VALENCIA, Calif., Dec. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- To commemorate
the 75th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of
Normandy, luxury cruise line Cunard is partnering again with
The Greatest Generations Foundation to pay tribute to six heroes of
World War II onboard flagship Queen
Mary 2. Thematic onboard programming will allow guests to
hear first-hand accounts from WWII veterans as they share their
experiences of battle during the Transatlantic Crossing. To learn
more about the partnership between Cunard and TGGF, click here:
https://youtu.be/CjyHccGm7hw
Events will take place all over France and the
United States to mark this significant anniversary. This
historic Crossing will transport six D-Day Normandy veterans to
Europe, where they will
participate in many activities to celebrate this momentous
occasion. On the seven-night Crossing, departing New York on May 24,
2019 (M914), guests will have the opportunity to attend
lectures, Q&As and interact with several WWII veterans.
Cunard played a pivotal role in World War II: iconic liners
Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth were transformed into troopships
and together carried over 1.5 million servicemen across the
Atlantic. Winston Churchill credited
both Queens as helping to shorten the war by a year due to their
troop transport.
"Back by popular demand, Cunard is privileged to partner for the
third consecutive year with The Greatest Generations Foundation, to
host a select group of World War II veterans, several of whom
served in Normandy," said Josh
Leibowitz, SVP Cunard North America. "This special
Transatlantic Crossing presents an incredible opportunity for our
guests to meet and pay tribute to these heroes and their
significant contributions to WWII."
WWII veterans scheduled to be on board include two D-Day and
Normandy survivors: FRANK
DEVITA, was only 18 when he landed on the Normandy beach
code-named Omaha to begin the
unprecedented amphibious assault 75 years ago; and STEVEN MELNIKOFF, 99, who stormed the
beaches at Normandy with the 29th Infantry Division and earned
three Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts during World War II. Other
veterans include: SAMUEL LINDSAY
POPE, who served on with the 29th Infantry Division,
116th Infantry Regiment on Omaha Beach; JOSEPH REILLY, parachuted into Normandy with
the famed 101st Airborne Division, 501st Parachute Infantry
Regiment in the early hours of June 06,
1944; ROBERT
GOLDSTEIN, served with the United States Navy during
Operation Neptune and the Battle of the Atlantic; GREGORY J. MELIKIAN, as a 20yr. old Sergeant
working in SHAEF headquarters of Supreme Commander General
Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1944 and
1945, he not only witnessed the surrender of the high German
Authorities in Reims, France on
May 7, 1945, but was the radio
operator that broadcasted the message to all military forces in
Europe and the capital cities
throughout the world, announcing the German surrender in
Europe.
Q&A's and other discussions with the WWII veterans will
cover topics including:
- Normandy: Their Longest Day
- Normandy: An American Sailor's Firsthand Account of Omaha
Beach
- The Dead & Those About To Die: Airborne All The Way
- Beyond the Beachhead: Hill 108 (Purple Heart Hill)
- The Greatest Generation: Their World War II Triumphs
For more information about Cunard or to book a voyage,
contact your Travel Advisor, call Cunard at 1-800-728-6273 or visit
www.cunard.com.
For travel advisors interested in further information, please
contact your Business Development Manager, visit OneSource or call
Cunard toll free at 1-800-528-6273.
Cunard
Cunard is the operator of luxury cruise ships
Queen Mary 2®,
Queen Victoria® and
Queen Elizabeth®.
Renowned for impeccable White Star Service, gourmet dining and
world-class entertainment, all three Queens offer luxury
accommodations in Britannia, Britannia Club, Princess Grill Suite and Queens Grill Suite
staterooms. Cunard is the only line to offer regularly scheduled
Transatlantic service between New
York and London, and it
continues to celebrate the freedom of travel on exciting World
Voyage and Grand Voyage itineraries that visit Europe, North
America, South America,
Africa, Asia and Australia.
Awarded '#1 Mega-Ship Ocean Cruise
Line' by Travel + Leisure's 2018, 2017 and 2016
World's Best Awards and 'Best Service,' 'Best Onboard Enrichment'
and 'Best World Cruise' by Porthole Cruise Magazine's 2018
Readers Choice Awards, Cunard is a proud member of World's Leading
Cruise Lines, a part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE:
CCL; NYSE: CUK), the largest cruise vacation company in the world.
Together Cunard, Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line,
Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, P&O
Cruises (Australia) and P&O
Cruises (UK) operate 102 ships visiting over 700 ports around the
world and totaling 226,000 lower berths.
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Media Assets
Cunard photography is available online at
www.cunard.com/images.
Email: press@cunard.com
Password: Cunard1
For additional information about Cunard,
contact:
Jackie Chase,
Cunard, 661-753-1035, jchase@cunard.com
Maria Andriano, MGA Media Group,
212-251-1015, maria@mgamediagroup.com
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SOURCE Cunard