My family, like most families in America, has its share of veterans. My Uncle George served in the Army under General George Patton during World War II. Other uncles served in the Navy and Air Force during Vietnam. My father-in-law was a radio man in the Marines serving in the Pacific Theater during World War II. I currently have two nephews in the Army (they have been to Iraq and Afghanistan) and another nephew in the Air Force Academy. Our family is enormously proud of all of them.
Perhaps as a result of so many people in my family serving in our nations military, I have always viewed each and every veteran as a hero. It is only because of the sacrifice and service of our veterans that we continue to be the freest, greatest nation on earth.
Several years ago, then-Florida State University President T.K. Wetherall asked me to stop by his house to greet Tom Brokaw. Brokaw was coming to town to speak at a World War II memorial event at FSU. When I arrived, there were a handful of people standing around -- all waiting for the arrival of the former NBC News anchor.
I noticed one elderly gentleman standing by himself, so I walked over to him and struck up a conversation. For the next 20 minutes, this unassuming man told me his story. It is a story everyone should hear.
The mans name was Harold Baumgarten. He grew up in New York City. After high school, he attended NYU where he was active in the Army ROTC. While in school, World War II broke out. He entered the Army and served as a rifleman in the 116th Infantry at the age of 18.
Harold recalled vividly sitting on a ship off the coast of Omaha Beach waiting to begin the Normandy Invasion. He could see German machine gun nests on the beach sitting 25 feet high. Harold said they expected opposition, but no one anticipated machine guns nests. He knew they would be sitting ducks when they hit the beach. In fact, after seeing the machine gun nest perched high in the air, Harold wrote a letter to his sister telling her he would not be coming home.
Harold left the ship and boarded a wooden British landing craft at 3:30 a.m. It was pitch black. The water was ice cold and there were high waves. After a three-hour journey in rough seas, the landing craft made it ashore. As soon as the ramp door was lowered the bullets started flying. As many as 30 men in the landing craft were shot by a German machine gun. The water was red with blood as Harold made it to the beach.
Harold was wounded in the face -- fragments from an 88mm shell that broke his jaw and blew out his left cheek. A bullet aimed for his heart hit the M1 rifle that he was clutching over his chest. Friends were killed all around Harold as the bullets continued to fly.
Harold watched a wounded soldier praying on his knees with rosary beads cut down by machine gun fire. While lying injured on the beach, Harold saw his sergeant in an even worse situation. The sergeant had been shot in both legs, the head and the shoulder, and was not able to move.
Harold said, I felt like I could either lay on the beach and die -- or fight. Harold crawled on the beach to the sergeant -- and while staying on the ground put the sergeant on his back. Harold held on to his rifle with one hand -- and the sergeant with the other. It didnt help that the sergeant was twice the size of Harold. Harold moved his sergeant to a safe spot -- and Harold fought.
By afternoon, Harold had made his way to the top of the beach. By then, he not only had the wound to his face, he also had a bullet wound in the head and a leg. Thousands of brave Americans died on Omaha Beach that day, most within 15 minutes of landing on shore, but Harold Baumgarten wasnt one of them.Harold later discovered that one other man from his landing craft survived that day -- only one.
After the war Harold went back to NYU where he earned a bachelors degree. He later earned a master's degree and medical doctorate degree from the University of Miami. He became a doctor and moved to Jacksonville where he and his wife raised three children.
Harold told me after the war he never talked about the horrors of Omaha Beach. Then one day in the '70s he learned that the other survivor from his landing craft had died. It occurred to him that no one was telling the story of the bravery and sacrifice that took place on June 6 of 1944 -- so Harold starting talking. He wrote a book and gave lectures. Somewhere along the way, Tom Brokaw found out about Harold and told his story in the book The Greatest Generation. Harolds story inspired Steven Spielbergs opening scene in Saving Private Ryan.
I never did meet Tom Brokaw that night. He was late, and I had another event to attend.
The fact is, it was a thrill of a lifetime to meet Harold Baumgarten. It was honor just to be in his presence let alone hear his story firsthand.
Veterans Day is for all of us to thank Harold and the 21.8 million veterans across America. Thank them for their service and sacrifice, thank them for their courage -- thank them for our freedom.
This is a guest column by Jeff Kottkamp, Floridas 17th lieutenant governor.
