We (Walk Among Heroes) are proud to welcome Dale Nelsen as our guest for episode 9.  Mr. Nelsen served with the United States Navy during World War II, as part of LST (Landing Ship Tank) 72 and 347.  Mr. Nelsen and his crew traveled over the world, often sailing between European and Pacific theaters, as needed for various operations.  On D-Day, June 6, 1944, Mr. Nelsen and his LST were part of the first wave into Omaha Beach.  After the initial drop, they conducted more than twenty landings over the next several days to continue the flow of troops, weapons, and equipment into the beachhead.  As part of the invasion, Mr. Nelsen saw first-hand the Rangers scaling the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc.  Mr. Nelsen looked into the soldiers’ eyes as they prepared to land on the beach, a very unique perspective on the D-Day invasion.   

Mr. Nelsen continued to serve a long career in the Navy.  He experienced combat for the first time in North Africa, followed by a brutal landing in Sicily, as his LST landed with the first wave into the teeth of German fire.  He participated in many different operations during World War II, including all of the major amphibious landings in Europe.  The LST, an incredibly unique vessel, is no longer in use today, but it was one of the keys to our success during World War II as the Allies conducted amphibious landings in both theaters.  

In recent years, Mr. Nelsen has continued to organize reunions for his fellow World War II Veterans, going above and beyond to stay in touch with his men.  A truly magnificent man, we are honored to hear his story, and we’re honored to share it with you.

www.walkamongheroes.org

If you have any feedback or questions, do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]

 A special ‘thank you’ to sound engineer Shreyas Ganesh for volunteering his time to help share these incredible stories.