ATLANTA – ATLANTA (AP) – Hilbert Margol says he didn’t consider himself a hero when his U.S. Army artillery unit fought its way through Europe during World War II. But he will be celebrated in France as one of 60 American veterans of that conflict who will travel to Normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
“I know my brother and I never looked at it like we were heroes or anything like that,” Margol said recently of himself and his twin brother Howard, who served with him. “It was our time. Which we were invited to serve. And we did.
Margol, 100, who lives in suburban Atlanta, is among the dwindling group of conflict veterans who left Atlanta on Sunday on a chartered flight to Deauville, Normandy. Veterans will participate in parades, school visits and ceremonies – including the official commemoration, on June 6, of the landing of soldiers from the United States, Great Britain, Canada and other allied nations on five beaches.
Margol did not land on D-Day, but the Jacksonville, Florida native was among those who liberated the Dachau Concentration Camp on April 29, 1945.
The trip also includes selected high school and college students to accompany the veterans and learn about their experiences. Charter flights also took veterans from Atlanta to France in 2022 and 2023.
On Sunday, the group of 60 veterans, wearing personalized anniversary jackets, arrived at the Atlanta airport to applause and applause from the flight crew and Dutchtown High School band from Hampton, Georgia. The veterans were then guided through the airport to their terminal in a parade led by the marching band.
World War II Veteran Jake Larsona 101-year-old American better known on social media as “Papa Jake,” said he joined the National Guard when he was 15 for money and landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day. Reflecting on the three years he was in the Europe, Larson said he is “not a hero.”
“I’m just a survivor, but I’m here to honor those people who gave their lives so I can be here,” Larson said Sunday before the flight.
He also left a message for world leaders: ““Make peace, not war.”
Andy Black of Helen, Georgia, landed with the 6th Armored Division at Utah Beach on July 18, 1944, about six weeks after D-Day. It is his second trip back to France, after also taking part in last year’s flight .
“Well, to me, we fight for freedom, we fight for peace, and we fight for a good life,” said Negra, a native of Avella, Pennsylvania, in a recent interview.
The trip is being organized by Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, the Best Defense Foundation and the North American branch of French tire maker Michelin.
“It is our privilege to celebrate and honor these heroes by transporting them directly to Normandy and recognizing their incredible sacrifices and contributions to the world,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement.
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