Comedian Bill Dana, creator of José Jimenéz, will be in Ocean City appearing as Grand Marshal of the Doo-Dah Parade at noon, Saturday April 18. But he also hopes to locate some old comrades in arms, if possible.
Dana was a 60 MM mortarman with the 263rd Infantry of the 66th “Black Panther” Division in the European Theater of Operations.
His life was fortuitously spared when crossing the English Channel on Christmas Eve 1944, on his way to the “Salient,” as it was then called. Today we know it better as the “Battle of the Bulge.”
Dana’s division was crossing the channel on board the SS Leopoldville and the SS Cheshire. Leopoldville was hit by a torpedo and sunk.
“I was on board the Cheshire,” Dana said sadly. “Leopoldville lost close to 1,000 men. Although they publish a lesser figure, I’d not be surprised if the loss wasn’t even greater, since they often kept the real facts hidden.
“It would be great to find that there was someone still on the planet from the 66th in Ocean City. But the odds are against it, since I was just above legal age then.”
Needless to say, everyone is invited to come to Ocean City and enjoy the uniqueness of their Doo-Dah Parade, but it would be especially pleasing if some of the county’s veterans showed up, and maybe, just maybe, some guys from the old 66th.
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