D-Day veteran Jack Port coming back to Normandy
for the 73rd anniversary of D-Day in 2017

If all goes well Jack should be coming back to Normandy
in June of 2017, he’ll be 95 years old.
Jack landed on Utah beach on June 6th 1944
with the 4th Infantry Division, later on June 10th
(in Montebourg) he was shot in the leg by a sniper
as he was running for cover.
Evacuated to the rear and taken care by medics
he was back in action on June 26th
for the liberation of Cherbourg !

I was in San Diego this past November to visit family
and got to see him again.
I first met Jack back in 2012 on Utah Beach
with a couple who were on a D-Day tour with me.
I saw in again in 2014 for the 70th anniversary of D-Day
which was a BIG celebration !
and again in 2016 for the 72nd anniversary of D-Day.
Jack is a welcomed return visitor,
who comes back when he can
to Normandy around  June 6th.
Never having more than 2 minutes with him because I’m on tour,
I told him I’d be in San Diego in November and it’d be great to meet up with him.

Thanks to the internet and John Wilkens contact reporter
for the San Diego Union-Tribune
I was able to get his contact information
my Dad is now retired
(but had worked at the newspaper for a certain time)
and Mr. Wilkens knew him,
we called each other and set up a meeting.

From the moment he got out of the landing craft on June 6th 1944,
to the day he learned the war was finally over
he told me that he was scared of dying,
every hour & every minute of his time in Normandy,
through Paris into Belguim, then Germany.

If all goes well Jack will be back in June 2017
and I’ll gladly take him around and his family
on June 6th 2017 free of charge because I owe it to him
and all the other WW2 veterans
(some who gave their lives)  for my freedom.
I am eternally grateful.

Thank you so much Jack.

Sincerely,

T. Standefer