Vets honored by French government

Medals honor vets' role in

liberation of France in 1944

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- New Ulm attorney Patrick J. Moriarty said he was "damn lucky" to survive the five World War II campaigns without injury as a 19-year-old in the U.S. Army infantry in France 58 years ago.

Moriarty and Willis A. Havemeier -- both of New Ulm -- were among 35 World War II veterans who received the Jubilee of Liberty Medal from Congressman Mark Kennedy at the New Ulm National Guard Armory on Monday night.

The World War II Military Medals were established by the French government to honor Americans that participated in the D-Day invasion at Normandy to restore freedom to the French people in the summer of 1944.

Moriarty served in the 47th Regiment in the 9th Infantry Division. He earned the Bronze Star and Combat Infantry Badge, Moriarty considered himself lucky to endure the war without injury.

"By God, I was glad to get the hell out of there. It was dangerous work," Moriarty said after the ceremony. "From what I've been told, 95 percent of the combat casualties in the war happened in the infantry."

Moriarty didn't endure a rough beach landing in France. He arrived in the country two weeks after the beginning of the invasion on June 6, 1944.

Havemeier, 81, a member of the New Ulm Veterans Color Guard, is a retired farmer and carpenter. He was a machine gunner with the 843rd Army Aviation Engineers.

He worked up to 18 hours a day in France laying bricks and cement or whatever other work was needed to be done at air bases. Havemeier earned five Battle Stars for his efforts.

"We had no hydraulic equipment," Havemeier said. "The air bases had to be put up fast so the bombers could fly."

Marvin J. Haberman and James V. Roberts -- both of New Ulm -- did not attend Monday's ceremony, but they will also receive the medals.

Following a video tribute to the veterans, who were shown in their WW II portraits while Lee Greenwood sang "God Bless the USA," Kennedy talked about the unequalled size of the "mighty endeavor" as President Franklin D. Roosevelt called it. D-Day included 150,000 soldiers, 10,000 planes and 5,000 ships in the liberation of France.

"It was beyond the scale of what we can imagine today. It was amazing what all these people went through -- their toils and struggles," Kennedy said. "I want to thank all the veterans and their families for their great service."

The World War II Memorial on the Washington Mall is nearing completion, Kennedy said. He invited everyone in the armory to visit the memorial.

The Jubilee of Liberty Medal read (Operation) "OVERLORD 6 Juin 1944" on the upper part. Flags of the Allied countries and names of the landing beaches are on the face of the medal.

On the medal's other side is the Torch of Freedom surrounded by the device of William the Conqueror "Diex Aie" (God is with us).

The medals were originally minted by the Monnaie de Paris and presented to veterans who returned to Normandy for the 50th Anniversary of the D-Day landings in 1994.

The Normandy Jubilee of Liberty Medal recipients were:

Florence Arbes for Walter B. Arbes, Courtland; Francis C. Augustin, Springfield; Nancy Hartz for Jay F. Aykens, Luverne; Pamela Kienlen for Curtis W. Barfknecht, St. Peter; Harold N. Blakeslee, Fairmont; Raymond A. Ebnet, Benson; Waldo G. Erickson, Springfield; David E. Falconer, Fairmont; Ray C. Ferguson, Danube; Tom Fossell for Glenn A. Fossell, Montevideo; Marvin J. Haberman, New Ulm; Willis A. Havemeier, New Ulm; Elvin O. Homan, Glencoe; Albert R. Horneman, Le Sueur; Norbert P. Jasken, Arlington; Earl C. Johnson, Nicollet; Harold E. Johnson, Fairfax; Anton G. Kaisershot, Cleveland; Vincent A. Kamolz, Comfrey; Leslie M. Kirkman, Windom; Edward E. Kohout, Olivia; Elmer A. Lehr, Truman; Michael E. McGuire, Montgomery; Milton W. Mootz, Le Sueur; Patrick J. Moriarty, New Ulm; Tom Pessek for Henry Pessek, Hutchinson; Stella Pitts Peterson for Loren Pitts, Lake Crystal; George Robert Carl Rehbein, Arlington; James V. Roberts, New Ulm; Doug Schauberger for Carl J. Schauberger, Fairmont; Duane Schultz for Kenneth H. Schultz, Truman; Howard L. Sheimo, Granite Falls; Charles V. Smith, Le Sueur; Walter G. Tomschin, Springfield; Mark Wodarczyk for Leonard M. Wodarczyk, Hutchinson.