Friday, September 6, 2024
At 102 years young, Granbury’s own Charles Baldwin is living proof that age is just a number — especially when it comes to reliving epic adventures!
In his most recent experience of a lifetime, the spirited World War II Air Force veteran dusted off his military boots and journeyed back to the shores of Normandy, France, where he once stormed the beaches on D-Day.
Honoring the courage and sacrifice of countless soldiers, American Airlines offered nearly 70 World War II veterans the chance to participate in the 80th anniversary celebration — and Baldwin was one of the lucky few chosen for this extraordinary experience.
"Well, of course I was excited about it because hey, that was a big deal,” Baldwin told the Hood County News.
According to history.com, D-Day was the name given to the June 6, 1944, invasion of the beaches at Normandy in northern France by troops from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other countries during World War II. France at the time was occupied by the armies of Nazi Germany, and the amphibious assault — codenamed Operation Overlord — landed some 156,000 Allied soldiers on the beaches of Normandy by the end of the day.
Despite their success, some 4,000 Allied troops were killed by German soldiers defending the beaches. At the time, the D-Day invasion was the largest naval, air and land operation in history, and within a few days about 326,000 troops, more than 50,000 vehicles and some 100,000 tons of equipment had landed, history.com reports. By August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated, and in spring of 1945 the Allies had defeated the Germans. Historians often refer to D-Day as the beginning of the end of World War II.
"I hadn't thought about it that much until this trip, but someone came up with a statement to the effect that this invasion, D-Day, was the incident, so to speak, that saved the civilized world — and that's big,” Baldwin said. “Because had that failed, if we were alive, we'd be speaking German or Japanese. That was the turning point, and I never had really thought about it like that, but it surely was.”
WAITING IN THE WINGS
While several World War II veterans knew at least six months ahead of time they would be embarking on such a monumental trip, Baldwin experienced a last-minute surprise after a fellow veteran was unable to go on the trip due to health concerns.
As luck would have it, Joshua Holm — a close friend of Baldwin’s and founder of Steel Hope Foundation in Mineral Wells — discovered there was a last-minute opening and recommended Baldwin as a replacement.
"I got an email from a friend, and she's like, ‘Do you know anybody?’” Holm told the HCN. “I said, ‘I know someone right now.' The problem was, we were only a few weeks away from the trip and this is like a half-year vetting process, but I'm like, ‘But this person can do it. This would be a perfect candidate for you,’ and they said, ‘OK, let's do it.’”
In just a few short weeks, Baldwin was officially approved to go, with Holm commenting he couldn’t think of a more deserving person to be honored with the trip.
“He reminded me a lot of my grandfather, so I started building a relationship, and we started just connecting on a personal level," Holm said. “He's very humorous, witty, humble and a very honorable person. It's very easy to honor someone who is very humble."
THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME
According to an American Airlines press release, the historic trip started at American’s headquarters in Dallas-Fort Worth with a kickoff dinner that included a 1940s-era big band and the Victory Belles from the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. Veterans were also given a special heroes’ arrival by American Airlines team members before heading to Dallas Fort Worth International airport, where the celebration continued.
Upon arrival at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, the World War II veterans were welcomed by cheers and handshakes as they made their way through the newly refurbished terminal.
A brief welcome ceremony in the terminal included remarks by U.S. Ambassador to France Denise Bauer and the President of France’s Mission Liberation 80 Task Force, Ambassador Philippe Etienne. The veterans were welcomed by the U.S. Embassy’s Marine Detachment and the ceremony included a choir performance by children from Marymount International School.
The following morning, the veterans participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at Suresnes American Cemetery that featured a solemn performance by the service academy choir and a lone bugler from the U.S. Naval Academy honoring the fallen with “Taps.”
Lunch was served as the veterans cruised down the Seine River and the evening was spent honoring the fallen during le Ravivage de la Flamme ceremony beneath the Arc de Triomphe.
The veterans spent two days in Paris before they traveled to the Normandy region for commemorative events.
The arrival in Normandy started with a heroes’ welcome by school children and World War II re-enactors in Houlgate followed by a visit to Le Memorial de Caen, a museum and war memorial commemorating World War II and the Battle of Normandy.
A visit to historic Omaha Beach provided time for the veterans to walk in the heroic path of those who stormed the beaches 80 years ago and lay a wreath to honor those who didn’t survive the beach landing. The afternoon was spent among the bunkers and bomb craters of Pointe du Hoc and honoring the U.S. Army Rangers who scaled the steep cliffs June 6, 1944.
On Utah Beach, the veterans paid tribute by each laying a single rose in honor of the fallen. A historic chateau served as the backdrop for a special lunch that was attended by senior military leaders from the Department of Defense and other dignitaries. That afternoon, the veterans were the primary focus in Sainte-Mère-Église as thousands gathered to cheer their arrival into the town made famous by the Airborne soldiers who parachuted into the area.
The events in Normandy concluded with a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings at the Normandy American Cemetery, where more than 9,000 U.S. service members from World War II are laid to rest.
MEMORABLE ENCOUNTERS
While the D-Day experience was memorable itself for Baldwin, he also got the opportunity to meet two prominent celebrities.
Since his granddaughter, Angie, works for the Amblin film company in Los Angeles, Baldwin had the pleasure of meeting legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg — creator of films like “Jaws,” “E.T.” and “Schindler's List.”
"We were at a luncheon at one of the events and a big mob of people were surrounding Steve — I call him, Steve — and I waited until it cleared out,” Baldwin explained. “I approached him, and I said ‘Steve, my granddaughter works for your outfit. You better get me a screen test. I hadn't got it yet and I'm tired of waiting.’ He got a big laugh out of that and we chatted a while.”
Another unforgettable encounter came when Baldwin had the unique chance to meet President Joe Biden, being one of just eight out of 70 veterans selected for the honor.
“I got to meet the president and his wife,” he said. “There were suits everywhere, Secret Service or whoever those guys are that travel with him. There were a bunch of them. They all look alike and dressed alike.”
Biden also gave Baldwin a challenge coin that reads, “Eightieth Anniversary: 46th President of the United States of America — Joseph R. Biden, Jr, D-DAY,” on one side, with the date and the quote, “They also serve who only stand and wait,” depicted on the other side.
“We went to shake hands and he had (the coin) in his hand,” Baldwin said.
DOWN MEMORY LANE
As Baldwin reflected on the D-Day trip, he shared his experience as a fighter pilot during WWII with the HCN, noting he contracted the flu shortly before D-Day. Although he was in Belgium with his unit just prior to the event, he was unable to fly during the initial days of the Battle of the Bulge.
Baldwin explained that due to poor weather conditions, their air support was limited, prompting plans for a possible evacuation of their field. However, when the weather improved, they resumed flights, which he identified as a “crucial turning point” in the battle as their air missions were allowed to commence.
"They told us before we went overseas there in New York that when you get over there, there's no good whiskey or anything, so if you want anything you better take it with you,” Baldwin recalled. “Well, I wasn't a drinker, but I did get me a bottle of whiskey to take. I was going to save it and open it up on D-Day for a victory drink whenever the war was over in Europe. Well, that night, we were packing all the stuff in our bag and I said ‘Man, I can't believe this,’ so I opened it up, and everybody in my bunch had a little drink. But then dadgum if it wasn't cleared up. I could've saved it! That ruined my celebration drink.”
Baldwin also described how before joining his unit during the war, their group operated from two bases in France, strategically positioned near the front lines to minimize flight time and maximize time spent over targets. He explained that fighter planes had limited flight capabilities compared to bombers, with missions averaging around two-and-a-half hours.
He also recalled a specific base near the commune Sainte-Marie-du-Mont that has since been abandoned and expressed a desire to locate it during his visit. Baldwin said he made an effort to connect with locals who could guide him to the base, but soon realized that many spoke fluent English and were from different parts of the world, like Boston.
“People were there from all over the world, and it really hits you when you realize that this is not just a little thing between the United States and France; this was all over the world," Baldwin said. “I just hadn't realized the enormity of it until that brought it out very clearly that people traveled there from all over the world for this occasion.”
HIGHLIGHTS AND IMPRESSIONS
As Baldwin recounted the week-long trip, he revealed that the highlight of his experience was the warm reception from the French. He said as veterans traveled by bus or in wheelchairs, they were greeted with gratitude and appreciation at every stop. Baldwin noted each veteran was accompanied by a member from the unit, including cadets from various military academies.
"Everywhere we’d go, there'd be people lined up and they were so glad to see us. They said, ‘Thank you. Thank you,’ and that impressed me more than anything about the whole trip,” he said. “The pictures and all that were great. The whole thing was just fabulous, but that was the one thing that impressed me more than anything is the sincere welcome and the sincere gratitude that was expressed.”
He said he was particularly moved by how families lined the streets, expressing their thanks and wanting to shake hands.
"Little kids kept wanting our autograph, but we didn't have time. It would’ve held up the whole thing, but that was the most impressive thing about the trip,” Baldwin said. “I was also impressed by the neatness and cleanliness of the countryside in France. My son (Russ) and I both noticed that and we made a conscious effort in our travel on the bus, just to look for something trashy, but we had yet to see one scrap of trash on the roadside. France is a really pretty place.”
Baldwin also shared that every bus in their group was equipped with at least one nurse and often several doctors who were incredibly attentive.
“You could stub your toe and they’d be right there to help,” he noted, highlighting their importance in addressing the health needs of older veterans. With the average age of the group being around 100, and one member being 107, Baldwin stressed just how crucial medical assistance was on the trip.
Overall, Baldwin said, returning to Normandy, France was quite an experience, as it allowed him the opportunity to reflect on his past and pay tribute to the memories of his fallen comrades.
With a twinkle in his eye and a grin that could light up the French coast, Baldwin embraced the memories of 1944, proving that some battles never truly fade — they just become incredible stories waiting to be shared.
