NBC News' Brian Williams recounts the contributions of Walter Ehlers, the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the Omaha Beach invasion.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
>>> WALTER AILERS HAS DIED. HE HAD HAD RECEIVED THE MEDAL OF HONOR, AND UNTIL TODAY, THE LAST SURVIVING RECIPIENT FROM THE OMAHA BEACH INVASION, WALT GREW UP IN KANSAS, HE WAS SO YOUNG WHEN HE SIGNED UP TO GO FIGHT HE NEEDED HIS MOTHER'S PERMISSION. HE SAW A LOT OF ACTION IN WORLD WAR II, BUT HE STOOD OUT IN THE DAYS AFTER FRANCE AS A YOUNG MAN DURING D-DAY. AND DESPITE BEING WOUNDED SEVERAL TIMES HE TOOK OUT SEVERAL GERMAN CREWS, AND DREW ALL THE INCOMING FIRE UPON HIMSELF TO ALLOW HIS MEN TO WITHDRAW WITH THE WOUNDED. A MONTH LATER HE LEARNED HE HAD PASSED BY THE BODY OF HIS OLDER BROTHER, ROLLAND, WHO NEVER MADE IT OFF THE OMAHA BEACH.
