Camp Toccoa at Currahee set to host D-Day Banquet on June 3rd

Camp Toccoa at Currahee will host the D-Day Banquet on Friday, June 3^rd. Cynthia Brown is with Camp Toccoa at Currahee. “Each year we have celebrated D-Day in a special way to honor those special men and women who were involved in World War II and all wars and peacetime thereafter serving in the military. It is an opportunity to say thank you to them and bring honor to the sacrifices that were made. Those boys that showed up at that camp on that mountain, there were 18,000 of them, trained there, and there were 6,000 of them that left as Toccoa men. And while they didn’t win the war by themselves, their efforts were really appreciated and the sacrifices made were unbelievable. These were ordinary people who did extraordinary things, and we are rebuilding the camp in honor of what they accomplished and the legacy they left for those generations that come after them.”

A reception and silent auction will begin at 6 P.M. with dinner served at 7 P.M. The guest speaker is JD Huitt, creator and host of The History Underground on YouTube. Huit has produced a variety of videos of history around the world for three years and featured Camp Toccoa at Currahee in episode 100 which has led to over 500,000 views.

Brown is excited about the speaker and the event. “Dinner itself is going to be wonderful, Just Right Catering is again there with us, and we are looking forward to a great meal and an opportunity to meet people from all over the country. We usually have some folks from across the pond that join us and visit. Some will remain there for the road race the next morning. It is just a fun time of celebration and remembrance.”

Tickets are $75 each or a reserved table for eight for $700 and all proceeds go to the restoration of Camp Toccoa. Tickets can be purchased online at www.camptoccoaatcurrahee.org.

Brown says the camp restoration has come a long way. “Every penny was raised by volunteers, given by volunteers, businesses and industries, both local and national and international. We have two completed barracks now, foundations, and we don’t start a project that we can’t complete. We do it in phases, and as we get the funds, we are able to finish things. People are going to be excited to see that we have heat in the Pavilion, also walls now, and it is going to be fun to be out of the elements. We have had banquets up there that have been so hot you could hardly stand it and so cold you froze. We are making progress. The headquarters building is full now so we are looking at ways that we can add space so that we can display more of the items that people have given us.”

Brown encourages everyone to get your tickets today. “All you have to do is go online (at www.camptoccoaatcurrahee.org.) or get in touch with any of the board members.”

Again, the Camp Toccoa at Currahee D-Day Banquet is Friday, June 3^rd with a reception and silent auction at 6 P.M. and dinner with speaker at 7 P.M.