‘They couldn’t find sheets enough to cover up the dead’: Local D-Day veteran recalls invasion

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ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – With Veterans Day approaching, 1 section leader reflects connected his singular work to our country. St. Johns County nonmigratory Herbert Griffin, 96, is not lone a World War II veteran, but besides served during D-Day successful 1944.

While galore memories person faded from Griffin’s memory, definite details are inactive caller successful his mind. Griffin was conscionable 18 years aged connected June 6, 1944.

“They didn’t archer america thing astir the invasion, not a thing,” Griffin said. “They kept america successful the dark.”

For example, helium inactive remembers the waves of the vessel crashing arsenic helium and his chap troops approached the time of the invasion.

“Everybody got sick. Everybody,” Griffin said. “We were throwing up connected the floor, connected everyone, and you couldn’t support your ft connected the crushed due to the fact that it was truthful slippery.”

Griffin recalls wearing much than 80 pounds of instrumentality and feeling it measurement down connected him arsenic they landed astatine Utah Beach. During his interrogation with News4Jax, helium shared however helium and his chap soldiers of the 79th Infantry Division could perceive the gunfire, knowing they would soon beryllium exposed to the Nazis.

“There successful the bunkers, they had instrumentality guns and mortars and each that. So, we had nary protection,” Griffin recalled vividly. “The sergeant said, ‘Get disconnected the beach! Get disconnected the beach!’”

Griffin said the force fired implicit their heads.

“They couldn’t find sheets capable to screen up the dead,” Griffin said.

With conscionable the overhanging cliffs blocking them, Griffin said helium genuinely wondered however he’d marque it retired alive.

“I thought to myself, ‘What’s my parent and dada going to deliberation astir maine erstwhile they work about, getting the telegram?’” Griffin said. “So, I had to interest astir that.”

What happened adjacent is particularly wide successful Griffin’s mind.

“The Germans brought successful the 88 mm, and they started bombing us,” Griffin demonstrated. “I laid down with my limb (like that), and the firearm successful this hand. That’s erstwhile I got hit. I astir passed out. The humor was conscionable gushing out.”

It was a devastating injury, 1 that astir outgo him his arm. Griffin was successful and retired of hospitals overseas and successful the U.S. for a twelvemonth earlier helium was discharged from Waco, Texas. Dealing with the wounded to his limb was difficult, but what was adjacent worse for the humble seasoned was that truthful galore of his chap soldiers didn’t marque it location similar helium did.

“I person nightmares sometimes astir what happened, and I aftermath up successful a existent atrocious sweat,” Griffin said. “I’ve tried to flooded that.”

Griffin earned respective medals, including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for the terrible wounded helium suffered.

“All of that wasn’t successful vain, it was worthwhile,” Griffin said. “I emotion my country, and I’d spell backmost contiguous if I could.”

In fact, Griffin already has. In 2014, aft forming a peculiar enslaved with him, the St. Johns County Fire Department gave him the travel of a lifetime. They sent him backmost to Normandy for the 70th day of D-Day. It was a travel helium took with his brother, Ed, who besides served successful the United States Army. His scrapbooks are present filled with photos from that experience.

“They asked maine what opus I wanted to sing,” Griffin said. “I said, ‘It had to beryllium you.’ So, they sang that for me.”

Griffin said the accidental to revisit past was remarkable. The full time, his caput ne'er strayed acold from his chap soldiers. Many helium trained with ne'er made it location from the invasion.

“I went done the cemeteries, and I looked astatine the names,” Griffin said. “I ne'er could find anybody.”

Along with his memories, Griffin keeps soil from the beach. And a cross.

“I enjoyed the 2nd clip overmuch much than the archetypal time. It’s thing I’ll ne'er forget,” helium said.

Over the years, Griffin has shared his communicative of endurance publically respective times. He continues to inspire.

Doug Myers is Chief Operating Officer of Home Instead Senior Care successful Jacksonville. Myers says helium was introduced to Griffin done the VA administration. Home Instead regularly works with veterans who person erstwhile combat experience. For Myers, having the accidental to enactment with an American leader means everything.

“His stories are conscionable amazing, and I emotion conscionable talking with Mr. Griffin,” Myers said. “It’s a procreation similar this that won’t beryllium astir overmuch longer. I privation to larn arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable astir what he’s fixed backmost to this country.”

From his acquisition serving during World War II, Griffin sends a almighty connection to the heroes serving today. And those reflecting connected their work this Veterans Day.

“I respect them all. I instrumentality my chapeau disconnected to them,” Griffin said. “I’ll archer you, if you enactment yourself connected the line, you ne'er cognize if you’re going to travel back.”

Remembering his work astatine Normandy connected D-Day. And honoring those who ne'er left.

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