Officials seeking information on local D-Day veterans

SPRINGFIELD — Veterans Park officials are seeking help to identify Effingham County citizens who were involved in World War II’s D-Day nearly 75 years ago.

The June 6, 1944, invasion of Normandy kicked off “Operation Overlord,” which extended through June 30, 1944. It was one of the more significant events in the European Theater, leading to Germany’s surrender the following May.

D-Day was the Allies’ initial invasive action of “Operation Overlord.” Bombing and the deployment of paratroopers preceded the actual invasion on six Normandy beaches.

The action featured 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces. American troops took the Utah and Omaha beaches.

Air Force and Navy paratroopers were part of the U.S. invasion force. Sources have indicated that Effingham County’s Leland Glover of the Navy was among the 2,499 Americans killed in action.

Veterans Park officials are hoping to discover the names of additional Effingham County residents who participated in D-Day. They have a list of 1,200 names that have been submitted for inclusion on the wall at the park. They don’t, however, have complete information about where and when these soldiers served, and they realize some may have gone into Normandy with following waves of troops.

Veterans Park officials are determined to see that all local World War II veterans — living and deceased — receive recognition for their service and sacrifices. They are counting on friends and family members of these veterans to submit information that might help them achieve their objective.

Information should be sent to Veterans Park, P.O. Box 1078, Springfield, Ga. 31329.

The Battle of Normandy claimed more than 209,000 Allied casualties, with nearly 37,000 dead among the ground forces and a further 16,714 deaths among the Allied air forces. The following is a list of men who fought on those bloody beaches or are believed to have done so:

John Ulrick Arnsdorff (KIA) — Early wave of troops on D-Day

Leland Glover (USN, KIA) — Landing craft sunk on D-Day

Ralph Helmey (KIA) — Died in Normandy on June 7, 1944

Lewis Boyles Jr. (KIA) — Died in France on July 6, 1944

Herbert Ray Fetzer (KIA) — Died Sept. 10, 1944

Emmett Dewitt Archer — Normandy

Thomas Morgan (USN) — Went into Normandy on D-Day

Harland Fetzer — Participated in second wave on D-Day

Virgil Douglas (ENG) — Normandy

Warren Rahn — Utah Beach third D-Day

Harley Helmey — Landed in Normandy

Ralph Zeigler — Served in Normandy