Petty Officer 3rd Class Frank DeVita served aboard a Coast Guard landing craft during the initial invasion of Normandy, France, in World War II. DeVita was parti of the first wave on June 6, 1944, which transported the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division, known as the Big Red One onto Omaha Beach. The unit suffered heavy losses during the invasion despite the efforts of Coast Guardsmen like DeVita.