TRENTON, N.J. (PIX11) -- When he walked up to the New Jersey World War II Memorial, the very first thing Mel Russen, Jr. saw was a plaque for the New Jersey's 102nd Cavalry - the group that his father was part of on a defining mission 80 years ago.
"He was the second wave at Normandy," said Russen.
An Army veteran himself, Russen keeps his father's stories in his heart. "Those soldiers, men and women, all branches of service, did that without thought of whether they'll come home alive," he said.
The men and women who gave their lives in the invasion of Normandy were remembered Thursday during a ceremony in Trenton. The Memorial, which sits in the shadow of the State House, was built in 2008 as a tribute to the greatest generation.
"It's a great honor to be here," said World War II veteran Frank Vadola.
Some of New Jersey's World War II veterans came to pay respects to their fallen brothers and sisters, including Leroy Mitchell, who's turning 101 this month.
"Today means an awful lot to me, and the few of us that's still living," said Mitchell.
To make sure their legacy was never forgotten, Russen's father's 102nd Cavalry brought back sand from Omaha Beach, forever encased in memory of all who ran across it that day.
"There was a great quote yesterday I heard from Normandy," said Russen. "'The sands here on the beaches in New Jersey and along the coastline are free because our soldiers freed those sands for us on the sands of Normandy.' What a great way to phrase what they did."
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