The Most Well Connected Poorman in America: Jim Norene is D-Day Soldier: Norene Died Night Before 65th D-Day Anniversary

Saturday, June 6, 2009

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Jim Norene is D-Day Soldier: Norene Died Night Before 65th D-Day Anniversary

This is one of those "the rest of the story" stories and I'm not referring to the death of D-Day soldier, Jim Norene, but to another incident.

Jim Norene - D-Day Soldier

Jim Norene was a D-Day soldier in the 502nd Parachute Infantry, 101st Airborne. Last night, Mr. Norene visited the Normandy cemetery where his fellow soldiers lay buried. He went back to his hotel and quietly died in his sleep. Reports are that this veteran of the World War II D-Day invasion, was suffering from stage 4 cancer, and it seems that he told his family before leaving for France that he might not make it back home. At this time, the location of Mr. Norene's hometown has not been reported.
Here's the rest of the story: In a travelogue posted online, I found a post by an American man, Rustyd, who was in France for the 65th D-Day ceremony. He was staying in the same hotel with Mr. Norene. After learning of Mr. Norene's death, he and his busload attendees found that Mr. Norene also exhibited "flu like symptoms." The short story is that Rustyd's bus made it to the ceremony but were not allowed to get off the bus or even open a window because of their possible exposure to Swine Flu.
The bus had police escort. The only way to communicate with the police was by cell phone because the doors and windows could be opened. They sat on the bus for about thirty minutes before being returned to the hotel.
A second busload of those planning to attend the ceremony were quarantined before leaving the hotel.
Rustyd said this:

So now I sit at the hotel I left this morning only within a few hours of some of the most historic sites that I have wanted to see for the last 10 years of my life and I may not get the chance to see them.

In the end however, It was a minor inconvenience to know that Jim who wanted to return to Normandy had that opportunity to do so. And for that, the inconvenience was just that. A minor blip in a tour that has been and will be filled with joy and admiration from myself and many others on this trip of the men who jumped and served.

The photo above was taken by Rustyd "two days ago" when he visited the 502 Monument with Mr. Norene.

Posted by Maggie M. Thornton at 10:02 AM