Reporter's Notebook: Recalling an American WWII hero who helped fight off Nazi forces during Normandy invasion
Less well-known are the battles during the days and weeks that followed in Normandy, which helped secure the massive beachhead, so the allies could go on and defeat Nazi Germany in World II.
One of those clashes was at a bridge over a small river near the town of Sainte-Mère-Église. Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division landed near there early on the morning of June 6, 1944.
They had to hold the position against Germans threatening American forces who came ashore at Utah beach, one of the main landing sites.
One of those was Iowa-born 31-year-old U.S. Army Staff Sgt. William Owens. For three days, as his unit was cut down in combat from 45 to just 12 men, he bravely helped fight off the Germans.
He fired from three different machine gun positions, threw hand grenades, commanded bazooka teams and moved from foxhole to foxhole, coordinating action. The actions of him and his men eventually knocked out four German tanks, killed 275 German soldiers and stopped the Nazis dead in their tracks. It was hailed by historians as a key battle of the Normandy invasion.
On a recent day alongside the river in the now green and peaceful countryside, after years of research and lobbying at the Pentagon and in Congress, Owens was recognized for his valor in a ceremony during which his honors were upgraded to Distinguished Service Cross, the second most important medal the Army can bestow.
Chris Donahue, the commanding general of the U.S. Army in Europe and Africa, told Fox News Owens' actions were "incredibly important. What Owens did is the exact model that all of us try to live up to."
Owens died at the age of 54 in 1967. His youngest daughter, British-raised Susan Marrow, said, "I don't have words to describe how full my heart is and how much it means to me."
His great-grandson, Harris Morales, was also proud to be there, saying, "without a doubt," Owens was a brave guy. As for the new recognition of Owens, he added, "It means everything, and I still don't believe it. It's still not real for me yet."
This comes at a time the world remains in turmoil from Ukraine to the Mideast and beyond. While 81 years seems like a long time ago, the heroism and inventiveness displayed by Owens then is still seen as relevant today.
"It is important," Morales said. "I don't think 81 years or any time is too long."
Speaking from a military standpoint, Gen. Donahue noted, "We're in the middle of a transformation, and we're going to continue to do that so we live up to what they have done."
As for lessons learned then, Owens' daughter had a simple answer, saying, "Do unto others as you would have them do onto you."
Sometimes, as in the case of Staff Sgt. William Owens, the dangerous behavior of "others" means acting with the greatest and sometimes brutal gallantry.
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