‘This tops everything’

It’s safe to say Reynolds Tomter has seen a lot in his life, but an experience just a couple of months after his 107th birthday bested them all.

Tomter, a lifelong Pigeon Falls resident, was among the 68 World War II veterans who attended the 80th anniversary of D-Day along the shores of Normandy on June 6.

“I’ve been lucky all my life. But you know what, this tops everything. There is no way it’s even close to anything,” Tomter said in an interview with the Times. “It’s a highlight, it’s beyond anything I thought could happen.”

Tomter served in the United States Marchant Marines during WWII. While he didn’t storm the beaches at Normandy, he still played a crucial role in working on a ship that delivered food and supplies to soldiers. Tomter was his ship’s chief baker and backup aerial gunner, he was sent on five missions overseas. For his service, Tomter was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in 2022. 

Tomter learned he would make the trip just before his 107th birthday last April. As the oldest living Merchant Marines veteran, American Airlines invited him to apply for the trip. American Airlines sponsored the program and flew the veterans from Dallas, Texas to Paris, France — handling all expenses.

Tomter didn’t think he would get selected but decided to apply after his son, Bud, offered to be his guardian. Still, Tomter said he was surprised he was chosen. 

Tomter was welcomed at Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport with a celebration, though he missed the party in Dallas because the flight was delayed by five hours due to storms. 

The Pigeon Falls native said he was the oldest person on the trip, in which the veterans had an average age of 101. The flight from Dallas was nine hours long, but he slept most of the way. Each veteran and accompanying guardian had a cubicle on the flight. Medics were checking on the veterans throughout the trip. American Airlines employees and cadets from each branch of the military were with the veterans throughout the experience. 

“The trip was so well planned,” Tomter said. “I’ve never been put on a pedestal so many times in my life.” 

Tomter said he was “shocked” when he was selected to lay the wreath during a ceremony at the American Cemetery in Paris. Of course, Bud, reminded his father how big of an honor that is.

“When they asked me if I could lay the wreath, Bud said ‘The world will see you,’” Tomter said. “I thought ‘Holy balls.’” 

Tomter was also put on the national stage with interviews that aired nationally on ABC and NBC.

There were numerous dignitaries from the United States and France. He met French First Lady Brigitte Macron as well as United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III. He spoke to Representative Nancy Pelosi twice and witnessed a speech by President Joe Biden in Normandy on D-Day. He also ran into a relative, meeting Anna Nereng — Blair resident Ken Nereng’s niece — who works for the American Battle Monuments Commission. 

“The whole world was there,” Tomter said. “Nothing but people all over, wherever we went, there were people. It was worldly.” 

Among the many highlights was a trip to Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the first town liberated by American paratroopers. The group of veterans rode in a parade through streets crowded with people from all over the world. “There wasn’t room for cars,” Tomter said. 

Tomter said the French citizens were “fabulous.”

“They were so excited and so determined to shake our hands and thank us,” Tomter said, adding that included grade school children who are taught about WWII in class. “They said ‘If it weren’t for Americans, we wouldn’t have our freedom yet.’ They wanted to be sure we brought those greetings back to America for us to spread the word about how they really appreciate what we did.” 

The trip wasn’t without a hiccup — but even when things didn’t go as planned it proved to be a positive experience. While driving through the narrow streets of a Paris residential area, one of the buses failed to negotiate a curve and blew a tire. 

“People came from all over the neighborhood asking us what they could do for us,” Tomter said. “They would do anything for us, they were so concerned.”

In addition to coming home with what he said was the experience of a lifetime and several articles of clothing, Tomter was awarded a blanket that covered the Merchants Marine monument at Normandy. 

Tomter considers the trip just another example of the luck he has had in his life. 

“I’m so lucky that I was well enough to make the trip,” he said.  

He credits his luck as the primary reason for living as long as he has. Though, he joked that he has been drinking black coffee for 105 years and built up his immune system by swimming in a creek near a cow pasture when he was young. 

Tomter said he has always had a positive attitude and has stayed active. He ran the Pigeon Falls General Store from 1939 to 1971. He was involved in getting the village incorporated and was a charter member of both the Pigeon Falls Lions Club and the fire department. 

He said that when he was around 101 or 102 years old, he decided he needed to continue to be active. He makes it a point to get downtown by 7:30 a.m. every day. 

“I’m making myself do that because I want to stay with the gang. I want to be with it. I don’t want to be left behind and left out,” Tomter said. “So, I get downtown to be with the guys. I think that has maybe helped me because it is so easy to just pull the covers up over your head and maybe lay there for half a day. But I make myself get up and get with it.”