Army Staff Sgt. Ashley E. Camomilli selected to observe 65th Commemoration of D-Day

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Army Staff Sgt. Ashley E. Camomilli, a military police specialist, was involved with the recent 65th Commemoration of D-Day in Normandy, France. She was one of more than 1,000 service members from bases throughout Europe and the U.S. who helped support the week-long celebrations. (Photo by AF Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

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President Barack Obama shakes the hand of Ben Franklin as Prince Charles from Great Britain looks on during ceremonies commemorating the 65th Anniversary of D-Day. Franklin was one of the soldiers who stormed Omaha Beach during the early morning hours of June 6, 1944. (Photo by AF Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

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Christian Verdeaux, a French citizen dressed in a period American World War II dress uniform, kneels in front of the grave of an American soldier killed during the D-Day liberation of France on June 6, 1944. (Photo by AF Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

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After parachuting into the same area as their airborne counterparts on D-Day in June of 1944, U.S. airborne soldiers line up for a ceremony with officials from the town of St. Mere Eglise. (Photo by AF Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

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U.S. paratroopers from bases in Italy and the U.S. re-enact airborne operations that took place behind enemy lines during D-Day operations in Normandy, France. Thousands of spectators lined the fields near the village of St. Mere Eglise, the first town to be liberated by allied troops. (Photo by AF Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

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U.S. soldiers begin a 21-gun salute during ceremonies at the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach in Normandy, France. The celebration honored service members who fought during what has been described as one of the most decisive battles of World War II. (Photo by AF Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

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By Rich Lamance

Joint Hometown News release

NORMANDY, France – Senior leaders often call the daughter of a Fort Myers woman, and those who serve with her, a part of the next “greatest generation.” Army Staff Sgt. Ashley E. Camomilli, daughter of Laurie Wyngaard of Camera Drive, recently traveled to now silenced battlefields with names like Omaha and Utah Beaches to observe the 65th Commemoration of D-Day. They were there to honor those who were a part of that “greatest generation” who served in one of the bloodiest and most decisive battles in

world history.

Camomilli, a military police specialist, and more than 1,000 service members from posts and bases throughout Europe and the U.S., converged on the historic Normandy area to honor those who served, and in many cases made the ultimate sacrifice, on June 6, 1944. Week-long ceremonies took place

throughout the region in such historic places as St. Mere Eglise, Omaha and Utah Beaches and small villages in the area that were vital to the success of the allies push into Europe against Nazi Germany.

President Obama met with leaders from Great Britain, France and Canada at a special ceremony at the American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach. Celebrations at small towns throughout Normandy were capped by a parachute demonstration from airborne paratroopers representing many of the

units involved with the D-Day operations.

“My specific job in the D-Day ceremony was as a member of the Honor Cordon. I was honored to have the opportunity to pay respects to the soldiers who actually fought and died for freedom 65 years ago,” said Camomilli, a 2003 graduate of Cypress Lake High School. She later earned an associate degree in 2007 from the University of Phoenix.

For Camomilli, it was hard to imagine that the tranquil farming villages and pristine beaches were once the scene of carnage and destruction that took the lives of more than 4,000 Americans in just one day.

“The bunkers along the beach and at Pointe du Hoc made the greatest impact on me because as a soldier you realized how small your odds of survival on D-Day really were,” said Camomilli.

Today, the 360 miles of coastline that makes up Normandy is mostly lush farmland, bustling market towns and historic landmarks that commemorate important battles that took place more than six decades ago. The residents of the area have never forgotten the sacrifices of the Americans who fought

here and embrace today’s soldiers just as heartily as those who liberated them.

“Normandy is beautiful and peaceful now. It’s an absolutely surreal experience to look out on Omaha Beach. The food is different – a lot of seafood – but not like you’d find in the United States,” said Camomilli.

Camomilli is normally stationed in Heidelberg, Germany, with the 529th Military Police Company, where she works as a military police specialist.

She has served in the Army for five years and has had a deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.