I was given the word today that Elmer Carmichael from Crescent passed away today.. I believe he was about 90...

I had the honor of working with Elmer in the American Legion in Crescent on Parades, etc.

During one meeting someone noticed a painting someone had brought in to the meeting hall and asked about it.

It belonged to Elmer. Someone had given it to him. It was a painting of a D-Day landing craft. Elmer started to tell us about D-Day and his duty onboard a landing craft that he crewed during the invasion of Normandy. The story this elderly man told us made my hair stand on end and made me shiver.

Here is a story/quote from Elmer published on newsok.com...

Elmer Carmichael, Crescent - Dead and dying bodies strewn across the beach ... American soldiers pinned beneath a cliff ... a blood-stained deck ... explosions ... fire ... smoke ... the clatter of bullets rapidly colliding against the ship ... the piercing screams of the wounded and dying.

The sights and sounds of June 6, 1944, are still stark and gruesome for Crescent's Elmer Carmichael, 83, a retired bank president who experienced the D-Day invasion at Normandy as a Coast Guard crewman aboard an LCI (Landing Craft Infantry).

Carmichael and his 31 crewmates were required to take 200 American soldiers to Omaha Beach that day, but were met by a hail of artillery and gunfire from entrenched German positions. Twice, the ship plowed into Omaha Beach, only to be repulsed by enemy fire.

A soldier standing next to Carmichael was decapitated.

"Another soldier's leg was rolling around the deck ... Madness. That's a good word for what I saw that day," Carmichael said.

Carmichael's ship, which struck a mine and was hit by an estimated 25 artillery shells, eventually sank as it returned to Omaha Beach the third time. Surviving crew members abandoned ship by scrambling aboard a passing Navy tugboat.

Forty years passed before Carmichael spoke about that day.

"That was the longest day of my life," he said. "But it was also my proudest day."

Below is information about Elmer posted on the Crescent High School Alumni Association web page..

http://www.angelfire.com/ok2/tigers/elmer.html

In World War II, Elmer Carmichael enlisted and volunteered for amphibious duty. He took part in the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Salerno, Italy and in the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France. His ship was sunk, fortunately, he survived. Since his retirement, he has organized an annual reunion of their landing craft flotilla.
Elmer spent forty years as a county banker, goint to work at the Farmers and Merchants Bank in 1945 on the G.I. Bill of Rights, working his way up from bookkeeper to President. For twelve and a half years, he served as President of the First National Bank in Okeene. Elmer retired in 1985. Since then he has been involved in real estate.
Elmer has been an active member of the Christian Church for more than sixty years, a longtime elder and church leader.
His community service includeds twenty years on the Crescent Fire Department with two years as chief. He served ten years on the Crescent City Council, four of those as Mayor. He was a member of the Crescent Lions Club and the Okeene Kiwanis Club, holding various officed including President of both. For nine years, Elmer was a member of the Okeene Municipal Hospital Board. He is involved in politics on the local, state and national levels. Elmer served two terms as the President of the Crescent Alumni Association, including 1989, the Centennial Year.
Elmer's great pride in the service to one's country can be seen in his active role in the Crescent American Legion and his latest effort, the Wall of Memories Project at the Legion Hall.
During World War II, over twelve million persons served in the United States Armed Forces. In May of 1995 only six individuals were chosen from the ranks of those who served by the War Memorial 50th Commemoration Committee to represent each branch of the military at the V/E Ceremonies in England, Prague and Moscow. Elmer had the honor to be chosen as one of those six. He represented the Navy and met with dignitaries, including President and Mrs. Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Admiral and Mrs. Crowe, Ambassador to England. While in England, he attended V/E Cerremonies as the Saint Paul's Cathedral with the Royal Family and more than 50 heads of state. He took part in helping the Clintons lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Red Square with President Yelstin as host in Moscow, Russia.

A long life with quite a bit of it in service to others. Sounds like a very good man who has earned his rest.

Prayers sent for his family, and may he find peace.

I know that he would loan a couple of hundred dollars to a teenage high school kid to buy a rifle for deer hunting well over 30 years ago.
I know he's done some other things to help people he didn't have to.
And that includes my family.
He always came out and spoke to Old Bud when he came into the F&M Bank in Crescent.
When the F&M Bank had their 100th year birthday, they had all the Crescent centurions in and he personally gave each one of them a $100 bill.
He was a good man.

I'm interested in knowing who you men are. As you will see I use my real name here. I too live in Crescent. And yes Elmer was 90 years old.
Did any of you attend his funeral? I'm wondering if I seen any of you there.

I wanted to but was unable to get there Friday..

I knew Elmer through the American Legion. I'm a member and over the past several years I have been driving my truck in the Crescent parades for them....
I really enjoy it and I think they do too..  



Elmer getting ready for the parade...

Some more information I have come across.... This was his ship.....  
I had no idea these photos existed.....

http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/LCI_85.pdf

http://okgenweb.org/~oklogan/military/soldiers/eecarmichael.htm

More photos and information...

http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ok/topic/veterans/wars/ww11/photos/carmichael/carmichael.htm

http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ok/topic/veterans/wars/ww11/photos/port/ecarmichael.htm