NPR

At 98, D-Day Veteran Medic Returns To Normandy To Remember A Generation's Sacrifice

Ray Lambert is part of a dying generation of veterans who survived D-Day. Seventy-five years later, he wants to be remembered as someone who "was willing to die for my family and for my country."
Ray Lambert, 98, stands on Omaha Beach, where 75 years ago, he fought during the D-Day invasion.

For much of his life, Ray Lambert wouldn't talk about World War II. But then the 98-year-old veteran army medic began returning to Normandy, where, on June 6, 1944, he led a unit of medics as a 24-year-old staff sergeant in the allied invasion of western Europe.

"I realized that if I didn't tell these stories about my men, that they couldn't do it," he says. "I felt it my responsibility and obligation to them to talk to people and tell people about the war and what they did."

Lambert's part of a dying generation: veterans who bore witness to the largest amphibious assault duringwere killed, wounded or counted missing that day, including more than 6,600 Americans.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR5 min read
Finally! Tough New Safety Rules On Silica Dust Are Out To Protect Miners' Lungs
Addressing a problem first identified 50 years ago, federal regulators say stricter new rules to limit miners' exposure to silica dust are expected to finally go on the books on Tuesday.
NPR3 min read
Alabama Holds Its First Ever U.S. Olympic Trial For A Little-known Sport
The U.S. Olympic Team trials for slalom kayak and canoe were held at Montgomery Whitewater, a new artificial watersports complex. The city hopes to draw more tourism, while the sport seeks new fans.
NPR2 min read
Report: Last Year Ended With A Surge In Book Bans
According to PEN America, 4,349 books were banned from schools between July and December 2023, more than the entire previous school year. More than 3,000 of those bans were in Florida.

Related Books & Audiobooks