Paul Ramunni, Director and Founder of the New England Accordion Museum in Connecticut shares this important contribution to his museum made during the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season. The accordion holds a special place for everyone. No other instrument can replace its uniqueness as revealed in the following:

“Three days ago, a fellow (Stan) donated an accordion to our museum. It belonged to his father, a Navy Vet from WW II. He was a machine gunner on one of the landing crafts that brought the soldiers to shore at Omaha beach on D Day. Stan described, in great detail, the events of that fateful day and how his dad tried to desperately give our soldiers fire cover as they attempted to exit the landing craft.

Before his dad passed a few years ago, he saw the movie “Saving Private Ryan” and especially the scene of the D-Day invasion.He commented on how realistic and historically correct that scene was portrayed in the movie. While in his landing craft, he watched as the gate was dropped and how the incoming fire from the onshore enemy positions decimated the troops in the craft.

With wave after wave of soldiers, he did his best to give them cover but many of the men in the rear of the boat couldn’t clear the craft because of the pile up of bodies of their dead comrades. The landing craft had to be taken back to the mother ship and unloaded before more troops could be carried to shore. The men on the boat had to watch this process …..and pray.

Of all things, his dad had his accordion on that boat. He brought it along with him as they fought their way through to Germany. He did this because he knew how important it would be to give the troops some encouragement for the job they had to do.

He then volunteered for a tour of duty in the Pacific and was at Okinawa and Iwo Jima. His job there was, once again, to give our troops fire cover as they stormed those beaches. All of this with that same accordion by his side so he could play for the troops and encourage them whenever and wherever. Stan said the captain of his ship would ask his dad to play each night over the intercom system on-board the ship. It would help the troops get their rest. Amazingly, the accordion made it through all of that unscathed. He himself collected 3 purple hearts for his wounds, but in every case always returned to the fight.

We now have that accordion in our collection. More importantly, we have this story to tell about how this brave soldier served his country and us. As I listened to Stan give me the details of these events, I could only feel a strong sense of thankfulness. I wanted to pass this along  to all of you today as we give thanks for all that we have. This is what what we do here at the museum. We collect the accordions to display, but
more importantly, we collect the stories of how the people that played them served their country and the people they encountered in their daily lives. 

From all of us here at “The New England Accordion Museum,” have a wonderfully blessed and thankful day.”

One of the main priorities of the New England Accordion Museum is to keep the spirit of the accordion and its influence alive. The New England accordion Museum exists to display vintage and modern accordions for the general public’s enjoyment and edification.

Our goal is to find and save any and all old accordions and memorabilia so that people interested in this instrument, especially children, will learn to play and enjoy what many people have experienced over the last 200 years with accordions. Contact us today for any additional information about the New England Accordion Museum.

Paul Ramunni, Director
The New England Accordion Museum
www.newenglandaccordionmuseum.com
860-833-1374

The New England Accordion Museum