Trip to Normandy gives Olympic wrestler new perspective on what great-grandfather endured
COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — He paused to take a picture by the reflecting pool lined with well-groomed trees and walked past a flagpole flying an American flag high in the air.
At one of the first headstones he came to, a white marble cross about waist-high in the 11th row of Plot B at Normandy American Cemetery, Mason Parris stopped to study the name inscribed on its back.
Edwin C. Swinscoe
PFC 357 INF 90 DIV
Colorado June 21, 1944
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Parris perused the names on other headstones as he strolled somberly across the grass.
He snapped a photo of the gold lettering on the headstone of Theodore Roosevelt Jr., the Brigadier General and son of former president Teddy Roosevelt, who died fighting in World War II, then walked to the chapel, said a quiet prayer “and just thanked all those guys for the sacrifices.”
“It’s so beautiful out here right now,” Parris said later as he sat atop a wall high above Omaha Beach overlooking the English Channel. “But I can only imagine the terrors and everything that happened on that day.” … more at … https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2024/08/05/us-wrestler-mason-parris-normandy-olympics/74628810007/
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After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
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