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Abington resident Armand Jolly had gifted to the Danielson Veterans Coffeehouse a print of the USS Emmons on D-Day. Jolly was on the Emmons for that and other battles. The coffeehouse last week loaned the print to the Abington Social Library. Veterans, staffers, friends and family were there for the occasion. Linda Lemmon photo.

By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
ABINGTON — He came full circle. Armand Jolly was from the Abington section of Pomfret. From there he fought in WWII in both theaters and returned to Abington.
July 19 he returned again to Abington, in the form of a print depicting the shelling of Omaha Beach by the USS Emmons.
Jolly was a gunner on the USS Emmons, which helped secure Omaha Beach on D-Day. The real name of the beach was Fox Green Beach but the Allies renamed all their landing zones to “hide” their true identities.
After a decisive victory at the beach and the close of the European Theater, the Emmons was sent to the Pacific. There the Emmons was ravaged by five direct Kamikaze hits. Jolly was badly burned, but survived. The ship was so badly damaged it was sunk into the Pacific near Okinawa, along with a couple hundred sailors.
Jolly’s experience during WWI was recounted in his obituary: “Armand served bravely and honorably in the U.S. Navy, enlisting at age 19 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He served as Gunner’s Mate Third Class on the USS Emmons DD-457, DMS-22, a destroyer/minesweeper during WWII. On D-Day, the Emmons helped to secure the invasion route for US troops on Omaha Beach. On April 6, 1945, during the battle of Okinawa, the Emmons was struck by five kamikaze planes. Sixty of the Emmons’ crew perished and 77 were wounded. Armand survived the attack, suffering injuries to his hands and face. He received several commendations and awards including a Purple Heart. Despite his bravery, he never talked about his experiences until much later in life. He remained involved with what has become the Emmons Association, an organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Emmons. He and his family attended every one of the ship’s reunions and was proud to have helped initiate a scholarship to help members of the Emmons family attend college.”
“In July 2019, he had the incredible honor of returning to Normandy 75 years after his first trip there, courtesy of Joe Massaro, regional director with Money Concepts. While there, Armand saw the US Navy monument at Utah Beach that includes the name of the Emmons, and stood on Omaha Beach, where the Emmons was actively engaged on D-Day. He was moved to tears when French military officials honored him during the daily flag-lowering ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.”
Fred Ruhlemann, president of the Danielson Veterans Coffeehouse, said part one of the print’s journey occurred when Jolly gave the coffeehouse the print. It was on the wall at the coffeehouse’s original home in Danielson. But, he said, when the group moved to the Putnam Lodge of Elks, there was no place to hang the print.
Because of Jolly’s relationship with Abington and the Abington Social Library, the coffeehouse offered to loan the print to the library. “Armand gave this (print) to us. Unfortunately when we moved to the Putnam Elks, we had no place to hang it,” Ruhlemann said.
David Howe, president of the library’s Board of Directors, told the staffers, veterans and friends, that he was “grateful to accept this.”
Howe said the Abington Social Library was established in 1793, and is the oldest continuously operating social library in the United States. The building that houses the library now was built in 1885.
Jay Livernois, a veteran and treasurer of the library, poured a nod to Normandy France with Calvados and, from America, an applejack and those attending drank a toast to Armand Jolly and his gift.
“To Armand. We hope you are good where you are.”

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