Look Back: Anniversary of D-Day this week
Jun. 1—This week marks 81 years since Operation Overlord — the Normandy landings in German occupied France by Allied forces during World War II — was launched on June 6, 1944.
Wyoming Valley residents learned of the landings, known as D-Day, either by the crackle of a radio or the Wilkes-Barre Record newspaper with the bold headline, "Allies Invade France Across English Channel," published June 6, 1944. A large crowd gathered outside the Times Leader/Evening News/Record building on North Main Street, Wilkes-Barre, to hear reports from a radio placed in a window.
Many churches and Jewish synagogues opened their doors for services with Catholic churches reciting the Holy Rosary every hour on the hour. Stores and coal collieries delayed opening, and many homes and businesses displayed the American flag upon hearing the news of D-Day.
Following the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941, thousands of young men enlisted at local military recruiting offices. Upon completion of basic training, those young men were put into service either in the Pacific Theatre or the European Theatre during World War II.
Anxious mothers and fathers waited days to hear if their sons took part in the Normandy landings.
One of the first stories involving local servicemen being involved in D-Day was published in the June 10, 1944, editions of the Times Leader and Record.
U.S. Army sergeants James P. Franklin Jr., of Shickshinny, and Samuel L. Latona, of Pittston, were aboard a glider-towing twin-engine Dakota when they were shot down by German flak just off the Normandy coastline, the newspapers reported.
"They made a forced landing in the English channel about 10 miles off the coast and piled into a dinghy," reported the newspapers.
After several hours floating in the channel, a British destroyer rescued the two local servicemen along with the rest of their crew.
In early July 1944, local newspapers began reporting those who were killed, wounded or lost on D-Day.
"World War 2 has claimed the lives of two more servicemen from the area, another is reported missing in action, and four are listed as wounded in action in latest casualty announcements by the War and Navy Departments," reported the Record July 5, 1944.
The first notification of killed-in-action of local servicemen were U.S. Army Pfc. George Kashula, 22, of 38 Park St., Korn Krest, Hanover Township; and U.S. Army Pfc. Bernard John Loboda, 25, of 405 S. Sherman St., Wilkes-Barre.
Kashula, who served in the 453rd Quartermaster Truck Company, 5th Engineer Special Brigade; and Loboda, with the 5th Ranger Battalion, Company F, were killed on Omaha Beach on the first day of the Normandy landings.
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