What a privilege to see and experience it in person. Shown in the video, James "Pee Wee" Martin, is one of a handful of men still alive that jumped with the 101st Airborne Division on D-Day. Pee Wee served under the original Colonel Sink in World War II. Dale Dye, who played Col. Sink in the HBO series "Band of Brothers", is also shown in the video, speaking with "Pee Wee" Martin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S_XzDfylJs
Last edited by FunInAviation; 07-29-2015 at 05:14 AM.
Just gotta say, I'm super proud of some of my museum colleagues at the CAF for leading this charge! I would go so far as to say this single project is totally rejuvenating the CAF and drawing an entirely new group of supporters to the cause, myself included. Can't say enough about the job they are doing to preserve history with "That's All Brother."
I had the privilege of taking a one-week battlefield tour of Normandy last fall, in a tour group hosted by the historical society of the 116th Regimental Combat Team (which landed at Omaha at M-minute). Our guide was a retired General who was a later commander of the 116th. As such, this wasn't just a "tourist" visit; this was hosted by soldiers and almost all the men on the tour were active or retired Army (plus one ex-Air Force space jockey).
To stand on the beach, like the soldiers on D-Day, and see all those gun positions scattered across the hills and hundreds of yards of sand to cross. To stand at the gun positions, and see how the Germans, firing machine guns spitting out 20 rounds a second, could range bullets up and down a two-mile section of wide open coast. Absolutely amazing. The Allied forces had no chance. Yet they won through.
Ste Mere Eglise was a major stop on the door...where a stick of airborne troopers landed in the town, lit by the light of a burning building with the Germans wide awake. Again, incredible. Where the burning building stood is now a super museum commemorating the airborne troops. C-47 and a Waco in separate buildings, with roofs shaped like parachute. Again, incredible to stand looking at a C-47, then turn and see the church with a dummy of Private John Steele hanging from it.
The CAF is really to be complimented. We need to remember these soliders, sailors, and airmen until the end of time.
Zack, I'm going to be there for class in two weeks. Better hide, or I'll show you pictures. :-)
Ron Wanttaja
So much for getting any work done in two weeks! Bring the pics!Originally Posted by rwanttaja
The museum at St Mere Eglise has the large Nazi battle flag from the German commanding general's HQ, and there is an interesting story behind that flag.
An elderly pilot at my airport in NH was, in 1944, a 1 LT assigned to fly the C-47 to drop General "Jumping" Jim Gavin and his staff into St Mere Eglise with the rest of the 82nd Airborne, one hour behind the 101st.
As my friend motored across the North Sea towards Normandy with the rest of his formation, suddenly a member of the General's staff pushed forward into the cockpit with the statement "The general wants to know if you want a souvenir?!" A pretty out of the ordinary question for a pilot trying to fly formation in the dark. Ben finally replied "Ask the General to get me a flag.", thinking of one of the small flags that were attached to military vehicles. The adjutant disappeared for a minute and came back, declaring "The General says that he will get you a flag!"
Ben's formation found St Mere Eglise, the General and his troops went out in the night, and the C-47 returned to base in England.
A few weeks later, a package arrived addressed to Ben. Ben had forgotten all about flags. The package contained the 15x25' battle flag from the HQ of the German commanding General at St Mere Eglise.
40 years later, Ben visited St Mere Eglise. This is a place where, if you were there the night of 6 June 1944 you are an honored guest and welcome to the keys to the city. When Ben mentioned that he had the flag, the museum staff got very excited and Ben agreed to donate it. Shipped it when he got home to NH.
Just another small story from the greatest generation.
Wes
N78PS
Another flag story, from my trip. Nearly 71 years ago, during the day of June 6th, a group of American paratroops captured a German headquarters on a farm just outside a small village. They all posed with a Nazi flag.
There were other photos taken at this same location, where the background shows some of the design elements of the farm (btw, the photos were taken "illegally"...the troops were not supposed to be carrying cameras).
The village still exists, the farm is, essentially, unchanged. We could stand there with copies of the photographs and see exactly where the troops and the cameraman had been standing.
Then out came the iPhones, the Androids, the Nikons, the Canons....and the very flag that had flown over the headquarters that day in 1944*. We took turns getting positioned in exactly the positions from 1944 and having our pictures taken.
So if you see a picture of me with another guy holding a Nazi flag...it's just a historical re-creation.
(* It was NOT the same flag as the original picture, however. The troopers had a small flag that was typically used on vehicles. The flag we used was the actual one flying over the headquarters.)
You hear how the people of France are arrogant and unappreciative of what the US did during WWII.
This is NOT true of the people of Normandy! They still remember, and they still like Americans...despite the fact that the invasion resulted in the deaths of about 20,000 French civilians caught in the crossfire.
We had a very warm reception, including visiting two private homes. At one, the owner had been a young boy when the Germans came...they occupied his home as a headquarters. At the other, the owners have built, in their own front yard, on their own money, a monument to the Airborne soldiers of D-Day.
Ron Wanttaja
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