1944…915 pm in England right now. My FIL would have been getting ready to get on a plane to jump into Normandy. He was 101st Airborne, 502PIR, I company. I think about it every year on this day. What was going thru his mind. He was 20 years old…
June 5, The night before
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Paratroopers | American Experience | PBS
The D-Day invasion began with a dangerous attack by American paratroopers.
www.pbs.org
The WW2 Paratrooper: First-Hand Accounts of the D-Day Invasion
What it was like to be a WW2 paratrooper, participating in an airborne jump, and managing to pull victory from the jaws of defeat.
warfarehistorynetwork.com
A personal account of a paratrooper who jumped into Normandy on D-Day
Lt. Col. Gerhard Bolland, an 82nd Airborne Division officer, described what it was really like to parachute during the invasion of Normandy.
www.militarytimes.com
An Unforgettable Day
Today’s post comes from Mitchell Yockelson, an Investigative Archivist with the Archival Recovery Program at the National Archives. This year marks the 75th anniversary of D-day. Weighed down by h…
prologue.blogs.archives.gov
Great post. Attached is an article about my Uncle Lee who was part of the deception at Calais, and then went straight to Normandy, Battle of the Bulge, and then liberating concentration camps. Lived to over a 100.
Shalom
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story...an-part-allied-ruse-tricked-nazis/6698264002/
Shalom
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story...an-part-allied-ruse-tricked-nazis/6698264002/
While we were recently in Kansas we met with my wife’s second cousins, whose grandfather was Walt Ehlers.
en.m.wikipedia.org
Walter D. Ehlers - Wikipedia
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My dad had already been in North Africa since Casablanca, later landed in Sicily
A long time ago I saw an interview of him which was part of a History Channel series about WWII. You couldn't imagine a more soft-spoken and humble man.While we were recently in Kansas, we met with my wife’s second cousins, whose grandfather was Walt Ehlers.
Walter D. Ehlers - Wikipedia
Brave men everyone of them!
Spectacular recollection from the jump in through the difficulties, recognizing the grace of God, and the heartbreak of comrades who gave the last full measure. Incredible combat record. Bravery and perseverance in fierce combat.A personal account of a paratrooper who jumped into Normandy on D-Day
Lt. Col. Gerhard Bolland, an 82nd Airborne Division officer, described what it was really like to parachute during the invasion of Normandy.
The Battle of the Bulge was survival under extreme duress, outnumbered, improper clothing for the weather, and ill--equipped. My friends father was in that battle, earned a bronze star and never talked about it. It came out in his obituary. Those were the kind of men who fought in those brutal conditions. No wonder many of the Euopeans pay homage to them even today. You are rightly proud of your uncle!
The Airborne Invasion of Normandy
On June 5, 13,400 American paratroopers boarded C-47 aircraft for the largest airborne operation in history. Problems began as they crossed into France.
The drop zones are shown in circles on the map. As noted by the diamonds (points), most of the paratroopers landed outside of their zones.
American airborne landings on D-day - The western sector - D-day Info
The aim of the American airborne operations was to capture German positions to cover the infantry landings on Utah Beach.
d-dayinfo.org
D-Day: Eisenhower and the paratroopers who were key to success
On the eve of the Allied invasion of Europe in June 1944, General Dwight Eisenhower made a "soul-wracking" decision to move forward despite warnings by the head of Allied airborne operations against the plan.
www.cbsnews.com
The Technology Behind D-Day's Moonlit Airborne Ops
The D-Day invasion relied on paratroop and glider landings the day before -- in moonlit darkness. In this blog, we explore the key technologies used to locate drop zones and landing zones under cover of darkness.
Thank you for posting Tom,An Unforgettable Day
Today’s post comes from Mitchell Yockelson, an Investigative Archivist with the Archival Recovery Program at the National Archives. This year marks the 75th anniversary of D-day. Weighed down by h…prologue.blogs.archives.gov
It's late I will follow up on your post tomorrow thanks again
Normandy is on my bucket list. But I've been to Bastogne and Belleau Wood and Verdun as well as Reims to the Surrender Museum. At the WW I sites, you do NOT leave the paths--even after over 100 years.
I always take time to research D Day on this day, learning something.
Here's something I just read: The majority of troops who landed on the D-Day beaches were from the United Kingdom, Canada and the US. However, troops from many other countries participated in D-Day and the Battle of Normandy: Australia, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Greece, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Poland.
Interesting that Greek, New Zealand and Australian troops from other theaters of war were there.
Here's something I just read: The majority of troops who landed on the D-Day beaches were from the United Kingdom, Canada and the US. However, troops from many other countries participated in D-Day and the Battle of Normandy: Australia, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Greece, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Poland.
Interesting that Greek, New Zealand and Australian troops from other theaters of war were there.
My uncle hit the Utah beach very early ,he was 19 years old ..Needed a bone from his leg to re-construct his injured back. Lived in constant pain for the rest of his life with a back brace so that he could stand. He would never talk about what he saw. Many years passed before he even said what beach he was on.
I was 4 years old at the time. My eternal thanks to those wonderful men, God bless them all.
Scheduled to visit Normandy next spring. I am most likely going to become verklempt many times while there thinking what these guys went thru for us.
Thanks for that link Tom. The first person accounts are so descriptive of the range of emotions they experienced. Reminds us that the "fog of war" is real and manifested that American fighters are unique in their ability to regroup, assume responsibility even in the lower ranks, and drive toward mission completion. Still today in our armed forces, troops are taught and expected to assume leadership if their superiors go down. One particular account I found amusing was when one of the paratroopers peeked his head about the hedgerow simultaneously with a German soldier, they both stooped back down and moved away. They were probably shocked by such a close encounter.
I'm not sure that was unique. The Germans had that kind of training too. Both armies knew how important a top sergeant and good non-comms were. The Red Army on the other hand did not. Brave men, but initiative was frowned upon. That contributed to the Germans' rapid advance in the summer of 1941. But in the end there were simply a LOT more Russians. Quantity has a quality all it's own