June 7, 2009--Normandy, France 

 

Post 128 1st Vice Commander Alan Dube was in Normandy, France from June 4 - 8 to observe the 65th Anniversary of the D-Day landings and attend several events in honor of his father, Gilbert H. Dube, who landed on the shores of Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, as a member of the 7th Naval Beach Battalion.

Alan attended the official commemoration ceremony at the American Cemetery above Omaha Beach on June 6 and heard speeches from Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and American President Barack Obama.  While there, Alan also paid his respects to one of his father's comrades who was killed in action on D-Day on Omaha Beach and is interred at the cemetery.

On June 7, while visting the Dog Red sector on Omaha Beach where his father had landed 65 years ago, Alan had a chance meeting with American Legion National Commander David Rehbein.  Commander Rehbein was also in Normandy at the time to participate in various ceremonies.  After presenting Alan with a commander's medallion coin, they posed for the picture below.