UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. — As the world prepares to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 6th, 102-year-old Ralph Goldsticker, a former B-17 bombardier, is gearing up for a poignant journey back to Normandy. His leather bomber jacket, a time capsule with well-worn creases, serves as a silent tribute to the battles he fought over Nazi-occupied France during World War II.
On June 6, 1944, a defining moment of the 20th century, Goldsticker flew two harrowing missions, dropping bombs on German gun placements just ahead of the Allied landings on the beaches below.
"We went out at our planes about two o'clock in the morning," he recalls. "We had to fly to Scotland, get in bomber streams, come back, and hit the beaches."
Goldsticker and his crew spent over 14 hours in the air that fateful day as part of a massive aerial armada unleashed on Hitler's defenses. "And that afternoon it was clear, and the morning was cloudy, but I could see the whole harbor," he said remembering that day.
The invasion force was staggering, with 7,000 ships and landing crafts, a testament to the scale and importance of the operation.
Though D-Day marked the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany, Goldsticker remains a reluctant hero.
"There are 16 million of us in the armed forces during World War II. Whether you're a cook or a weatherman or a truck driver. It took all of us to make the, the win," he said humbly.
The past is ever-present in this veteran's home, with maps, letters, and precious memorabilia serving as tangible reminders of his service. Among his most prized possessions are the Distinguished Flying Cross and the French Legion of Honor - France's highest distinction.
When asked about these accolades, Goldsticker simply laughs, "Heroes get those. Right? Ok..."
At 102 years old, Goldsticker still lives independently, despite losing his wife, Helen, in 2012. Now, he's gearing up for another transatlantic journey to pay tribute to the fallen.
"We're gonna be laying a wreath, I think three different cemeteries, the group I'm with. ... All those that didn't come back, I was lucky. But the, there's it said 400,000 didn't make it."
Nearly 80 years after his baptism by fire over Normandy, Goldsticker remains a beacon of the courage and resilience that defined the Greatest Generation. However, he insists that the true heroes were those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
"We have to respect them because we have our freedom because of those men," Goldsticker said.
As he prepares to step onto those hallowed beaches once more, Goldsticker's footprints will serve as a reminder that the tide of freedom was turned on D-Day thanks to the sacrifices of ordinary men who did extraordinary things. In the words of this humble hero, "I'm just lucky to be alive. That's all."
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