As D-Day landings fade from memory, a veteran grapples with violence of war
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SWORD BEACH, France (Reuters) - Leon Gautier landed on Sword Beach in a hail of enemy fire on June 6, 1944, one of the first wave of French commandos to storm the Normandy beachfront defended by Hitler’s troops. Seventy-five years on, he still grapples with the memories.
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Today, 96-year-old Gautier, his wit quick and memory sharp, lives just a few hundred metres (yards) from a German bunker he and comrades among the special forces of French Captain Philippe Kieffer were tasked with securing before pushing inland.
For the former marine commando, commemorations in June marking the 75th anniversary since more than 150,000 allied troops invaded France to drive out Nazi Germany forces will be a time to reflect on fallen friends and foes alike.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-d...-idUSKCN1SR1AO
A true hero with priceless memories. |
