Pleasant Hill Seniors Remember D-Day

For most Pleasant Hill residents, the momentous start of the Battle of Normandy on June 6, 1944 is but a page in the history books. But for some, D-Day is a living memory.

The Pleasant Hill Senior Center is remembering the famous date 69 years later with a display of D-Day memorabilia, including newspaper articles, models, military artifacts and personal anecdotes.

The collection includes a copy of the San Francisco Examiner from June 6, 1944, headlined, "It's Official: Invasion On." The date that came to be known as "D-Day" marked the onset of the Battle of Normandy, which lasted from June 1944 to August 1944 and resulted in the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control.  

Also included in the display is original army field gear such as G.I. mess kit from 1944, shell casings and machine gun bullets and a combat knife. Photos show the soldiers and their tanks, and a wedding ring from a fallen German soldier hints at the stories behind the thousands of names now remembered as casualties of war.

Visit the exhibit at the Pleasant Hill Senior Center at 249 Gregory Lane.

Do you or a family member have recollections of D-Day or stories passed down from generation to generation? Leave a comment and share your memories.