Russell Moulaison

Born in Melrose, Massachusetts, on June 19, 1924, Russell was the third child of French Canadian immigrants. When the United States entered the war, his father, recalling the hardships he and his brothers faced in the Army during World War I, encouraged him to join the Navy instead of waiting to be drafted.

Following that advice, he and his cousins enlisted in the Navy. He served as a motor mechanic with the 6th Naval Beach Battalion and landed on Omaha Beach during D-Day. He continued with his unit through the European campaign, fighting all the way to Germany.

After returning home, he built a career as a carpenter and raised a family. He and his wife had three children, and he is now the proud grandfather of ten and great-grandfather of nineteen.