Jim Gaff is a lucky man.
During World War II, Gaff served as a boat coxswain in the U.S. Navy, carting soldiers, munitions and cigarettes between England and France.
On D-Day, when Gaff was 18, he was stationed off Utah Beach, one of the five code-named Normandy beaches that served as the site for Allied forces to enter France and fight the Nazis.
The D-Day operation — marked Friday by its 64th anniversary — was believed to be the largest invasion in human history, and Gaff was in the thick of it.
“We were just fortunate that we didn’t hit a mine,” said Gaff, who now lives in Jacksonville, Fla. “It was probably a matter of luck.”
For all the sacrifices Gaff and other members of the Navy made 64 years ago today during the D-Day invasion, they still have not yet been officially recognized.
That’s about to change.
This September, the Naval Order of the United States, www.normandymonument.org, unveils a statue commemorating the Navy’s effort in the invasion, retired Capt. Gregory Streeter said.
Organizers had hoped to complete the statue to have a ceremony on this anniversary. “Because of delays of getting funds, we couldn’t make it this year,” Streeter said.
They considered delaying a dedication ceremony until next year’s anniversary but decided to forge ahead for the sake of the fast-falling World War II generation.
“Since the veterans are passing from us at such a high rate, we wanted to get it done as soon as possible,” Streeter said. The $500,000 monument’s dedication will take place Sept. 27 at Utah Beach.
The Navy played an essential role in D-Day. Sailors provided cover, directed landings on Normandy and helped transport massive equipment so Allied forces could begin a pushback against the Nazi forces, Streeter said.
Overall, 3,500 Naval landing craft took part in D-Day, Streeter said.
To honor the service’s D-Day efforts, Fair Hope, Ala.-based sculptor Stephen Spears designed the statue. It shows three men that symbolize different aspects of the operation — planning, implementation and aftermath.
Gaff, now 82, plans to attend the ceremony and serves as honorary chairman of the monument project.
“It’s been a long time — 64 years,” Gaff said. “It’s very stirring, touching.”
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