Hero Spotlight: D-Day Hero Frank DeVita
This month’s Hero Spotlight features a man who experienced the first wave at Omaha Beach and lived to share his story. While it is the story of a hero, it is also a story of tragedy and the horrors of war. Most of all, it is a story that we all should hear from this man who was there.
Omaha Beach Changed Everything
The Omaha Beach Invasion still remains one of the most powerful images of war permanently ingrained in the American psyche. Although the soldiers who fought during WWII knew they were facing great peril, none could have imagined the scene that day. One who witnessed D-Day firsthand was Frank Devita who shares his story in the video below. DeVita was in charge of lowering the ramp of the USS Samual Chase during the first wave of attack.
Frank’s Story
The enemy onslaught was sudden and severe. Frank DeVita saw images that continue to haunt him to this day. More than a story of trauma, however, his is a story of a true American Hero. He may be a decorated veteran today, but at the start of the war, he was a 17-year-old high-school senior who was determined to fight for his country following the attack on Pearl Harbor. After joining the armed forces, he fought, sacrificed, and experienced the unimaginable including 2,000 casualties on Omaha Beach that morning. His recounting of the moments after the ramp came down is heartbreaking. It is, however, a story we should all hear. Please watch, and never forget what men like Frank DeVita did.
The experiences and sacrifices of veterans like Frank are hard to imagine. Few have seen anything close. We must remember that everything we have, we owe to those like Frank who faced the unimaginable.
We are dedicated to honoring the members of the greatest generation — those who served abroad and on the home front. Congress must pass the bill we call the Greatest Generation Benefits Act to ensure these special Americans can live in financial security during retirement. Learn more and sign our petition here.
For more powerful stories like this one, keep up with The Greatest Generation. Please share these important stories on Facebook and Twitter because they need to be heard.
