- D-Day veteran Henry Ochsner with Azamara President Larry Pimentel and Captain Johannes Tysse
The sands of Normandy saw some distinguished action on
Friday, the 70th anniversary of D-Day. The Queen joined Presidents
Obama, Hollande and Putin at Omaha Beach where the liberation of Europe began
with the landing of Allied troops on June 6 1944. The Prince of Wales and the
Duchess of Cornwall were among those attending a remembrance ceremony at Juno
Beach to mark Canada’s involvement.
There’s an armada of cruise ships in the area, carrying a
few surviving veterans along with hundreds of passengers wanting to pay their
own tributes.
I am travelling on Azamara Journey, which spent the day in
port at Cherbourg, on the tip of Normandy’s Cotentin Peninsula and within a few
miles of the heart of the D-Day action.
We have our own veteran sailing with us. Now 91, Henry
Ochsner was a member of the Second Battalion of the US 506th
Parachute Infantry Regiment when he was dropped into combat 70 years ago.
He was guest of honour at the AzAmazing Evening Liberation
Party held in Cherbourg’s restored Gare Maritime last night. The splendid Art
Deco building was opened in 1912, just in time to welcome Titanic, en route
from Southampton.
Laid waste under German occupation in the Second World War,
it is now back in use as a cruise terminal and maritime museum. Azamara took
over the splendid first floor passenger halls for the party and laid on an
absolute treat.
There was music from a uniformed uniformed big band and the
delightful Three Belles (below); locals in authentic period dress added to the
atmosphere like a puff of Gitanes, a sip of Pernod, or a whiff of garlic, and
there was enough wine, cheese and galettes to sink a battleship.
After a moving welcome speech, the Mayor of Cherbourg had
everyone on their feet for a standing ovation when he presented Henry with a commemorative
bronze medal.
“We will never forget the men who chose to make the ultimate
sacrifice to put an end to the darkest period in our history,” he said. “Your
sacrifice allowed us to work for peace.
“We are proud of your presence in Cherbourg on this historic
day. Thank you for our freedom,” he added.
After such an emotional evening, it seems churlish to strike
a sour note, but I feel I have to. The red, white and blue theme of the evening
was carried through with countless displays of American Stars and Stripes and
French Tricoleurs.
A few Canadian Maple Leaf flags looked as if they had been
added as an afterthought and the only Union Flags on display were a handful draped
around a bicycle on display at the end of a counter top.
The few British passengers who are among those making the
11-day “Memories of World War II” cruise would have been justified in asking
why they were not better represented.
