With Teary Eyes, Sam Elliott Recounts WWII Survivor's Account Of D-Day

May 28, 2020 by apost team

PBS puts on the famed National Memorial Day Concert live from Washington D.C. every year to commemorate the men and women who fought in military combat.

2019 marked the 30th year of this tradition, which happened to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.

The solemn and respectful occasion is known for its musical performances; past artists who have joined were Gloria Estefan, The Beach Boys, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, and more. But the standout performance of this year’s concert was not a song, it was Sam Elliott’s moving account of a D-Day medic survivor.

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Elliott is an acclaimed actor featured in memorable movies like “Mask” and “Tombstone,” and most recently for his Academy Award-nominated turn in “A Star Is Born.” The 74-year-old has had a long career which also encompassed military roles such as Brigadier General John Buford in 1993’s “Gettysburg,” and Sergeant Major Basil L. Plumley in “We Were Soldiers.”

His experience in embodying military figures through acting, his signature deep, gravelly voice, and down-to-earth manner made him the ideal actor to recount Sergeant Ray Lambert’s harrowing narrative of what happened that fateful day.

Lambert was the lead medic on Omaha Beach and had to push through a lot of pain to help other people. That is the true definition of a hero.

Sam Elliott’s emotional account of Sergeant Lambert’s narrative encompassed the landing on the beach and the terrifying scene that laid out before the soldiers: Bullets flying, bombs going off, and “total confusion.”

The fearless soldier’s assignment was to treat the casualties and he did so with heroic courage, even when a bullet hit his right arm and a boat ramp broke his back in two places.

At one point, Sergeant Lambert pleaded with God to let him continue on, and the next thing he knew he was rescued by a boat. He was okay. Then what happened next could have been from one of Elliott’s movies: His brother Bill was placed on a stretcher next to his.

The two brothers survived the war, and Bill lived to be 92 years old. Sergeant Lambert (98), was present at the emotional monologue and Elliott was able to thank him face-to-face. With eyes full of tears, he told him “It’s such an honor to tell your story, God bless you.”

Watch Sam Elliott tell Sergeant Ray Lambert’s story in the video below:

Now that you’ve seen the incredible bravery shown in a soldier’s story, it’s time to pass this on to others who could use a moment of remembrance for military personnel.