Veteran revisits WWII sites
BUTLER TWP — It took Daniel Zarnick Sr. seven decades to return to the beaches of Normandy where he served during World War II.
But the 91-year-old township resident said he was happy he finally decided to go back.
“I got choked up more than once,” said Zarnick, who made a weeklong trip in September with two of his daughters, two granddaughters, and his son-in-law.
He talked about his military experience this past week just days before Veterans Day, which is Tuesday.
Zarnick was 19 years old when he reported to basic training in 1943. He was drafted by the U.S. Army, and when an opening for a stenographer position opened in the engineering section of the XII U.S. Army Corps, Zarnick took it.
“I wanted to go overseas,” Zarnick said. “We left Easter Sunday 1944 on the Queen Mary.”
Zarnick was one of more than 10,000 troops on the ship.
“We were sleeping in cots, six tiers high,” he said. “Most of us were sick for the first couple days.”
The ship arrived in Scotland after a week on the ocean. In July of that year, Zarnick landed in France during the Invasion of Normandy. He served under Gen. George Patton.
“My first day on the beach I dug my first foxhole as a recon plane flew over at night, checking on our position,” he said.
Zarnick said troops traveled every couple days until reaching Nancy, France, where they stayed more than a month.
The trip was not welcoming.
“We were subject to a German 280 mm railroad gun, which struck 50 yards from our headquarters,” he said.
When the Battle of the Bulge began in December, Zarnick was moved to Luxembourg for a couple months. The XII Corps eventually began to move through Germany until the end of the war.
Zarnick worked at Veterans Affairs hospitals in Butler and Pittsburgh for several years after serving in the war. He was married to Nelle Zarnick, who died last year.He has seven children and 18 grandchildren.Zarnick said his family planned their trip in September to reflect his time during the war.His family hired a personal tour guide, who has also led tours for former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, to develop a weeklong trip across France and into Luxembourg.“He knew everything,” Zarnick joked about his guide, a Belgian man named Geert van den Bogaert.Zarnick said he visited Omaha Beach the first day of the trip.Zarnick said one of the most memorable and emotional parts of the trip was the visit to the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial at the beach. The cemetery honors American troops who died in Europe during World War II“It was overwhelming, standing there,” he said.Kathy Grossman, one of Zarnick's daughters who joined him on the trip, said she too was in awe of the site.“I couldn't believe the number of troops buried there,” she said.Zarnick received a special surprise when the family made its way to Utah Beach.There he and another soldier were honored during a daily ceremony and each was made an honorary citizen of the beach.“I never considered myself a hero,” Zarnick said modestly.Grossman said her father didn't talk much about the war growing up.She said he was hesitant to return to Europe for the tour.“At first I couldn't make up my mind, but my family was so involved in it that I had to go,” Zarnick said. “I'm glad I went.”
Zarnick said he was happy to visit during the 70th anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy. He said the experience was a little more personal since he waited to visit a couple months after the ceremonies held in the country earlier this summer.“I would have melted in with the crowd,” he joked.His family made a 10-hour drive across France to Luxembourg, where they visited the headquarters of Patton.Zarnick said there he was given a card passed out to American Troops during Christmas 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge.Zarnick said American troops at the time were in need of fair weather, and that the card featured a prayer asking for it.“We were in dire need of air support, which was grounded due to bad weather,” Zarnick said. “We received it.”He said as the weather cleared, the skies became filled with American planes.“I think it may have been the turning point of the war,” he said.While the trip was about the war, Zarnick and his family also took in the tourist aspects of France.“The countryside was so beautiful,” Grossman said.Zarnick said his family took the opportunity to experience the country, attending Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral and dining at a famous cafe in Paris.“I didn't care much for the food,” he admitted. “I actually went to McDonalds for coffee.”Zarnick wasn't done being honored when his family departed for home.On a direct flight to Pittsburgh, the stewardess on the plane, who he later found out was from Cranberry Township, bought him a drink.Upon hearing a World War II veteran was on board, the captain of the flight also bought him a drink and offered to move him to first class.Zarnick declined the seat change, wishing to stay with his family.However, he said he enjoyed the complimentary bourbon and soda.Zarnick received a round of applause from the other passengers on the plane, and a “thank you” from the flight's entire crew when the plane landed.“It was a great end to a great trip,” Zarnick said.
