Captain C. Monika Stoy, US Army (ret.)

President, Outpost Europe

Society of the 3^rd Infantry Division

6531 Milva Lane, Springfield, VA  22150 USA

15 July 2009

  I would like to invite you to join us at a memorial ceremony my outpost will be conducting on 5 August at 0900 at the Memorial Amphitheater in Arlington National Cemetery honoring the veterans of the United States Armed Forces who participated in Operation Dragoon in August 1944. 

We all watched the Normandy 65^th Anniversary activities on the news this June.  As always the ceremonies were first class and our veterans were well treated and honored.  Sadly, so very few Americans know of the 15 August 1944 landings in Southern France in which the 7th Army (3ID, 36th ID, 45th ID), with the 1st Allied Airborne Task Force (1^st ABTF), and the 1st Special Service Force, played major roles, with the superb support of the US Army Air Corps’ XIIth Tactical Air Command and the US Navy’s 8^th Fleet.  We are conducting our ceremony and further events that day to gain national media recognition for these veterans of this Forgotten D-Day. The schedule follows:

1.   4 August 2009 1830 to 2030 hours   Dress casual

      Historical Round table discussion with veterans and historians - for early arrivals

      Sheraton National Hotel, 900 S. Orme Street, VA 22204

2.    5 August 2009 0900 -1000 hours Dress - Military: Service Dress, Civilian: Business attire

       Commemorative Ceremony, Memorial Amphitheater, Arlington National Cemetery

       1015-1025 - Wreath Laying ceremony at the Tomb of Unknowns,

       1030 - Wreath Laying at the 3rd Infantry Monument

       1040 - Moment of silence at Audie Murphy graveside

       1050 – Movement to Fort Myer Officers Club

       1130 to 1300 hours Luncheon at Fort. Myer Officer's club

       1300 to 1500 hours - Historical Round table with veterans and historians

       1500 to 1530 - Closing Remarks

We are working hard to have as many veterans who landed and fought in Southern France in August 1944 in attendance as we can find.  We also want as many of their families and friends to join us as possible. These great veterans have gone unrecognized and we plan to correct that this year!  

At this time I already have received commitments from LTG (ret.) Richard Seitz, who as a LTC commanded a battalion of the 517^th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and LTG (ret.) David Grange who was a soldier in that battalion to participate on 5 Aug. From the 3ID Infantry Division I have MG (ret) Lloyd B. Ramsey, who landed at Cavalaire as a Battalion Commander in the 7th Infantry Regiment, MG (ret) Daniel Raymond who landed as B/10^th Engineers Commander, as well as other 3ID and airborne veterans of the fighting in Southern France. We will also be joined by Dr. Steve Sussna, who was helmsman of LST 1012 for the landings of the 36^th Infantry Division.  We have invited veterans of all the commands who participated in Dragoon. We also have four distinguished historians for our panel: Dr. Jeffrey Clark, Chief of Military History for the Army, Gerard Devlin, author of Paratrooper!, Dr. John McManus, author of numerous well received military history books, and Kevin Hymel who has published articles in numerous magazines and journals.

My telephone number is (703) 912 4218; email address is monikastoy@yahoo.com. We would be greatly honored were you to join us in making this a great day our veterans will long remember.                                                              

                                                               Rock of the Marne! 

                                                                        Monika Stoy