Veterans’ Tales by Allen Ness
300,000 American Soldiers assaulted the continent of Europe ion June sixth of 1944. They died by the thousands as they tried to gain a beach-head allowing access into Nazi Germany. My closest brothers went the night before, the Airborne Divisions.
I don’t know if I’d have been able to ride one of those landing craft to the beach, just like I don’t know if I could have “dressed right and covered down” while Pickett’s Division assaulted the Union center at Gettysburg. On the other hand, jump out of an airplane and deal with what you get… Doesn’t sound impossible. Even that was ugly but it was war, that’s ugly 24/7/365. PVT John Steele, 2/505th Parachute Regiment, got caught on the steeple of the church in Ste Mere Eglise. LGOPS of 30 men took objectives planned for forces of 300. 300,000 Americans went ashore in spite of the Nazi’s desires. Then proceeded to kick their Nazi ass.
President Reagan remembered and understood…
The 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment has a silver punch bowl and a set of silver cups taken from a Nazi Battalion HQ. Along with the punchbowl is a dispatch from the Nazi Battalion Commander to his Commander. In the dispatch the Bn CDR describes his tactical situation as “American parachutists…devils in baggy pants…are less than 100 meters from my outpost line. I can’t sleep at night; they pop up from nowhere and we never know when or how they will strike next. Seems like the black-hearted devils are everywhere…”
Guess what bitches, you’re fighting Americans now. The Nazi’s had the same issues right up until they surrendered[…]
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