Normandy, France was the setting for the 75th anniversary celebration of D-Day, to commemorate the allied invasion of German occupied Western Europe in World War II.  The largest amphibious invasion in modern history, codenamed Operation Overlord, was in the planning stages for more than a year. More than 5000 naval vessels and 160,000+ soldiers crossed the English channel to land on the beaches of Normandy. Following a day of horrendous bloodshed and tens of thousands of casualties, the allies gained a foothold that would lead to more than 2 million Allied troops occupying France by the end of August 1944.

In 2019 I was fortunate to join a tour group traveling to England and then crossing the English channel arriving in France to study the plans, maps, history and visit important locations associated with Operation Overlord.  It can be said I was following in my father’s footsteps.  T3 Sergeant Burton ”Bud” Hartman was a member of the U.S. Army 162nd Photo Signal Corp. and assigned to photograph the landings and document the Normandy invasion. A few years ago I had uncovered 100+ original negatives (unseen by the public), 300+ letters written home to his wife, (my future mother) and military documents all which serve to tell the story of Bud Hartman’s unique experiences as a war combat photographer.

My intent is to shed light on his story in whatever ways I can. The history of our great country and the sacrifices made by so many to protect and preserve our democracy and freedom must never be forgotten.