts during the first day of the invasion.
At age 96, he still has a visible bump on the nose, where a bullet grazed it. "Sal" of life at Shore Acres Rehabilitation & Nursing Facility with his wife, Joanne, he is quick with a smile and can play virtually any song requested his accordion.
Years since the D-Day, has recently completed his army uniform, richly decorated, remembers the attack and comrades lost everything that meant to end World War II.
Do you practice or have you written?
September 1 (1939), when Hitler invaded Poland, I listened to the radio and said, "Mom. Come and listen to this." About a year later I was enrolled. I told my mother, I enlisted. I told him I was not prepared.
When you're ready for the big day, you know what would happen?
The way we've been training, I knew something big was happening because of all the different weapons (used in training). So we were practicing on the ship so you knew what to do. The tanks were on the lower deck.
Were you afraid?
I was too busy to get scared. I thought everything in my mind.
Have you thought of dying, or thought it was young and invincible?
We were told "10 percent of you will die in the first wave.''He was a regular occurrence.
It has five Purple Hearts. Are all of the operation of D-Day?
The first four were in Normandy. The last was in Germany during the Battle of the Bulge.
What was your job on D-Day?
I was a sergeant. I would like instructions (from tanks). If the tanks needed to cover I want to start a smokescreen. I was right outside. For one of the Purple Hearts, June 10, shrapnel hit my leg and I had six stitches. I told the doctors: "Send me back on July 31 I'm bien''Le a bullet went through my nose I have not had a Purple Heart, because they did not report the tape put tape on it ....
Do you have friends who are dead?
Oh yes. I lost many, many. Both the first day, then (the deaths) were lower.
Where were you when the war was over and how you felt?
It 'was a new day. A new day. We were so happy. We ended up in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, and the people there have been so happy. We were there about six months. We met with the family. beautiful family. He was a man who was captain of the czech Republic. Lydka wife was. They had two children. We were walking and she was at her gate, and invited us to visit. There were in addition to your meal. Two or three boys and me. We want to go buy an imported meats.
He has been back in Europe since the war?
I returned to France in 1994 on a tour (with other veterans). We visited the cemetery in Normandy. We captured the area of D-plus-one (07 June). I went up and down looking at the names. I could imagine their faces. It was very different. No one shoots you. He was calm.
What else do you travel?
We got to visit Paris. We went to Notre Dame. ... We ate at Champs-Elysees.
How do you think today's wars are different from the war fought?
Today, it is more automated.
At least now it's easier to stay in touch with the soldiers for their families back home. It was not during the Second World War, right?
We may be a letter once a month. I wrote my family before the big day, when I knew we were going to France and I said "give my reference to Frances.''It was how I let them know that we were bound for France .