President’s Great-Uncle Charlie to Join in D-Day Anniversary
EmailPresident Obama's great uncle Charlie Payne, who helped liberate a German concentration camp in 1945, will travel to Normandy to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the D-Day invasion this Saturday, a White House official tells ABC News.
Payne, the younger brother of the president's late grandmother Madelyn Dunham, served as a private first class in the Army's 89th Infantry Division.
The president's great uncle said that he was hesitant to visit Buchenwald, as his great nephew will be doing on Friday. His division helped liberate Ohrdruf, a satellite of Buchenwald.
Instead, Payne will visit Normandy with a delegation headed by the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Gen. Eric Shinseki (ret.)
"I'm not sure that I want to go through" a visit to Buchenwald, he told the Chicago Tribune's John McCormick. "This is an anniversary of a heroic event, and I think this can be enjoyable. I don't think visiting a concentration camp can ever be enjoyable."
- jpt
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Obama is liken to a “Barbie doll,” he’s got an outfit for every occasion..All about marketing a product, agenda, people. Nothing more….
Posted by: Parallax View | June 3, 2009, 12:21 pm 12:21 pm
That was quick, to get him invited after his Speigel interview. Politically smart, too.
Posted by: MayBee | June 3, 2009, 12:32 pm 12:32 pm
Jake Tapper is both Senior White House Correspondent and Pop Culture Correspondent ?
What a sad state of affair at ABC News.
Posted by: bondy21 | June 4, 2009, 8:20 am 8:20 am