Local area has direct ties to D-Day

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MID-HUDSON – As the United States and its allies mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day, which turned the tide of World War II in Europe, the region is reminded it has a special connection to the war.

The late Charles Gross of Spring Valley, a medic and sergeant in the army who served in Europe during WWII posed while at Camp Shanks

Camp Shanks in Orangetown served as the largest point of embarkation for soldiers headed for the front lines in Europe and North Africa during the war. “Thousands of soldiers participated in the D-Day invasion, landing on, and sometimes dying on, the beaches of Normandy, France,” reflected Army veteran Philip Soskin, the only veteran serving on the Rockland County Legislature.

“On Thursday, June 6, 2019, it is fitting that we pause for a moment of silence in remembrance of those who fought in that great battle for freedom, and most especially, of those who never returned home, having sacrificed their youth, their future, and their lives in the fight,” Soskin said.

The Camp Shanks Museum in Orangeburg is open from noon to 4p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from June through August.

Meanwhile, Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul will be attending a commemoration of D-Day at the Purple Heart Hall of Honor in New Windsor today, meeting with Purple Heart recipients and saluting their service to the nation.

That facility will undergo a $10 million expansion next year to include a new wing with interactive exhibits and enhanced galleries, improved pedestrian circulation and additional public gathering space.




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