D-Day: Thanks, Uncle Tom.

70 years ago today, Thomas Clarence Kent, in command of a Landing Ship (Tank) for the US Navy, approached Omaha Beach. It was his fourth landing (North Africa, Sicily, Italy were behind him).  As I understand it, his craft was part of the second wave of the invasion; he landed at about 4:45 in the morning. He offloaded 25 tanks onto the beach -- watching them drive over the corpses of the dead (as per orders!), a sight that plagued him the rest of his days -- and after the last tank reached land, pulled the ship back to make way for the next.  About 150 yards off shore, they were struck in an ammo magazine by a German 88 shell, burst apart and sank. His entire crew but one were lost; he was blown overboard and lived to command another ship at Iwo Jima the next year.  He eventually died of honorable old age in 1983.

A kinder, gentler man you will never meet. You would NEVER have guessed him a war hero.

Thank  you, Uncle Tom.