Spilyay Tymoo
Warm Springs, Oregon
May 27, 1994 PAGE 3
Normandy again after 50 years
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I "was scared, because it
was my first combat" said Art
Mitchell of his involvement in the
Normandy Invasion 50 years ago.
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Art Mitchell served in the US. Army from December 1942 to October 1945.
by Saphronia Katchia
Thousands of World War II veterans
will return next month to Normandy
for a 50 year anniversary of D-Day,
the Normandy Invasion, also known
as Operation Overlord. Veterans will
return to Normandy with their families
and old service buddies to visit,
through one of four tour packages
organized by Battlefield Tours, USA,
Inc. of Louisiana.
Seventy-three year old, Arthur
Mitchell of Warm Springs, the son of
Louie Mitchell and Meta Tewee, is
very excited to once again set foot on
the sands of the Utah and Omaha
beaches, where the invasion of
Northern France from England began
before dawn of June 6, 1944. Mitchell
was one of 156,000 men who landed
on the beaches of Normandy between
the Orne estuary and the South Eastern
end of Cotentin Peninsula which led
Allied forces to the liberation of
Europe and the surrender of Nazi
Germany in May 1945.
Mitchell, just twenty three at the
time of the famous D-Day said he felt,
"scared, because it was my first
combat."
He was drafted into the United
States 3rd Army, 80th Infantry
Division, 319th Infantry Battalion in
December of 1942, under General
George Patton, at the age of twenty
one. He ranked as Staff Sergeant. He
. was a rifleman for almost two years
and completed his service as a medic.
While serving his country he served
in five major battles which include
Normandy, Battle of Bulge, Battle of
Northern France, Central Europe, and
Austria. Mitchell served two years
and eleven months of his life before
he was discharged in October 1945.
He then married Bernice Tohet
Mitchell, January of 1946.
Mitchell was decorated with five
battle stars; he was awarded a bronze
star after the war, combat infantrymen
badges, and also two combat medic
badges, but he stated that he,"received
the biggest prize in 44", which was
the first Per Capita payment to Tribal
Members for the amount of $20 for
the year.
He, as well as all veterans of the
Battle of Normandy who visit the
region in 1994 will be awarded a
commemoration medal as a special
anniversary gesture by the French. He
will receive the medal during a
ceremony, June 6, in which he intends
to be dressed in full Indian Regalia.
This will include a buckskin outfit as
well as his war bonnet, which has a lot
of history involved. Each feather on
the bonnet symbolizes a battle fought
in. Prior to himself, it belonged to
World War I veteran, Louis Baker,
who was originally from here, but did
not live here. Baker told Mitchell that
he is to pass the war bonnet onto
someone in his family who not only
has a history in the service, but actually
fought in battles.
Fourof Mitchell's family members
will be making the trip with him; his
wife Bernice, daughter Gloria,
grandson Jose Calica, and niece Cassie
Katchia. They will depart for Los
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Art Mitchell
Angeles, Wednesday, June 1, and
arrive June 3 in Normandy. Different
landmarks will be visited, on June 6
(D-Day) ceremonies and celebrations
of the day will take place. They will
also stay in Paris for two nights before
their trip ends June 9. It will cost
approximately $ 10,490 for the family
to attend the anniversary, excluding
the trips between Warm Springs and
L.A.
Various fundraising activities have
been held to raise money for the trip
such as several Taco, Spaghetti, Luc-a-meen,
and Chili & Frybread feeds
since March. The family has been
selling raffle tickets since the first of
April for a drawing that was held at
the Agency Longhouse during a going
away dinner that was held for Mitchell
on Thursday, May 26.
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Those who will be traveling to Normandy in June are pictured left to right; Jose Calica, Bernice Mitchell, Art
Mitchell and Cassie Katchia. Pictured in front is Bonita Mitchell.
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Pictured above is where the D-Day landings were in the battle of Normandy.