Fort Miles volunteers honor D-Day heroes

40 Delawareans made the ultimate sacrifice at Normandy

Cape Henlopen High School student Amelia Bickel plays the national anthem to start the June 4 Fort Miles Historical Association D-Day Memorial Ceremony. She also played taps to end the ceremony. RON MACARTHUR PHOTOS

Lani Spahr, U.S. Air Force veteran, plays the bagpipes as he walks up the trail to the ocean venue overlook at Fort Miles.

Fort Miles Historical Association’s Will Short serves as emcee of the D-Day ceremony.

Korean veteran Lt. Col. Greg Gause, chaplain for two VFW organizations, offers the invocation.

Ed Paterline, FMHA World War II historian, talks about the heroic exploits of the 29th Division, the only National Guard unit involved in D-Day.

Special guest George McCarthy of Lewes is a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps.

Capt. David Diefenderfer reads a letter written by Supreme Commander Gen. Dwight Eisenhower to the troops as they prepared to depart for the Normany beaches. He is assigned to Naval Headquarters Unit in Little Creek, Va.

With the U.S. flag blowing in the breeze, Lani Spahr plays “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes.

Nicholas Schimmel rings a bell after the names of Delawareans killed during the Battle of Normandy are read.

Christian Schimmel rings a bell in honor of Delawareans killed during the Battle of Normandy.

Christian, left, and Nicholas Schimmel, grandsons of the late Gary Wray, who founded the Fort Miles Historical Association, are bell ringers for every association event.

With the U.S. flag blowing in the breeze, Lani Spahr plays the bagpipes.

Ron MacArthur

June 7, 2023

Event Date:

Sun, 06/04/2023 - 01:30 pm

Lani Spahr, U.S. Air Force veteran, plays the bagpipes as he walks up the trail to the ocean venue overlook at Fort Miles.

Fort Miles Historical Association’s Will Short serves as emcee of the D-Day ceremony.

Korean veteran Lt. Col. Greg Gause, chaplain for two VFW organizations, offers the invocation.

Ed Paterline, FMHA World War II historian, talks about the heroic exploits of the 29th Division, the only National Guard unit involved in D-Day.

Special guest George McCarthy of Lewes is a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps.

With the U.S. flag blowing in the breeze, Lani Spahr plays “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes.

Nicholas Schimmel rings a bell after the names of Delawareans killed during the Battle of Normandy are read.

Christian Schimmel rings a bell in honor of Delawareans killed during the Battle of Normandy.

Christian, left, and Nicholas Schimmel, grandsons of the late Gary Wray, who founded the Fort Miles Historical Association, are bell ringers for every association event.

With the U.S. flag blowing in the breeze, Lani Spahr plays the bagpipes.

During the Battle of Normandy in 1944, which began with the June 6 D-Day invasion along the coast of France, 40 Delawareans were killed. Those casualties included two Milton soldiers, William S. Marvel and Robert Layton Short.

On June 4, the Fort Miles Historical Association paid tribute to those heroes with its second annual D-Day Memorial Ceremony at the overlook outside the museum.

Taking part in the ceremony were FMHA’s Will Short, master of ceremonies; Lt. Gregg Gause, Korean veteran and chaplain; Cape student Amelia Bickel, trumpeter; Lani Spahr, bagpiper; and bell ringers Nicholas and Christian Schimmel, grandsons of the late Gary Wray, FMHA founder and museum advocate.

Navy Capt. David Diefenderfer read Gen. Dwight Eisenhower’s letter to D-Day troops, while guest speaker FMHA World War II historian Ed Paterline told the story of the 29th Division, the only National Guard unit in the Battle of Normandy.

Delaware Honor Roll readers included association members Ron Ruksznis, Jeff Romans, Jim King and Rich Rohde.

There was also a flyover thanks to Dover Air Force Base.

On display inside the museum was a chaplain’s kit used by the Rev. Morris Arnold, who went ashore on D-Day. He used the kit until 1945 in France when he was injured and sent home. He gave the kit to the Rev. Carol Flett, who donated it to St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Lewes, where it is on display.