The White County Historical Society had one of its biggest crowds at its Thursday night program to hear 99-year-old Andy Negra recount his time serving in the Army in WWII. Negra told about growing up, then going off to war at age 19, marrying the love of his life, raising three children, and then traveling back to Normandy, France, last year at age 98, where he landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day.
Accompanying him was Delta Airlines representative and French native Virginie Durr, who set in motion a plan for WWII veterans to be flown by Delta for a return where they liberated the French people.
“I wouldn’t be here today if the United States had not come over and saved my family from being destroyed by the German Army,” she said.
According to Negra, at his and many other veterans first return since wartime, the French people treated them as heroes.
“When we landed, there were crowds there cheering us on, waving American Flags, and a parade with people lining the streets. Individuals, from old to young, came to thank us for our service that kept their families from being killed and generations continuing,” Negra explained.
Andy became somewhat of a movie star when Delta featured him and other veterans in a video about their return to Normandy, shown on all Delta flights. One person attending the meeting, Jimmy Armour, said he was pleasantly surprised on a recent Delta trip to see Andy’s smiling face unexpectedly in the video.
Negra made historical society history by being the oldest speaker ever to present a program. As a special treat and surprise, Negra received an early 100th birthday cake with the crowd all singing happy birthday to him. Negra will celebrate his 100th birthday on April 28th and birthday plans include another trip back to Normandy this year.
The White County Historical Society presents programs on the first Thursday of each month beginning at 6 pm at the Courthouse Museum. The public is invited to attend.
