D-Day Soldier's Dog Tag Found in Sand

[Radio_Lady]

D-Day Soldier's Dog Tag Found in Sand
Wednesday, June 06, 2007

By KRISTIN M. HALL, Associated Press Writer

HUNTINGDON, Tenn. — The family of Pvt. William Bernice Clark never had a funeral for him, never got to say goodbye and never really accepted his fate among the fallen during the Normandy D-Day landings in World War II. That was until his dog tag was discovered in the sands of Omaha Beach.

On Wednesday -- exactly 63 years after that tragic day -- the aged tag was returned to his native Tennessee.

"This feels like an ending," said the soldier's first cousin, 79-year-old Lota Park, who along with another cousin accepted the dog tag at a ceremony in the small town of Huntingdon, about 90 miles west of Nashville.

The tag has blackened with age, but his name, identification number, religion (Protestant) and blood type (Type O) are all clearly visible.

It remained out of sight for more than five decades until a collector from England found it five years ago on the beach, likely near the very spot where the 20-year-old Clark was killed. The collector gave the dog tag to a World War II buff from New Jersey, who turned it over to the National D-Day Memorial.

"It's in pretty remarkable condition considering it was buried in the sand for 58 years," said National D-Day Memorial director Jeff Fulgham, who presented the tag to Clark's surviving family members.

The D-Day Memorial, based in Bedford, Va., keeps records of nearly every American and Allied soldier killed during the invasion, and it helped locate Clark's family in Huntingdon a couple months ago.

"I remember the day the soldiers came and told his mother (that Clark had died)," Park said. "They never accepted it because there was no proof, no body."

The family has only a few personal effects from Clark: two yellowing photos, a couple of letters during his short service and his Purple Heart. His remains were buried in a cemetery for American soldiers in France.

The return of a small piece of metal has reconnected his family to the young soldier's life that was cut short.

"We were just like brothers and sisters," said another first cousin, Ava Smothers, 84.

More at link:

http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Jun06/0,4670,DDayAnniversaryDogTag,00.html

[Reverend_Smitty]

1. wow what a remarkable story...

I'm glad the family got some closure after all these years

[Radio_Lady]

2. Rev, I thought it was pretty intriguing, too.

Thanks for your comments.

[Coventina]

3. I think it's a shame the tag wasn't returned to the family immediately.

All this man's surviving family are very old. How many died in those 5 years that the collector held on to the tags?

Better late than never, I guess.

[Radio_Lady]

5. Yes, I did have that thought, too.

Thanks for your comments.

[lildreamer316]

4. The greatest generation.

I am so grateful to them.

[Radio_Lady]

6. Me, too.

[Lars39]

7. Thanks for posting this, Radio_Lady.

He may be kin to me in a round-a-bout way.
Huntingdon, TN is a Democratic oasis in west tn,too,fwiw.

[Radio_Lady]

9. You're entirely welcome.

[querelle]

8. Very Touching Story

Thank you........

Q

[Radio_Lady]

10. Yes, the kind of story not too many people will see, unfortunately.

The DU likes really polarizing topics. I don't think this is one of them.