06-07-2011, 08:16 PM
My stepfather jumped with the 101st, landed safely somewhere near St Mere Eglise, and started the invasion from there. He never spoke of it...well...almost never. The only thing he would tell me is what weapons he jumped with, and that sometime after the invasion, he broke his back setting explosives to blow up a bridge. Two week laid up in a field hospital, he decided he had enough, got up and walked out...(which messed his back up for the rest of his life). He rejoined his unit and finished out the war. He never spoke of his exploits, hated Maxwell D. Taylor, and recoiled whenever anything about the concentration camps was mentioned or viewed on TV.
One time while living in northern Virginia, our family drove to visit the grave of a cousin, a Navy test pilot, who was buried at Arlington. We passed by the out-stretched wings of the memorial statue to the 101st. He saw the screamin' eagle, stopped the car, then turned the car around and headed for home. He never said a word, and none of us dared ask him why. I pity he died without letting the burden he carried for so long see the light of day. He kept it all inside till the end.
One time while living in northern Virginia, our family drove to visit the grave of a cousin, a Navy test pilot, who was buried at Arlington. We passed by the out-stretched wings of the memorial statue to the 101st. He saw the screamin' eagle, stopped the car, then turned the car around and headed for home. He never said a word, and none of us dared ask him why. I pity he died without letting the burden he carried for so long see the light of day. He kept it all inside till the end.
Mark
Citation Latitude Captain
--and--
Lt Colonel, USAF (Retired)
Citation Latitude Captain
--and--
Lt Colonel, USAF (Retired)