Gov. Gregoire lays wreath at Normandy cemetery

For Immediate Release: June 13, 2005

OLYMPIA � June 13, 2005 � On Sunday, Gov. Christine Gregoire laid a wreath at Normandy American Cemetery in France in honor of 82 Washingtonians who are buried there. The names of those servicemen are printed on the wreath.

�We will forever be indebted to these soldiers and their families for making the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedom,� said Gregoire. �With love of country in their hearts and courage in their souls, they entered the valley of death. Let us never forget their sacrifice.�

In total, 5,840 servicemen from Washington gave their lives during World War II. The visit held special significance for the governor�s husband, Mike, a Vietnam combat veteran who has made veterans issues his top priority as Washington�s first gentleman.

Following the ceremony, the governor returned to Paris where she is leading a delegation of Washington state business and community leaders on a trade mission to the Paris Air Show. The show begins today.

The World War II Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is situated on a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach and the English Channel in Colleville-sur Mer, France. It is just east of St. Laurent-sur-Mer and northwest of Bayeux, about 170 miles west of Paris. It covers 172 acres and contains the graves of 9,387 American military dead, most of whom gave their lives during the landings and ensuing operations of World War II.

On the walls of the semicircular garden on the east side of the memorial are inscribed the names of 1,557 American Missing who gave their lives in the service of their country, but whose remains were not located or identified. The memorial consists of a semicircular colonnade with a loggia at each end containing maps and narratives of the military operations. At the center is a bronze statue titled "Spirit of American Youth." An orientation table overlooks the beach and depicts the landings at Normandy. Facing west at the memorial, one sees in the foreground the reflecting pool, the mall with burial areas to either side and the circular chapel beyond. Behind the chapel are statues representing the United States and France.

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Name, rank and date of death of 82 Washington servicemen buried at the Normandy American Cemetery:

Name Rank Date of Death
ALLARD LAVERN L PFC 26-Jul-44
ALLMAN KENNETH W SGT 25-Jul-44
ANDREWS RODGER D PVT 6-Jun-44
BANAKA SAMUEL A PVT 12-Jul-44
BARCOTT ANTHONY CPL 28-Jul-44
BARNETT CURTIS R PVT 12-Jul-44
BARRETT JOHN H 2LT 19-Jul-44
BATES BUEL W 2LT 7-Jun-44
BENSON ROBERT W PFC 7-Jun-44
BERGSTRESSER GLENN E TEC4 6-Jun-44
BERRONG FREDERICK A PVT 25-Jul-44
BODDY STEPHEN L PVT 12-Jul-44
BOWKER WILLIAM H CPL 8-Jun-44
BRAZZELL JAMES W CMOMM 9-Jun-44
CAROSINO CARL F PVT 12-Jul-44
CARTER JOHN BLAIR 2LT 6-Jun-44
CHEMA FRANK PVT 24-Jul-44
CONDON EDMOND H PVT 26-Jul-44
COSGRIFF TERRENCE D TEC5 1-Aug-44
COYLE BENSON F CAPT 17-Jan-45
DANBOM CLARENCE E TEC4 28-Jul-44
FERGUSON ROBERT G PFC 6-Jun-44
FISHER RALPH B TEC5 30-Jul-44
FISK RAWLEIGH E PFC 29-Jun-44
GADD ALBERT C PFC 16-Jul-44
GALLAND VICTOR M PFC 6-Jun-44
HALE JOHN R CPL 20-Jun-44
HARRISON WILLARD C 1LT 12-Jun-44
HICKOX ROY E GM3 8-Jun-44
HOLECH HARRY 2LT 7-Jul-44
HOWE GRANT M SSGT 24-Jun-44
INGRAHAM GENE A PFC 19-Jun-44
JACOBSON LEROY E 2LT 6-Jun-44
JASPERS ALBERT C PFC 19-Jun-44
JOHNSON JOEL M PVT 3-Aug-44
KEEP CECIL M WOJG 28-Jun-44
KELLY IVAN C 2LT 11-Jul-44
KIRKEDAHL ELVIN T SGT 7-Jun-44
KLADNICK JOHN L PFC 2-May-45
KOHLER ROY C SSGT 24-Jul-44
KUYKENDALL SANFORD R PVT 25-Aug-44
LAMPMAN ARTHUR T PFC 4-Aug-44
LEWIS RAYMOND R JR PFC 25-Dec-44
LITTLE BENJAMIN H JR 2LT 7-Jun-44
MACHAN JAMES A TEC5 6-Jun-44
MAGNEY RAY A CPL 9-Jun-45
MARTINSEN RAYMOND B SSGT 25-Dec-44
MC CLAIN WILLIAM E J CAPT 19-Jun-44
MC INTYRE CLYDE PFC 7-Jul-44
MELVILLE EARL S 1LT 6-Sep-43
MEYER ROBERT S 2LT 28-Jul-44
MOON GEORGE R TSGT 8-Jul-44
MORAN FRANK R 1LT 15-Jun-44
MULDERIG CHARLES J PFC 14-Jul-44
NEAL DONALD R CPL 6-Jun-44
NOBLE PAUL E PVT 24-Jun-44
OLSON KENNETH H PFC 12-Jun-44
OWENS JOHN D PVT 6-Jul-44
PRYOR EDWARD E PFC 13-Jul-44
REID ALAN G SGT 1-Sep-44
RIDER ALVIN E TEC5 8-Jul-44
RODAL PAUL M TSGT 25-Dec-44
ROSE DEAN R PVT 1-Aug-44
RUMBURG IRA C LTC 25-Dec-44
RUST DAVID S PFC 25-Dec-44
SHULER CARL D PVT 19-Jun-44
SIMPSON RICHARD E PVT 27-Jul-44
SMITH ARCHIE J SSGT 24-Apr-44
SMITH ELLIS L PVT 14-Jul-44
SOBIERALSKI WILLIAM CPL 6-Jun-44
STORAASLI EDWARD R PFC 10-Jul-44
STORK RICHARD W CPL 5-Jul-44
STUART JIM T SSGT 7-Jul-44
TAYLOR STANLEY C 2LT 17-Jul-44
TESREAU JEFF A PVT 23-Jun-44
THOMSON JAY V 1LT 14-Jul-44
TODD WILLIAM A CPL 7-Jun-44
VYE JOHN W SGT 9-Aug-44
WARBURTON HAROLD O PFC 13-Jul-44
WARRING HUGH N PFC 25-Dec-44
WHITESEL LESTER E SR PFC 6-Jun-44
WORTMAN WARD K 2LT 14-Jul-43