Honoring Our Veterans: Doug Fairtile

Ed. Note: Memorial Day is a time when Americans commemorate the U.S. soldiers who gave their lives in defense of freedom.

A tradition dating back to the Civil War, Memorial Day honors the sacrifices these brave men and women made for a better nation. Perhaps there's no greater way to honor their memory than by reflecting on their service and recognizing those veterans who live among us.

So, with a sincere sense of gratitude, Patch would like to say "Thank You," to all the brave men and women who answered the call to serve with a special feature titled 'Honoring Our Veterans,' which will run daily at 5 p.m. during the week leading into Memorial Day 2011.

Today we salute Doug Fairtile.

Name: Doug Fairtile

Branch: U.S. Army

Conflict: World War II

Post: Having just missed the invasion on D-Day, Fairtile landed on Omaha Beach as a replacement who would fight his way from Normandy to Berlin. A soldier in the European Theater of Operation, Fairtile survived the harrowing assault at the Battle of the Bulge, then forged forward and helped to liberate Dachau.

Reflections: "For years, I never spoke about the war, though my children would ask me to tell them stories about my experiences. I guess I thought they were too young, but maybe I wasn't ready. I was just a kid when we liberated Dachau, which looked more like a camp of walking skeletons. The smell of death looming in the air. The disbelief I felt witnessing such atrocity. I close my eyes sometimes and still see them walking ... It's important to never forget."