Cox Media Group Ohio is recognizing the 70th anniversary of D-Day, and the tide turning in World War II, with comprehensive coverage of the anniversary and local ties.
D-Day anniversary
- ‘The American soldier was magnificent’ Introduction
- Humble yet historic: Local soldier helped win war at D-Day and beyond { James “Pee Wee” Martin }
- ‘Ten weeks of very intense training’ { Chuck Benston }
- ‘When you actually hear someone die’ { Robert L. Harvey }
- ‘We jumped everywhere we were not supposed to be’ { Don Jakeway }
- ‘We suspected something was going on’ { Robert King }
- ‘They did not recognize us for anything, even flags on our coffins’ { Nadine Nagle }
- ‘It hurts a lot’ { Wallace Newcomb }
- ‘They ran right into death’ { William Wilch }
- A teen fighting overseas { Vernon “Moom” Miller }
- Looking back on June 6, 1944: Operation Overlord Maps, Timeline
- "Pee Wee" Martin's mementos Gallery
Remembering Medal of Honor recipients
- They are the bravest of the brave. Three men from the region area gave their all at the dawn, middle and near the end of the Second World War, earning the nation’s highest military honor and securing a place in history. The trio — from Dayton, Middletown and Springfield — help tell the story of the area’s contribution in helping end the world’s most destructive conflict.
- Ohio's Medal of Honor recipients InteractiveMore than 300 people either born in or serving from Ohio have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor since 1861. Use our interactive to explore those recipients by conflict and county and find details about them and their accomplishments.
- Dayton soldier Tony Stein’s efforts at Iwo Jima were part of the documentary "Our Time In Hell." Watch the clip.
- Remember those who served: Dayton monuments InteractiveA visit to a war memorial is a meaningful history lesson and an opportunity to show appreciation to those who fought for our country's freedom. See a map of places you can go to honor those who have died serving their country.
- Three men from the region -- Tony Stein of Dayton, James Richard Ward of Springfield and Patrick L. Kessler of Middletown -- were recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. As part of that we take a look back of the bravest of the brave from that war.
Featured: The region's World War II Medal of Honor winners
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Patrick L. Kessler, MiddletownKessler, 22, was killed in action on May 25, 1944, near Ponte Rotto, Italy. On Jan. 4, 1945, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and is buried at Woodside Cemetery in Middletown. He has a school named for him at Ft. Stewart, Ga., dedicated in 2007. -
Tony Stein, DaytonStein, 23, of Dayton, was killed in action on March 1, 1945, in Iwo Jima near the end of World War II. He was awarded a Medal of Honor for saving members with Company A 1st Battalion, 28th Marine Division. Stein was originally buried in the 5th Division Cemetery in Iwo Jima. His remains were later returned to the U.S. and buried at Calvary Cemetery on Dec. 17, 1948. In 1970, a ship in his name, USS Stein Destroyer Escort-1065, was launched in December 1970 and decommissioned on March 19, 1992. She was subsequently transferred to the Mexican Navy and renamed the Armada República Mexicana Ignacio Allende, abbreviated ARM Allende. -
James Richard Ward, SpringfieldWard, 20, was killed in action on Dec. 7, 1941, during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He is buried at Ferncliff Cemetery in Springfield. His sister, Miss Marjorie Ward, sponsored a naval ship, USS J. Richard Ward Destroyer Escort-243, that was named for him and commissioned July 5, 1943. It was decommissioned June 13, 1946, and was last berthed in Texas as part of the Reserve Fleet and sold for scrapping on April 10, 1972.