The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Purple Heart winner honored
Family remembers Lorain native on the 75th anniversary of his death while serving in WW II
It was 75 years ago when a Lorain native made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of American freedom.
Summer 2019 brought a round of commemoration 75 years after fighting in Europe in 1944.
And June 6 was the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings of American troops at Normandy; Aug. 25 was the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Paris.
There is another personal 75th anniversary for a family that has become part of Lorain’s history.
On Sept. 1, 1944, Lawrence D. “Larry” Campana was among thousands of American soldiers fighting to liberate France when a German bullet claimed his life.
Campana’s niece, Cindy Elkins, and nephew, Bob Campana, explained how in recent years, they were able to honor his memory.
“Of course, I never met my uncle,” said Elkins, the daughter of Larry Campana’s brother, Baldo Campana. “I’ve been thinking about him.
“When his anniversary was coming, I just felt we had to do something to recognize it. I just thought it would be a nice tribute to him.”
Going to war
Larry Campana was one of five Campana siblings who grew up in Lorain.
They were the sons and daughter of Maria Nicole and Tomasso Campana.
Larry Campana graduated from Lorain High School in 1942.
Baldo Campana was the first of the brothers to enlist, and Larry Campana, 20, followed him into the Army on May 10, 1943.
Their brother Pasquale, known as Patsie, would make a career as a Lorain inventor and industrialist.
But before then, Patsie Campana entered the Navy and became a diver in World War II.
Among the three brothers in the service, Larry Campana would not return to his hometown.
Boots on the ground
The D-Day invasion eventually led to the liberation of Paris, a cause for great celebration in the city, around France and across the free world, said Bob Campana, who is the son of Patsie Campana.
But when the Americans landed in June 1944, the war did not simply stop.
Late spring and summer of 1944 continued with intense fighting as Americans and their allies pushed into France against entrenched German troops.
Pvt. Larry Campana landed in France in mid-June, a week or two after D-Day. He fought with the 9th Infantry, 2nd Division, in the area southwest of Normandy.
Larry Campana made the ultimate sacrifice on Sept. 1, 1944. His final resting place is Brittany American Cemetery, a 28-acre parcel holding the remains of 4,405 war dead.
Paying respects
The American soldiers engaged in a bloody battle at Normandy.
Now, the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Collevillesur-Mer, France, is located on the site of the temporary
American St. Laurent Cemetery, according to the American Battle Monuments Commission.
It was established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944, as the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II.
The cemetery site has 172.5 acres and contains the graves of more than 9,380 military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations, according to the American Battle Monuments Commission.
Among the general public, it may be one of the best known memorial sites to American fallen fighters of World War II.
But it is far from the only one, Bob Campana said.
Brittany American Cemetery is maintained at the same level of decorum as Arlington National Cemetery, he said.
“It is absolutely the highest level of respect,” Bob Campana said.
Making a visit
Years ago, Maria Campana visited her son’s grave, as did Patsie Campana.
When his family visited Brittany American Cemetery in 2007, Bob Campana said he expected it to be much like searching for a marker at any other cemetery.
Instead, the family met a local worker who very much wanted to be of service to the family, Bob Campana said.
The field had rows of white marble crosses carved with the names and information about the fallen.
“We walk outside and you know, we’re in awe of the beauty of this place,” Bob Campana said.
Carrying a bucket of supplies and two small American flags, the worker escorted them to Larry Campana’s grave where he introduced the family to the marker.
“He did something just so amazing for us,” Bob Campana said. “He says, ‘may I introduce the sands of Normandy beach to this?’ Of course.”
The man used a sponge and water to clean the cross, Bob Campana said.
“Then he took a handful of sand out of the bucket and he rubbed it across the white letters because everything’s white marble,” he said. “And then he took a sponge with clean water and he cleaned it off.”
But the sand remained in the carved letters.
“So the sand of Normandy beach would highlight the name,” Bob Campana said.
The worker posted the flags at the cross and the family set down poppies they had picked from the side of the road.
The worker was able to sound a 21-gun salute and “Taps” from the cemetery bell tower.
The flags returned home with the Campanas so Bob Campana could give them to his uncle, Baldo Campana.
The sand of Normandy adhered to the white marble until it dried.
“And then as that sand dries, the wind blows and it just falls out,” Bob Campana said.