D-Day hero recounts horror of Normandy invasion
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 มิ.ย. 2019
- Thursday marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day, a major turning point in World War II. It helped lead to the defeat of Nazi forces in Europe. More than 150,000 American, British and Canadian troops landed on the shores of northern France on June 6, 1944. About 2,500 of the 73,000 U.S. soldiers who fought in the battle died. As a 23-year-old army medic, Ray Lambert saved countless lives in Normandy, despite being wounded. Now 98, he recently co-wrote a book called "Every Man A Hero." Jan Crawford reports.
My grandfather fought in the DDay invasion and never spoke about it till I decided to enlist in the Army back in 1986.He sat me down at the kitchen table and he started to talk.I was shocked at the stories he told me and for the first time in my life I finally realized why he was such an emotionless man.He never hugged or kissed anyone including myself.I felt so sorry for him because I knew what that day did to him.I can still visualize the look in his face and cracking of his voice as he spoke.That was the only day he ever spoke about the war and he said he did it because he wanted me to know that once I enlisted , I would be putting myself in position to maybe one day have to go through something like he did.That day replaced all the hugs and kisses I never got from him because he had to go back and relive that day in order to try to protect me.He passed away 14 years ago and till this day I am so sorry that he had to go through that horrible day.But I will be forever grateful to him and the rest of that generation that have given us the freedoms that we so cherish today.RIP grandpa.
RIP, I hope I could be a man just like you and your dad.
God Bless your grandfather. Eternal rest to him and my heartfelt thank you.
matthew osvaldo Thank you
Mary Ann Becksted Thank you very much
Rocco, that is such a wonderful story that you related to us.
I'm so glad for the chance you had to let him share that with you. And you were able to share a bit of it with us.
Thanks to you and him for your service to our Nation.
He looks great for 98. Respect to the greatest generation.
*48
He looks 15-20 yrs younger.
He looks 55
He's 48
I just said that. Yup. America’s GREATEST generation. Great story.
I just showed my 6 year old son what a real super hero looks like. My grandfather served in WW2 and my great uncle was a fighter pilot and shot down near Malta in WW2, his remains were never found. This generation will all be gone soon, I pray often people never forget the sacrifice paid for our freedoms by this generation.
Great stuff Rick 👍
Rick Sundberg Did you uncle fly with the RAF?
I hope your great Uncle’s remains or crash site is located sir. Google Walter B Stone WW2 pilot. His remains were just laid to rest in my hometown this year, 76 years after being shot down. True heroes!
@Number one boomer alright calm down, respect others relatives who died
Nice job u are a hero and ur grandfather also uncle nice
“You didnt bring much back with you?”
He brought back his life lady..
Yeah...and that's all you really have anyway, aside from the relationships and the love you give others.
That's why she said it was the memories that he brought back.
What good are memories if youre dead?
@@MrMemyselfandi415 remarkable isn’t it?
and the life's of the 15 others he saved.
I was lucky enough to meet Ray on Omaha beach last week, what an amazing man!
You were a very picket man.
Luckey
we may not know them all but we shure do owe them all more than we can pay. RIP
Marty Sims no we don’t
bigmahi22 you don’t owe someone who fought and died for the very country you live ln?
You owe much more to the Soviets, who destroyed 3/4 of the best german army. D day was a sideshow at best.
jakatom The Russians would’ve pushed to England and beyond if it wasn’t for the bravery and heroism of the western Allies. Pick up a history book and shut up
mr cavalier33 no they wouldn’t have. Lol
Makes me sad most of these men won’t be around in the next 5 years 😞
Yeah😿
Well there are still 300,000 WW2 vets still alive in 2020 so lets hope they make it another 25.
Sadly Ray passed away today at his home at 100.
Feels even more bad that many like me won't be able to meet a person who fought in ww2
I think one of the most heartbreaking things about these d day vets is, the fact that really none of them ever talked about it until their 90s, the lived with these horrors for around 70 years before finally being able to open up, carrying pain like that is something almost no young people can understand, and we owe everything we have to these incredibly brave hero’s.
Two things really moved me; the modesty of an old soldier and the empathy shown by the lady reporter.
Regards and thanks from the UK.
Most of these soldiers were just college age kids.
And a lot of them died as soon as the door dropped.
Its also sad that some probably drowned and/or were never found
A lot of them drowned immediately and if not they get wiped by deadly MG42
I’m saluting you on the highest level possible Sir ! And all those who served with you that day
We owe these men everything !!!
We really do.
God bless all military personnel past and present, J. Ortega USN Retired.
WOW! Some reporters do have hearts! Thank you Mr. Lambert for your service!
I had an uncle who served in the infantry in europe during ww2 .told me that "day in and day out the medics were the bravest men i ever saw".he said no matter how bad a situation was if someone was wounded a medic found a way to get to that man.what an amazing generation of people
What a hero. God bless him. I hope he receives a wonderful welcome here in England and France.
Thank you Mr Lambert. God has a plan for us all. My brother Ron, gave his life in Vietnam at age 20.
What a remarkable gentleman and what an emotional interview.... bless you sir!!
Freedom is costly, lives of those who honorably gave all to preserve liberty must be recognized and valued.
Witch Hazel Well one thing is clear, they gave their lives so you are free today to vomit your bile.
@@VeganWitch111 so you just wanted the US to just not stop the nazis? And it's not like the US didn't try to help west europe after winning the war, they just didn't want to meddle in foreign affairs much. All these wars against communism where inevitable
I read his book. it amazes me that he Survived Africa, Italy, and D-DAY.
That's what happens when you set God before you
Whats his book called?
@@thebreadman2216 Ever Man a Hero, I believe it's called
Amazing how sharp this man still is at 98, it's necessary to remember these heroes, without the sacrifices they made the world would be a different place, thank you to all the great soldiers of our country!
Saving 15 lives while being in one of the most paralyzing moments in history is beyond heroic. It brings me a little comfort to know that the brave men who stormed that beach had men like Ray to watch over them.
Well I’m crying. Thank you for the reminder of the sacrifices that it took for our way of life. May we never forget these men and women who gave so much for our freedom.
Victoria Smith What did women do?
@@unknownguy3770 they didn't fight in the war but they would work as nurses, repaired airplanes and other useful things i guess
@@unknownguy3770 keep the economy from completely breaking down?
A great interview. Tears. My dad’s football coach parachuted into DDay,, Fought through The Battle of the Bulge, Marketgarden, and liberated a death camp. I have mad respect for these hero’s.,
Thank You for your Service Sir!!!!!
"Those guys who are buried out there in front of us, the guys who gave so much, young, guys who never had homes, never had families, never got to play ball with their children..." The greatest heroes are all of those people who gave their lives and their futures in the fight against tyranny. Their sacrifice led to the liberation and freedom of the living and its right and proper that we the living should remember, acknowledge through our gratitude, draw strength and be inspired and most importantly, learn the lessons, to try and stop it needing to happen again.
My next door neighbor, very tough guy, 95 was a commando in ww2. Whenever I asked him about the war he always started crying. The closest I got was ‘we did some nasty things’.
If you watch the opening scene from saving private Ryan you will get a idea what it was like.
Just lost a family friend. 98 years old. RIP Mr. Dew. Thank you so much for sharing your Pacific stories with me, even years ago. They live along with me and I will make sure they are not forgotten
I’m 24 years old. I’m a recovering heroin addict. And I just think about how lucky I am and how much I take for granted. Everything I have and enjoy today is because of these brave men and woman. To think he was saving peoples lives on Normandy at my age…Thank you for your service.
No words can express how great of a man he is, and how great of men and women everyone who served were.
No matter what, every vet I’ve heard from says the same, especially WW2 vets: “I’m not a hero, I don’t feel like a hero. I was just doing what I was ordered to do, my men who didn’t make it back are the only heroes I know.”
My grandfather was there in Normandy on D-Day as well. Thank you to all of the soldiers who fought that day and Rest In Peace to my Papa and his fallen friends. My papa lived but lost many friends and died of cancer in 2009, he still talked about those horrible days until the end.
He is one member of the greatest generation.My father,served as an officer on a US Navy Destroyer for 4 years in the Pacific.He rode with Spruance,Halsey and Mitcher all the way to Tokyo.
Thank God for this generation and their sacrifiaces.God bless them all.
Thank you for everything that you had to get back to helping men wearing the pride of your service. ..
I just watched this, searched him up and he just died a couple hours ago. RIP
Always remember. Never forget. To those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom we can never repay you. But can only try to do what’s best and move forward as societies with this freedom given to us by these men.
“Never was so much owed by so many to so few” -Churchill
I owe them my life in freedom. It saddens me that they had to die in order to give my a free and secure life. But I am forever thankful. I wish I could tell them in person, but alas, there's very few left.
really? one of the worst feelings a vet can have is the guilt of making it when others didnt. and you ask that question in the most blunt way you could have asked it just to get him to tear up on camera?
I owe my free life to these men. Deeply humbled and grateful.
My Dad survived the Normandy landing, and the stories he could tell well make you cry.
Thanks Ray. Thanks to all of you who served. Past and present. Absolutely the best of the best.👍
Thank You For Your Service
Thank you Ray for your service🇺🇸 You're an incredible man. Thank you🇺🇸 All my respect. A true hero🇺🇸
I went to the D-day beaches with my family, on a beautiful sunny day in June 2015... Then that ’OMG’ moment struck me with horror - the massive open spaces, muddy rocky sand, and that’s before they even got to the grid iron ‘hedgehogs’ and barb wire to slow allied advance up to the cliff faces. It must have made allied troops sitting targets to be ripped to pieces by a relentless artillery barrage from the German defensive lines on the coast. What the forefathers of allied nations went through to rescue us from tyranny and evil is absolutely humbling and overpowering, we give 🙏🏽
Heroism to the highest level
You're not just a veteran... Everyone who landed on that god forgotten beach, everyone who jumped in Market Garden... EVERY single one of you lot who fought the Nazi's.. my Hero. I can't keep it dry and it's what keeping me from talking to a veteran if I ever be fortunate enough to meet one...
Greets from Arnhem.
Thank you so much for your sacrifice and service. ❤️
I just got his book for Christmas and it is amazing.
D-Day was a day of absolute horror, no doubt... Thank God for these heroes, and for allowing them to succeed in that effort.
I just read his book. Well written and very informative.
God Bless Ray Lambert ,and every man that fought, including my family members. Would so love to meet him !!
This is exactly why I love talking to the old-timers. They have such knowledge and wisdom. Doesn't take a genius to figure that out. Seeing this man alive to this day, being able to see what a hero looks like, I feel very privileged. Every person who set foot on that beach that day is incredibly Brave Beyond bravery and has an enormous heart. I can barely stomach watching that scene let alone having to live through it.
Ray you are a national treasure. Thank you for everything you have done. Everyone that stepped up to fight in that war are national heroes. The ones who are buried there that didn’t have a chance to live will never be forgotten. I can only images special place god has prepared for them. May all of them RIP.. For all you WW2 veterans that are left God bless you all. Thank you for everything you did and continue to do.
Great interview and the interviewer crying you can tell she cares so deeply about what these guys did.
This badass got a Silver Star a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart what a legend.
Got to be the most insane thing. I visited Normandy last year and saw this rock. I wondered if it was maybe there during the war and what it was used for. Im in shock, that was the rock I sat on, and this is the guy who it's named after. Speechless.
Thank you for your service sir.
Thank you Ray. We owe you and your friends everything! God bless you
It's great to see what seemed like some real emotion from the reporter. But it was truly powerful what he was saying. I was moved too. Unfathomable what those men and so many others went through. Truly grateful for their sacrifice. So sad that what they were fighting against just yesterday has come to the U.S.
My grandfather served at Normandy on DDay too. We just recently lost him at 100+ years old.
Thank u to all the troops who kept us safe
I reflected on this years down the road. I served in 1/16 as well (the infantry crest at 3:59) The survivors came out one day and spoke with us and did events at Ft Riley. I wish i lived in the moments more and grasped the presence of who was really in front of me i was just 19 and still very immature. Thank you to all those past, present and future. Rest easy Ray Lambert! " I shall live where my feet are!"
Thank you, Mr. Ray Lambert for your service during World War II. The same goes for your brother Bill. May you rest in peace and God bless you.
*Ray Lambert (November 26, 1920 - April 9, 2021)*
Thank you sir. You are a hero.
Thank you sir we salute you
Thank you
Torn thigh, bullet wound in the elbow, broken back and yet he carried on trying to save lives amid all the gun shots and chaos. I salute you sir. 👏🏼
23 year olds today demanding free fries for waiting too long at McDonald's.
America’s GREATEST generation. I am 54. And respect these men so much. Respect all who serve or have served our great country. Breaks my heart to see what’s going on with these protests. Dishonoring the police. Dishonoring our country. Man it’s just kills
Me. 😔......thank you to ALL veterans. Thank you.🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸4 EVER!!!!!
In London, the UK flag on the Cenotaph WWII monument was lit on fire, the Churchill statue was defaced, and the Lincoln statue defaced. 27 officers were injured in what the entire mainstream media and London’s mayor called “peaceful protests.” We are facing an absolute assault on the entire Western World.
He says he isn't a hero when in actual fact he's one of the biggest heroes in human history.
Omaha and Utah beach are so beautiful!
Visited last year for the first time and I got to tell you:
you can and need to be sooo proud of these men!
My grandfather was a teen on the other side with the 'Waffen SS' engineer's corps.
Yes. Your grandfather had to be brave facing those odds. The English and Americans don't understand that losing is hard. No one praises a loser. My dad knew that. He faced the German soldiers called "Fallschirmjäger" at Malame. My dad lost his battle. The English call losers cowards.
Greman troops on D-day were as much of a victim to war than any other. Brave men on both sides. Lest we forget.
@@Peter-cb8xr A great comment from you. We need to look at what the German soldier was feeling at the time. The "victory dais" stance of the American and British leaders doesn't help though. It is all about glory and triumph for these people.
I'd only heard of the allies side of the war until I read the book "Survivors of Stalingrad", from that all I can say is both sides are heroic and they NEED to be remembered! There is no winner in war, everyone loses
@Lynn Hexler-Haan I don't think these vets would understand. To understand, you have to lose a battle, get presented with the feathers. Americans will never understand. Americans always win.
Would love to thank this MAN and his brother, along with every other veteran for their service and sacrifices.
It's unfathomable to think of what soldiers in battle endure. They were so young.
We owe this whole generation !!!!!!
Sir thank you for sharing this story you are my hero. Thank you for your service and sacrifices God Bless you, America and your families 🇺🇸 🇺🇸🇺🇸
He's 48 years old...
Me: TF!!
Benjamin buttons..
One word ... RESPECT ....
Thank you, sir 🙏🏻
The greatest generation. Nothing but respect for these men
You're blessed mr.lambert ... Salute..
My great grandad was drafted into the army in WW2 and served in England, Luxembourg, Germany, Czechoslovakia and Belgium. He served four years in the infantry and received the following honours: EO with five battle stars, good conduct medal, AFR and presidential citation unit. From June 1944 to 1945 he served as a medic he landed at Utah beach and participated in the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes Pass - Alsace, and Central Europe campaigns. As he moved with his unit he rescued and treated literally thousands of diseased, injured and wounded U.S. soldiers through Ste mere Eglise, Berigny, Pierre Levee, and Gorron France; Lentzweiler, Luxembourg; Malmedy and Huy, Belgium; Duren, Bonn, Herborn, and Bayreuth, Germany; and Eger and Marienbad, Czechoslovakia. On top of this his brother who was also a medic was killed in the battle of Argonne forest trying to help a wounded soldier. Upon returning home from WW2 he had problems with PTSD and survivors guilt because he felt he should have been killed instead of his brother. He tried to suffocate himself in an oven but failed and 30 minutes after that he shot himself and also failed. He was disabled for the rest of his life and underwent a lot of treatment that isn’t used today including shock treatment. He died at 44. Forgotten by his country but not his family
What a great soldier! As an American I have the utmost respect for these veterans and also those who never made it back. RIP to them and Thank you!
I am in awe...such a true gentlemen and a hero belongside all he fought with!
Today we don't have people like this humble man, only selfish
There are a number of vets from Iraq and Afghanistan who might disagree with you.
He and all the men who fought for our freedom are the reason that we should be very careful to call someone a hero. These guys were heroes and i can't thank them enough. Love from Belgium.
Thanks sir for a job well done
Wherever you are
Thanks DOC
Thank you for your service
Makes me angry that a certain movement had vandalized the WW2 monument!
I get pretty disgusted with that and those same people saying that we 'glorify' war. We don't glorify war but acknowledge that you have to fight sometimes for your freedom.
HATS OFF....NOTHING BUT RESPECT !
he is 48 now....
she must be waiting for the gulf war 1 stories of incredible and outrageous ahead of time. I respect it. ;)
Wow.... he’s from my state. What a goodman!
From France, eternally grateful. So many brave people died for freedom. They changed the world but now we all have to deserve it.
I'm crying. What a selfless man.
Thank you to this great man, nothing but respect
Thank you Mr. Lambert!
Great man, he passed away last April , he was 100
I too served in the 1st Inf div. In combat.
Much respect to this man.
I don’t think they want to go back. I’m not being mean, I have talked to a survivor personally. They said most of their men were killed by machine gunners before they even got out the boats. He had to walk over bodies. He even told me the horror of watching a mans lower body blow off, as he screamed. And then silence. The extreme horrors of this are literally impossible to explain with words. Left and right, his friends dying, left and right, blood stained beaches. These men were probably so scared. And I feel so terrible for these men. For what they saw. For what they felt. Rip to those men. I hope they are resting well, knowing they have sacrificed their life, to save millions.
An Honorable Man long live Ray Lambert! ✌🏻
Never take your freedom for granted, it’s men like him who keep us free. This is the land of the free because of the brave
Sir....RESPECT
my great grandfather survived normandy and when his group moved to germany he traded a coffee for a dog which he brought back to his family. sadly he had ptsd leading to his death. rip