Couple die nearly a week later
3 Americans in 5 days
All 3 checked in on same day
https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/05/us/dominican-republic-hotel-pennyslvania-woman-dies/index.html
2019-06-05 14:40:48Z
52780308433339
CNN's Rebekah Riess, Andrea Diaz and Rosa Flores contributed to this report.
Kim Hjelmgaard USA TODAY
Published 10:08 AM EDT Jun 5, 2019
PORTSMOUTH, England – On the final leg of his three-day state visit to Britain, President Donald Trump joined Queen Elizabeth II and leaders from around the world in paying respects to Allied service members who 75 years ago took part in the D-Day landings that helped liberate Europe from Nazi Germany's military occupation.
The Normandy landings on June 6, 1944, were the largest land, air and sea invasion in history and Portsmouth Naval Base, near where the commemorations took place Wednesday, served as a key launch pad for those forces.
In an address, the queen said that "75 years ago, hundreds of thousands of young soldiers, sailors and airmen left these shores in the cause of freedom. In a broadcast to the nation at that time, my father, King George VI, said: 'What is demanded from us all is something more than courage and endurance; we need a revival of spirit, a new unconquerable resolve.' That is exactly what those brave men brought to the battle, as the fate of the world depended on their success."
Earlier, in a special message to mark the occasion, the queen said: "At this time of reflection for veterans of the conflict and their families, I am sure that these commemorations will provide an opportunity to honor those who made extraordinary sacrifices to secure freedom in Europe. They must never be forgotten."
In addition to Trump, the queen and Prime Minister Theresa May hosted 14 other leaders in Portsmouth, including France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Angela Merkel and Canada's Justin Trudeau. Prince Charles attended with representatives from every country that participated in the storming of the beaches along France's northwestern coast in a surprise attack involving 5,000 ships, 11,000 airplanes and 150,000 soldiers. More than 4,000 Allied service members – more than half of them American – died in the assault credited with changing the course of the war.
The event featured a number of British and American veterans of the invasion. Their chests bore ribbons and medals and a few of them clutched canes. The story of the build-up to the battle was told through live music, performances and readings.
"We must never forget," said D-Day veteran John Jenkins, 99, addressing a crowd of more than a thousand seated in folding chairs before an amphitheater-type stage. About 300 World War II veterans attended the ceremony on England's south coast.
Trump read a prayer that President Franklin Roosevelt delivered in a radio address on June 6, 1944, as U.S. and allied forces were crossing the English Channel to land on the beaches of Normandy, France. "Almighty God, our sons, pride of our nation, this day, have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our republic, our religion and our civilization and to set free a suffering humanity," Trump read.
World War II D-Day: 5 to know on the 75th anniversary of Normandy landings
Several hours before the event, Trump launched into a Wednesday morning tweet storm, criticizing the "Corrupt Media," praising his "warm" treatment by Britain's royal family and offering condolences to Israel President Reuven Rivlin on the death of his wife Nechama Rivlin. He also unleashed attacks on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, former Vice President Joe Biden and even actress and singer Bette Midler.
In a news conference on Tuesday with May, Trump said he was grateful for the warm welcome he has received from the royal family and the prime minister during his visit to Britain. "The bonds of friendship forged here and sealed in blood on those hallowed beaches will endure forever," Trump said at the news conference.
He said the D-Day landings "may have been the greatest battle ever in history."
Colin King, 73, who served in the British Navy and was manning a pop-up booth in Portsmouth for the Royal Navy Association, a support group for ex-service members, said Trump "had done quite well" on his trip to Britain and as far as he was concerned the "special relationship" between the U.S. and Britain had "never been better."
"I haven't seen too many people complaining about his tweets," he said.
Before and after: Photos reveal dramatic changes since D-Day
Ahead of the commemorations, the countries taking part issued a joint statement pledging to make sure the "unimaginable horror" of World War II did not happen again.
Later Wednesday, Trump will make his first visit as president to Ireland, where he will hold meetings with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar at Shannon Airport, before spending the night at the Trump golf club in Doonbeg. He will then travel to France for further D-Day commemorations focused on honoring Americans killed in the fighting.
75th D-Day anniversary: The Pieper twins are finally together in Normandy
Prior to the ceremonies Trump also took part in a broadcast interview with "Good Morning Britain," telling host Piers Morgan that he meant no harm when he used the term "nasty" in discussing the American-born Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. The phrase generated a lot of media coverage and Trump sought to clarify that he was speaking specifically on her comments about him, not about her.
"She was nasty to me. And that’s okay for her to be nasty, it’s not good for me to be nasty to her and I wasn’t," Trump said in the interview, which he also used to play down an earlier comment that any trade deal between the U.S. and Britain after the latter leaves the European Union could involve Britain's National Health Service, a prospect that has alarmed many Britons and politicians.
In the interview, Trump was also asked about avoiding serving in the Vietnam War.
"Well I was never a fan of that war I’ll be honest with you," he said. "I thought it was a terrible war, I thought it was very far away, nobody ever… you know you’re talking about Vietnam and at that time, nobody had ever heard of the country."
Back in Portsmouth, Laurence Wood, 76, who fought for the British army in Borneo in a conflict against Indonesia in the 1960s, was sitting down on a patch of grass taking it all in. Wood said his mother was a "British GI bride" – in other words, his father was an American soldier stationed in Britain during World War II, part of what historians sometimes refer to as the "friendly invasion" of Britain during the Nazi era.
After the war, Wood lived with his parents in New York City, but they separated, he moved back to Britain with his mother, and last saw his dad when he was four-years-old. He has lost all touch with his American side of the family, he said.
He also said Trump's visit had caused him to change his mind about the president.
"Until he came here, I never liked him," he said. "But he's behaved himself in front of our queen and the royal family and I have appreciated that."
Kim Hjelmgaard USA TODAY
Published 9:35 AM EDT Jun 5, 2019
PORTSMOUTH, England – On the final leg of his three-day state visit to Britain, President Donald Trump joined Queen Elizabeth II and leaders from around the world in paying respects to Allied service members who 75 years ago took part in the D-Day landings that helped liberate Europe from Nazi Germany's military occupation.
The Normandy landings on June 6, 1944, were the largest land, air and sea invasion in history and Portsmouth Naval Base, near where the commemorations took place Wednesday, served as a key launch pad for those forces.
In an address, the queen said that "75 years ago, hundreds of thousands of young soldiers, sailors and airmen left these shores in the cause of freedom. In a broadcast to the nation at that time, my father, King George VI, said: 'What is demanded from us all is something more than courage and endurance; we need a revival of spirit, a new unconquerable resolve.' That is exactly what those brave men brought to the battle, as the fate of the world depended on their success."
Earlier, in a special message to mark the occasion, the queen said: "At this time of reflection for veterans of the conflict and their families, I am sure that these commemorations will provide an opportunity to honor those who made extraordinary sacrifices to secure freedom in Europe. They must never be forgotten."
In addition to Trump, the queen and Prime Minister Theresa May hosted 14 other leaders in Portsmouth, including France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Angela Merkel and Canada's Justin Trudeau. Prince Charles attended with representatives from every country that participated in the storming of the beaches along France's northwestern coast in a surprise attack involving 5,000 ships, 11,000 airplanes and 150,000 soldiers. More than 4,000 Allied service members – more than half of them American – died in the assault credited with changing the course of the war.
The event featured a number of British and American veterans of the invasion. Their chests bore ribbons and medals and a few of them clutched canes. The story of the build-up to the battle was told through live music, performances and readings.
"We must never forget," said D-Day veteran John Jenkins, 99, addressing a crowd of more than a thousand seated in folding chairs before an amphitheater-type stage. About 300 World War II veterans attended the ceremony on England's south coast.
Trump read a prayer that President Franklin Roosevelt delivered in a radio address on June 6, 1944, as U.S. and allied forces were crossing the English Channel to land on the beaches of Normandy, France. "Almighty God, our sons, pride of our nation, this day, have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our republic, our religion and our civilization and to set free a suffering humanity," Trump read.
World War II D-Day: 5 to know on the 75th anniversary of Normandy landings
Several hours before the event, Trump launched into a Wednesday morning tweet storm, criticizing the "Corrupt Media," praising his "warm" treatment by Britain's royal family and offering condolences to Israel President Reuven Rivlin on the death of his wife Nechama Rivlin. He also unleashed attacks on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, former Vice President Joe Biden and even actress and singer Bette Midler.
In a news conference on Tuesday with May, Trump said he was grateful for the warm welcome he has received from the royal family and the prime minister during his visit to Britain. "The bonds of friendship forged here and sealed in blood on those hallowed beaches will endure forever," Trump said at the news conference.
He said the D-Day landings "may have been the greatest battle ever in history."
Colin King, 73, who served in the British Navy and was manning a pop-up booth in Portsmouth for the Royal Navy Association, a support group for ex-service members, said Trump "had done quite well" on his trip to Britain and as far as he was concerned the "special relationship" between the U.S. and Britain had "never been better."
"I haven't seen too many people complaining about his tweets," he said.
Before and after: Photos reveal dramatic changes since D-Day
Ahead of the commemorations, the countries taking part issued a joint statement pledging to make sure the "unimaginable horror" of World War II did not happen again.
Later Wednesday, Trump will make his first visit as president to Ireland, where he will hold meetings with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar at Shannon Airport, before spending the night at the Trump golf club in Doonbeg. He will then travel to France for further D-Day commemorations focused on honoring Americans killed in the fighting.
75th D-Day anniversary: The Pieper twins are finally together in Normandy
Prior to the ceremonies Trump also took part in a broadcast interview with "Good Morning Britain," telling host Piers Morgan that he meant no harm when he used the term "nasty" in discussing the American-born Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. The phrase generated a lot of media coverage and Trump sought to clarify that he was speaking specifically on her comments about him, not about her.
"She was nasty to me. And that’s okay for her to be nasty, it’s not good for me to be nasty to her and I wasn’t," Trump said in the interview, which he also used to play down an earlier comment that any trade deal between the U.S. and Britain after the latter leaves the European Union could involve Britain's National Health Service, a prospect that has alarmed many Britons and politicians.
Back in Portsmouth, Laurence Wood, 76, who fought for the British army in Borneo in a conflict against Indonesia in the 1960s, was sitting down on a patch of grass taking it all in. Wood said that his mother was a "British GI bride" – in other words, his father was an American soldier stationed in Britain during World War II, part of what historians sometimes refer to as the "friendly invasion" of Britain during the Nazi era.
After the war, Wood lived with his parents in New York City, but they separated, he moved back to Britain with his mother, and last saw his dad when he was four-years-old. He has lost all touch with his American side of the family, he said.
He also said Trump's visit had caused him to change his mind about the president.
"Until he came here, I never liked him," he said. "One of things I had against him was that he escaped the draft (Trump avoided fighting in Vietnam). But he's behaved himself in front of our queen and the royal family and I have appreciated that."
Kim Hjelmgaard USA TODAY
Published 8:49 AM EDT Jun 5, 2019
PORTSMOUTH, England – On the final leg of his three-day state visit to Britain, President Donald Trump joined Queen Elizabeth II and leaders from around the world in paying respects to Allied service members who 75 years ago took part in the D-Day landings that helped liberate Europe from Nazi Germany's military occupation.
The Normandy landings on June 6, 1944, were the largest land, air and sea invasion in history and Portsmouth Naval Base, near where the commemorations took place Wednesday, served as a key launch pad for those forces.
In an address, the queen said that "75 years ago, hundreds of thousands of young soldiers, sailors and airmen left these shores in the cause of freedom. In a broadcast to the nation at that time, my father, King George VI, said: 'What is demanded from us all is something more than courage and endurance; we need a revival of spirit, a new unconquerable resolve.' That is exactly what those brave men brought to the battle, as the fate of the world depended on their success."
Earlier, in a special message to mark the occasion, the queen said: "At this time of reflection for veterans of the conflict and their families, I am sure that these commemorations will provide an opportunity to honor those who made extraordinary sacrifices to secure freedom in Europe. They must never be forgotten."
In addition to Trump, the queen and Prime Minister Theresa May hosted 14 other leaders in Portsmouth, including France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Angela Merkel and Canada's Justin Trudeau. Prince Charles attended with representatives from every country that participated in the storming of the beaches along France's northwestern coast in a surprise attack involving 5,000 ships, 11,000 airplanes and 150,000 soldiers. More than 4,000 Allied service members – more than half of them American – died in the assault credited with changing the course of the war.
The event featured a number of British and American veterans of the invasion. Their chests carried ribbons and medals and few of them clutched canes. The story of the build-up to the battle was told through live music, performances and readings.
"We must never forget," said D-Day veteran John Jenkins, 99, addressing a crowd of more than a thousand seated in folding chairs before an amphitheater-type stage.
Trump read a prayer that President Franklin Roosevelt delivered in a radio address on June 6, 1944, as U.S. and allied forces were crossing the English Channel to land on the beaches of Normandy, France. "Almighty God, our sons, pride of our nation, this day, have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our republic, our religion and our civilization and to set free a suffering humanity," Trump read.
World War II D-Day: 5 to know on the 75th anniversary of Normandy landings
Several hours before the event, Trump launched into a Wednesday morning tweet storm, criticizing the "Corrupt Media," praising his "warm" treatment by Britain's royal family and offering condolences to Israel's president on the death of his wife. He also unleashed attacks on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, former Vice President Joe Biden and even actress and singer Bette Midler.
In a news conference on Tuesday with May, Trump said he was grateful for the warm welcome he has received from the royal family and the prime minister during his visit to Britain. "The bonds of friendship forged here and sealed in blood on those hallowed beaches will endure forever," Trump said at the news conference.
He said the D-Day landings "may have been the greatest battle ever in history."
Colin King, 73, who served in the British Navy and was manning a pop-up booth in Portsmouth for the Royal Navy Association, a support group for ex-service members, said Trump "had done quite well" on his trip to Britain and as far as he was concerned the "special relationship" between the U.S. and Britain had "never been better."
"I haven't seen too many people complaining about his tweets," he said.
Before and after: Photos reveal dramatic changes since D-Day
Ahead of the commemorations, the countries taking part issued a joint statement pledging to make sure the "unimaginable horror" of World War II did not happen again.
Later Wednesday, Trump will make his first visit as president to Ireland, where he will hold meetings with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar at Shannon Airport, before spending the night at the Trump golf club in Doonbeg. He will then travel to France for further D-Day commemorations focused on honoring Americans killed in the fighting.
75th D-Day anniversary: The Pieper twins are finally together in Normandy
Prior to the ceremonies Trump also took part in a broadcast interview with "Good Morning Britain," telling host Piers Morgan that he meant no harm when he used the term "nasty" in discussing the American-born Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. The phrase generated a lot of media coverage and Trump sought to clarify that he was speaking specifically on her comments about him, not about her.
"She was nasty to me. And that’s okay for her to be nasty, it’s not good for me to be nasty to her and I wasn’t," Trump said in the interview, which he also used to play down an earlier comment that any trade deal between the U.S. and Britain after the latter leaves the European Union could involve Britain's National Health Service, a prospect that has alarmed many Britons and politicians.
A wedding ring and a photograph are all Leon Lomax has left to remember his mother by, a woman he has longed to know his whole life.
Leon's white British mother met his African-American GI father during World War II, when he was stationed at RAF Birch, an airbase in Essex, southeast England.
When Leon was born in December 1945, his mother, who was unmarried, left him in a children's home. He has a "distant memory" of what he thinks was the last time he saw her -- and remembers "standing in the corner of a crib and crying real hard."
Leon, now 73, is still haunted by the choice his mother made. For decades, he has wondered: Did she want to give him up, or was she forced to?
"I just want to know what conditions she was under," he tells CNN, from his home in Ohio. "I always thought about trying to find her."
He's not alone. Historian Lucy Bland estimates that around 2,000 mixed-race children were born in the UK to British women and African-American servicemen between 1943 and 1946.
The US Army refused permission for black GIs to marry their pregnant white girlfriends and so the babies they gave birth to were branded "illegitimate."
US President Donald Trump told ITV's "Good Morning Britain" in an interview aired Wednesday that he spoke with Prince Harry during his visit to Buckingham Palace on Monday, but not about his comments on Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Harry stayed across the room from Trump during the part of that visit that was open to the press.
“We didn’t talk about it ... I was going to because it was so falsely put out there," Trump said. And when you see that transcript and you see, it’s the exact opposite of what they said. Did you look at the transcript?”
When asked last week about Meghan's comments in 2016 – before she was a royal -- that she would move to Canada if Trump was elected, the President told British tabloid The Sun, "I didn't know that she was nasty. I hope she is OK."
The US President also defended his comments about the Duchess.
Asked by ITV whether he thought Meghan is nasty, Trump said: “They said some of the things that she said and It’s actually on tape. And I said, ‘Well, I didn’t know she was nasty.’ I wasn’t referring to she’s nasty. I said she was nasty about me. And essentially I didn’t know she was nasty about me."
"She was nasty to me. And that’s OK for her to be nasty, it’s not good for me to be nasty to her, and I wasn’t," Trump added.
"You know what? She’s doing a good job, I hope she enjoys her life," the President went on. "I think she’s very nice."
Kim Hjelmgaard USA TODAY
Published 6:23 AM EDT Jun 5, 2019
PORTSMOUTH, England – On the final leg of his three-day state visit to Britain, President Donald Trump will join Queen Elizabeth II and leaders from around the world in paying respects to Allied service members who 75 years ago took part in the D-Day landings that helped liberate Europe from Nazi Germany's military occupation.
Several hours before the event, Trump launched into a Wednesday morning tweet storm, criticizing the "Corrupt Media," praising his "warm" treatment by Britain's royal family and offering condolences to Israel's president on the death of his wife.
In a series of tweets, Trump also unleashed attacks on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, former Vice President Joe Biden and even actress and singer Bette Midler.
The Normandy landings on June 6, 1994, were the largest land, air and sea invasion in history and Portsmouth Naval Base, near where the commemorations are taking place Wednesday, served as a key launch pad for those forces.
In addition to Trump, Prime Minister Theresa May is hosting 14 other leaders in Portsmouth, including France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Angela Merkel and Canada's Justin Trudeau. Prince Charles attended with representatives from every country that participated in the storming of the beaches along France's northwestern coast in a surprise attack involving 5,000 ships, 11,000 airplanes and 150,000 soldiers. More than 4,000 Allied service members – more than half of them American – died in the assault credited with changing the course of the war.
World War II D-Day: 5 to know on the 75th anniversary of Normandy landings
"At this time of reflection for veterans of the conflict and their families, I am sure that these commemorations will provide an opportunity to honor those who made extraordinary sacrifices to secure freedom in Europe. They must never be forgotten," the queen said in a special message to mark the occasion.
In a news conference on Tuesday with May, Trump said he was grateful for the warm welcome he has received from the royal family and the prime minister during his visit to Britain. "The bonds of friendship forged here and sealed in blood on those hallowed beaches will endure forever," Trump said at the news conference.
He said the D-Day landings "may have been the greatest battle ever in history."
Before and after: Photos reveal dramatic changes since D-Day
Ahead of the commemorations, the countries taking part issued a joint statement pledging to make sure the "unimaginable horror" of World War II did not happen again.
In Portsmouth, the story of the build-up to the invasion will be told through live music, performances and readings. A Royal Navy ship will fire a gun salute and there will a air show of historic aircraft including British Red Arrows and Spitfire.
Later Wednesday, Trump will make his first visit as president to Ireland, where he will hold meetings with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar at Shannon Airport, before spending the night at the Trump golf club in Doonbeg. He will then travel to France for further D-Day commemorations focused on honoring Americans killed in the fighting.
75th D-Day anniversary: The Pieper twins are finally together in Normandy
Prior to the ceremonies, Trump took part in a broadcast interview with "Good Morning Britain," telling host Piers Morgan that he meant no harm when he used the term "nasty" in discussing the American-born Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. The phrase generated a lot of media coverage and Trump sought to clarify that he was speaking specifically on her comments about him, not about her.
"She was nasty to me. And that’s okay for her to be nasty, it’s not good for me to be nasty to her and I wasn’t," Trump said in the interview, which he also used to play down an earlier comment that any trade deal between the U.S. and Britain after the latter leaves the European Union could involve Britain's National Health Service, a prospect that has alarmed many Britons and politicians