A Celebration of Heroes in Oregon, June 6

On June 6, 1944, some 156,000 American, British, and Canadian forces landed on fives beaches along a 50-mile stretch of coast of France’s Normandy region. The Battle of Normandy, also known as D-Day, lasted from June 1944 to August 1944 and resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. Codenamed “Operation Overlord,” the invasion was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history and has been called the beginning of the end of war in Europe. This Thursday, June 6 — on the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasions — the Oregon Historical Society and The Mighty Endeavor will host “A Celebration of Heroes,” a program honoring Oregonians who served during World War II. The program, which will include ASL interpretation, will begin at 12pm at the Oregon Historical Society (1200 SW Park Avenue, Portland) and is free and open to the public. The program will feature 1944 newsreel footage from the beaches in Normandy followed by a moderated conversation with WWII veterans Ben Asquith and Abe Laurenzo, Oregonians who took part in the historic invasion. A slideshow will display names of Oregon veterans buried at Normandy, and volunteers will serve cake at the conclusion of the program in honor of all veterans. Ben Asquith of Dayton, Oregon, was born in Kansas and moved to Oregon with his family at an early age. In 1943, he enlisted in the United States Navy, beginning a year of extensive training in preparation for his tour of the European Theater of Operations (ETO). Asquith was one of the first to land at Omaha Beach on D-Day. Abe Laurenzo, LCI 47, LCI 409 Radioman, served on D-Day and in the landings in Italy and Africa. Mr. Laurenzo served as a Radioman First Class on a Landing Craft – Infantry (LCI #47). He and his fellow crewmembers delivered 200 troops in the first wave on Omaha Beach. His ship collided with an LST after their first landing and was unable to continue the mission until they could make repairs in dry dock in England. This program is organized by The Mighty Endeavor, powered by Veterans’ Legacies, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit created to provide a resource for students, educators, historians, families, and the public. Veterans’ Legacies is dedicated to the collection of veterans’ stories in order to preserve and share them for generations to come — giving veterans a voice and an audience to hear it.