Ladies and Gentlemen:

Precisely 80 years ago at 8:10 PM the aircraft carrying the paratroopers of the 505^th Parachute Infantry Regiment set off from Tunisia.  Their mission was to block the roads leading to the landing sites here in Gela to protect the landing forces from attack on their beachheads.  One of those paratroopers was my father LTC Arthur F. Gorham.

It is a distinct honor for all of Art Gorham’s descendants to be in Sicily to celebrate his life, his heroism and the heroism of all of the brave soldiers on both sides of the conflict.

History was made by these brave paratroopers. It was the first nighttime mass parachute drop ever. It was the first true test of combined military operations by a military coalition. At
midnight these paratroopers jumped into Sicily totally unaware that scores of
German panzers were lurking just inland in the darkness. This was the beginning of Operation Husky.  The allied military operation to liberate Sicily.

Strong winds of up to 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) scattered aircraft widely off course,
and most of the paratroopers failed to reach their rallying points. Those few that did rallied vicinity Ponte Dirillo and in the ensuing days defeated several counterattacks lead by German panzers against the beachhead and thus insured the success of the landings. This small force lead by my father accomplished the Regimental mission and insured that the landings on the beaches near where we are tonight would be successful.

The First Infantry Division (the Big Red One), in which I served twice. Came ashore near where we are tonight and was to link up with the paratroopers as they went on to secure the area around Gela and begin Patton’s steady attacks north on the west side of Sicily, The liberation of Sicily had begun.

My father gave his life while leading his airborne soldiers against a determined
foe at the beginning of the effort to rid Italy and Europe of the scourge of Fascism’s two evil dictatorships.  He personally destroyed several German panzers attempting to reach the beaches.  For his bravery he was awarded two Distinguished Service Crosses.   The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest award for bravery that the United States military awards. 

From Sicily the allied forces who had liberated Sicily were to attack the Italian mainland and a year later came the Normandy invasion.  Normandy was possible because of the lessons learned liberating Sicily.

Today the nature of warfare has changed. It is unclear what constitutes victory in the current political climate in the eyes of the media. What is the taste of victory? We fight against foes who know no rules of war and who want to deny us and our allies our freedoms. Very pertinent to today is what Winston Churchill said in 1940 before the United States entered World War II “Victory at all cost. Victory in spite of all terror. Victory no matter how long and how hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival.”.

As we contemplate the sacrifices made 80 years ago let us insure that those warriors’
lives continue to be relevant in our search for freedom from the tyranny that others would impose on us. We as an international community must remember that for without victory there is no survival. Those brave men and women of 80 years ago understood this-do we?

Let me close by reassuring those who gave their lives for freedom that we understand their sacrifice by reciting The Absent Legions by – Edgar A. Guest

Somewhere, far away, ‘they heard us
When the word of Victory stirred us.
Safe within God’s Holy keeping,
Heard us cheer and saw us weeping;
Shared in all we did or said-
Freedom’s glorious, youngest dead.

Never doubt it, there was gladness
Where the dead are done with madness,
Hate and hurt, and need for dying.

As they saw our banners flying

On our day of joyous pride,

” ‘Twas for this,” said they,

“We died!”.What if tears our eyes had blinded.
As of them we were reminded?
Never doubt it. they were voicing
Somewhere. songs of great rejoicing;
Glad to look on earth and see

Safe our country. still. and free.