World War II veterans honored for D-Day

NEWTOWN SQUARE » On June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline, to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. More than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day’s end, the Allies gained a foothold in continental Europe. The cost in lives on D-Day was high. More than 9,000 Allied soldiers were killed or wounded.

Harry Harootunian of Bryn Mawr remembers D-Day well. He was at the Delaware County Veterans Memorial to honor his brother, John Bogosian who served in the Navy during World War ll and the Korean War. Harootunian served too. He joined the Navy when he was 17 years old. He was on two destroyers: the Alexander A J. Luke DE 577 and the USS Endicott DD 495.

“No one ever writes about how many drowned because they couldn’t swim or the heavy equipment they had to carry,“said Harootunian.

Harootunian felt it was a nice tribute to everyone and his brother John, who he feels so deserved to be recognized. Bogosian served in the Navy during World War II and the Korean War as an aviation photographer. When he came home, he opened the Camera Shop, Inc.

His daughters, Karen and Joanne and son Paul along with his wife Marjorie were there for the event.

“It was beautiful; Barbara Zippi and Guy Fizzano do a phenomenal job for the veterans keeping their memories alive,“said Karen Bogosian.

At the flag ceremony, four World War II veterans were honored: one an NFL player for the New York Giants, Emlen Tunnell of Radnor; Joseph E. Shanahan of Norwood; Howard Watson Sr. of Wallingford; and John S. Bogosian of Broomall.

Howard Watson Sr. served in the Pacific Theater during World War II.

Tunnell was the first African-American to play for the New York Giants and he was the first to be inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1967.

He suffered a neck injury that was so severe the Army and Navy both rejected his attempts to enlist during World War II. He was eventually accepted by the Coast Guard, and spent two years in service there before returning to play football at college.

Radnor Commissioner Philip M. Ahr talked about his life, and even though they never met, Tunnell was from the same section of Radnor. He read passages from a book written by Tunnell and William Gleason called “Footsteps of a Giant.”

Joseph Shanahan talked about his father and the long history of service his family has from World War I thorough Desert Storm. His father served in the Navy and was killed in action during World War II. His name is inscribed on the Delaware County Memorial Wall.

“It’s just wonderful today, to keep his memory alive. We never expected all this,“said his sister Dorothy Bierman.

ANNE NEBORAK – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Dorothy Bierman of Norwood and Sister Catherine Shanahan of Glenolden receive a flag from Benjamin Sides of the Smedley Butler Marine Corps League. The flag is for their brother, Joseph Shanahan.

ANNE NEBORAK – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Standing with a flag for Emlen Tunnell, who served in the Coast Guard during World War II and was and New York Giant and NFL Hall of Famer, is Howard Starks. Tunnell was from Radnor.

ANNE NEBORAK – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA People gathered during the D-Day flag raising to commemorate those who served in World War II.

ANNE NEBORAK – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Joseph Shanahan talks about his father, a World War II Navy veteran, during the ceremony.

ANNE NEBORAK – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Joanne Bogosian-IKelei of Berwyn and Paul Bogosian raise the flag for their father, John Bogosian, who served in the Navy during World War II and the Korean War as an aviation photographer.

ANNE NEBORAK – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Holding onto her husband John Bogosian’s flag is Marjorie Bogosian.