doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT: 75th Anniversary of D-Day - 82nd Abn A/O

French Press:

Utah Beach.

this is facing north from the LeClerc monument:



This is facing south. The point in the distance is Point du Hoc, the headland separating Utah from Omaha beach. The 4th ID came into this beach 800m south of the intended landing spot because of a fast off shore current and fortuitously avoided a lot of these bunkers. The area to the right behind the beach had been flooded into an extensive morass. But the 101st Abn seized two causeways across it (four were targeted) enabling the troops to penetrate inland without too much trouble other than traffic jams. There was an 11" gun that would fire, get suppressed, fire again, get shelled again, a sort of Wack-a-mole thing, up on the northern reaches of the beach.



Behind the coastal morass captured by the 101st "shallow" jump, 10 km away was Sainte Mere Eglise and behind that the flooded Merderet River, paralleling the coast, 400m to 800m wide with only two causeways across it...that was the target of the 82nd. More tomorrow.

As a high schooler I read Cornelius Ryan�s �The Longest Day� during the 20th anniversary year of D Day. I have never since forgotten June 6 and those men�s heroism and sacrifice. Today I sat on a quiet beach with my 2 week old grandson asleep on my lap as I watched my 2 and 3 year grandchildren play in the the sand realizing that they had no idea what sacrifice was made there in Normandy so that they and generations of other children could enjoy beautiful and peaceful beach days. I remember those brave men and I thank God for them.

Great article about your father, Argo. It all has to be especially moving for you.

La Fi�re causeway was one of only two causeways across the flooded Merderet River just west of Sainte Mere Eglise. The causeways was seized, lost then retaken by a mad all-out 500 meter sprint by the 325 Glider regiment. The battle is legendary and will be subject of the next "Band of Brothers" type move
(No Better Place to Die - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2170533/
and the details can be read on-line, My father was about 600 meters south on "Hill 30" calling in artillery strikes around the hill and keeping an eye on Chef du Point and La Fi�re.









"La Friere Causeway was probably the bloodiest small-unit action ever fought by the US Army"-SLA Marshall.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qctVG9mS54g

Daks over Normandy - really worth a quick click and look"

Loading:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3F87doiZ-o

Takeoff:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KYw6xOvRzo

Drop:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2iX4_xPQRQ

Final post: Speech of the Mayor of Pretot on 04 June 2019 with a translation - not a work of art translation but good enough:

Mesdames et Messieurs

Lorsque j�ai �t� contact� par Mr FRANCOIS au nom de Mrs WILLIAMS qui souhaitaient mettre en place une plaque en m�moire de leur p�re, nous avons pens� avec mes adjoints que cela pouvait �tre l�opportunit� pour la commune d�l�gu�e de Pr�tot Sainte Suzanne de combler un vide et ainsi de proc�der � la mise en place d�une st�le comm�morative. En effet et m�me si le Colonel Louis MENDEZ avait donn� son nom il y a quelques ann�es et plus pr�cis�ment le 6 juin 2002 � la place sur laquelle nous sommes pr�sents, aucun monument comm�moratif ne permet de prendre conscience du sacrifice des hommes qui lib�r�rent notre pays et plus particuli�rement notre commune.

When I was contacted by Mr. Francois at the request of Mr.�s Williams, who wanted to place a plaque in the memory of their father, we thought with our assistants that this might give an opportunity for the commune of Pretot Sainte Suzanne to complete a process - and thus we proceeded to put in place a commemorative stone. To this effect, and noting that Col. Luis Mendez�s name had been given several years previously on 6 June 2002 to the square where we are gathered, we remarked that there was no commemorative monument which could allow one to understand the sacrifice of the men who liberated our country and more particularly our community.

Ailleurs qu�en Normandie mais aussi peut �tre parmi les plus jeunes on oublie souvent que la guerre ne s�est pas gagn�e au soir du 6 juin 1944 mais que c�est dans les chemins, sur les talus et derri�re les haies de notre bocage dans de f�roces combats autrement appel�s ��la bataille des haies��.

Furthermore in Normandy it would also perhaps allow the youngest, who often forget that the war was not won on the evening of 06 June 1944, but rather to understand that it was in the streets, the sides of the roads, and in the hedgerows of our brocage in the ferocious fighting also called �The battle of the Hedgerows.�

A 48 heures du 75eme anniversaire du d�barquement alli� l�inauguration de cette st�le est donc l�occasion pour nous de rendre un hommage solennel aux hommes du 3eme bataillon du 508eme r�giment de parachutistes de la 82eme division Air Borne qui sous le commandement du Colonel MENDEZ ont abord� notre village le 20 juin 1944 et qui au prix du sacrifice de leur vie ont particip� � sa lib�ration totale le 3 juillet.

At 48 hours from the 75th anniversary of the allied landing, the inauguration of this stone allows us the occasion to pay a solemn tribute to the men of the 3rd Bn, 508th PIR of the 82nd Airborne Division, which was commanded by Co. Mendez, who entered our village on 20 June 1944 and who, at the sacrifice of their lives, participated in its total liberation on 03 July.

Ces hommes qui avaient fait le choix de se battre pour lib�rer les peuples d�Europe du joug nazi �taient jeunes, souvent une vingtaine d�ann�es, ils venaient d�Am�rique et n�avaient jamais entendu parler de Pr�tot. Malgr� tout, ici comme dans tous les territoires lib�r�s ils ont accompli leur devoir avec abn�gation, courage et honneur.

These men who made the choice to fight to liberate the people of Europe from the Nazi yoke were young, often 20 years old, coming from America, and never having heard of Pretot. In spite of everything, here as in all the liberated territory, they accomplished their work with self-sacrifice, courage and honnor.

Messieurs Gene et Jack Williams vous avez souhait� rendre hommage � votre papa, qui combattit sous les ordres du Colonel Mendez, disparu le 20 juin 1944 � Pr�tot quelques jours apr�s votre naissance. C�est pour moi un devoir et un honneur que d�acc�der � votre demande et la plaque que vous avez fait r�aliser trouve tout naturellement sa place sur cette st�le.

Mr.�s Gene and Jack Williams wanted to give homage to their Dad, who fought under the orders of Col. Mendez, who was killed on 20 June 1944 at Pretot several days after your birth. It is for me a pleasure and an honor to honor your request and the plaque that you have had made now finds its natural place on this stone,

Votre p�re Gene na�t le 31 octobre 1922. Adolescent, il rejoint une �cole d�enfants de Troupes � Nashville. Il aime porter l�uniforme et r�ve d�aventures militaires. Toutes les g�n�rations de Williams ont servi sous les drapeaux et Gene veut perp�tuer la tradition.

Your father Gene was born 31 Oct 1922, As a young man he enrolled in a military school in Nashville. He loved to wear the uniform and dreamed of military adventure. All the generations of the Williams have served under the flag and Gene wanted to perpetuate the tradition,

Suite � l�attaque de Pearl Harbor le 7 d�cembre 1941, il quitte l�universit� d�Alabama en mars 1942 pour rejoindre l�arm�e � Fort Wolters au Texas. S�ennuyant dans ce r�giment le Lieutenant Williams se porte volontaire pour les troupes a�roport�es.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 Dec 1941, he left the University of Alabama in March 1942 to join the army at Fort Walters in Texas. As soon as he entered the regiment, Lt. Williams volunteered for Airborne.

A Fort Benning o� l�on forme les parachutistes, il d�couvre une nouvelle race de soldats qui ont la fiert� d�appartenir � une troupe d��lite.

At Fort Benning where paratroopers were trained, he found a new race of soldiers which were proud to be part of the elite troops.

A la fin de 1942, deux �v�nements vont marquer l�existence de Gene, l�obtention de son brevet de parachutiste puis son affectation au 508�me R�giment de Parachutistes et le 1er novembre, son mariage avec Mary rencontr�e � l�universit�.

At the end of 1942 two events marked the life of Gene, the obtaining of his jump wings and by consequence his affection for the 508th PIR and on 1 November his marriage to Mary, whom he had met at the university.

Apr�s l��cole de saut, le Lieutenant Williams est mut� � Camp Blanding en Floride o� il doit int�grer ce nouveau r�giment en cours de formation.

After jump school, Lt. Williams was sent to Camp Blanding in Florida where he was integrated into his new regiment in training.

En avril 1943, le r�giment est transf�r� � Camp Mackall en Caroline du Nord. Les six semaines qui suivent servent aux jeunes paras � �voluer et � s�orienter dans les marais et les sables du Camp. Sans le savoir, les ��Diables rouges�� effectuent un entra�nement qui sera un avant-go�t des combats en Normandie.

In April 1943 the regiment was transferred to Camp MacCall in North Carolina. The six weeks which followed allowed the young paratroopers to evolve and to mature in the swamps and sand of the Camp. Without saying more, the �Red Devils� completed a training which would be an advance taste of coming combat in Normandy,

En d�cembre 1943, les cadres re�oivent l�ordre de pr�parer le r�giment � son d�part pour New York en vue de son embarquement pour l�Europe. L�heure du combat approche.

In December 1943 the officers received orders to prepare the regiment for its depart for New York prior to its embarking for Europe. The hour of combat was approaching.

Un mois plus tard, le 8 janvier 44, le r�giment d�barque � Belfast apr�s un voyage inconfortable puis est transf�r� deux mois plus tard en Angleterre � Nottingham.
A la demande du Major Mendez, le Lieutenant Williams qui veut �tre le premier � toucher le sol fran�ais est volontaire pour effectuer un stage d��claireur dont la mission sera de baliser les zones de saut, une heure avant le parachutage du r�giment. C�est une mission p�rilleuse, car ces petites �quipes vont �tre parachut�es seules, sans aucun soutien au sol ou a�rien.

One month later on 8 January 1944 the regiment disembarked at Belfast after an uncomfortable voyage, then two months later transferred to Nottingham, England. At the request of Major Mendez, Lt. Williams, who want to be the first to touch the soil of France, volunteered to be trained as a Pathfinder, the mission of which was to mark the drop-zones an hour before the regiment jumped. It was a dangerous mission because the small teams would be parachuted in alone, with no support on the ground or in the air.

Dans les semaines qui pr�c�dent le Jour J, les hommes savent que l�action est imminente. Ils ont �t� mis au secret et ne doivent plus quitter leur base. Le 508�me a �t� reparti sur trois a�roports, Folkingham, Saltby et North Witham pour les Pathfinders du Lieutenant Williams. Les derniers instants sont consacr�s � aff�ter pour la �ni�me fois le couteau, ou nettoyer le fusil, pour prier lors du service religieux qui se tient sous le hangar ou pour �crire une derni�re lettre � la famille.

In the weeks which preceded D-Day, the men knew that action was imminent. They were held in isolation and could not leave their base. The 508th flew out of three airports Folkingham, Saltby and North Witham for the Pathfinders of Lt. Williams. The last minutes were spent sharpening knives or cleaning their guns, praying in religious services that were held under the hanger or writing a last letter to their families.

En ces instants qui pr�c�dent la confrontation de l�homme � son destin, ce dernier aime se replier pour faire le point avec son �me.

In the last minutes before the men confronted their destiny, they made peace with their souls.

Le 5 Juin � 21h30, Le Lieutenant Williams et les pathfinders des deux divisions qui vont sauter en Normandie, d�collent de North Witham, pr�s de Grantham.

On 5 June at 2130 hrs, Lt. Williams and the Pathfinders of two divisions who were going to jump into Normandy, took off from North Witham near Grantham.

La grande croisade contre le nazisme vient de commencer avec ces hommes venus des quatre coins des Etats-Unis, fer de lance des d�mocraties qui vont devoir affronter les soldats du F�hrer.

The great crusade against Nazism began with these men who came from the four corners of the USA, tip of the spear of the democracies, which were heading to take on the soldiers of the Fuhrer.

Gene Williams � la t�te de ses �claireurs du 508�me, doit sauter dans le secteur de Picauville. Il est exactement 0h15, lorsque avec ses hommes ils se jettent dans le vide. Les parachutages ne se passent pas comme pr�vu et les hommes sont �parpill�s sur une vaste zone.

Gene Williams at the head of the Pathfinders of the 508th, jumped in the sector of Picauville. I was exactly 0015 hrs, when with his men he threw himself into the void. The jump did not go as planned and the men were scattered over a vast zone.

Mais � toute chose malheur est bon et si les strat�ges pensent au d�but que l�op�ration Overlord est un �chec, ils ne savent pas encore que les mauvais largages ont apport� la confusion chez l�ennemi qui est incapable d��valuer l�importance de la force engag�e, mais pire encore, il est dans l�impossibilit� d�organiser une contre-offensive efficace. Les am�ricains sont partout�!

But all bad things have some good and if the strategists thought the beginning of operation Overlord was a setback, they did not yet know that the bad drops added to the confusion of the enemy, who were incapable of evaluating the size of the force engaged, but worse still, making it impossible to organize an efficient counter-attack. The Americans were everywhere!

Le Lieutenant Williams rejoindra ensuite sa compagnie pour combattre autour de Picauville � la d�fense des ponts qui enjambent les rivi�res le Merderet et la Douve.

Lt. Williams rejoined his company in combat around Picauville in defense of the flooded causeways which crossed the rivers Merderet and Douve.

Apr�s avoir combattu � Vindefontaine, le 3eme bataillon du 508eme arrive sur Pr�tot � la tomb�e de la nuit. A l�aube du 20 juin il attaque et reprend possession du bourg, de l��glise et du village de la Malasserie. Une forte r�sistance des troupes allemandes maintient le front sur ces lieux durant une quinzaine de jours jusqu�� ce que l�ensemble de la commune soit lib�r�e apr�s de violents combats le 3 juillet 1944.

After having fought at Videfontaine, the 3rd Bn of the 508th arrived near Pretot as night fell. At dawn of 20 June they attacked and took possession of the commune, the church and the village of Malasserie. A strong resistance of the German troops held the front in place during 15 days until the whole of the commune was liberated after violent combat on 3 July 1944.

Malheureusement Pr�tot fut le lieu de la derni�re bataille de Gene Williams et ce d�s le premier jour de l�offensive le 20 juin 1944 o� il p�rit au champ d�honneur � 21 ans alors que le Major Mendez venait de recevoir de l��tat-major un message annon�ant que votre maman Mary venait de donner naissance � des jumeaux, Gene et Jack.

Unfortunately, Pretot was the last battle for Gene Williams and was where during the first day of the offensive of 20 June 1944 he perished on the field of honor at 21 years old shortly before Major Mendez received a message from headquarters announcing that your mother Mary had just given birth to twins, Gene and Jack.

Je ne peux occulter le tribu pay� par la population civile puisque juste pour notre commune 16 civils furent tu�s lors de ces combats. Le sacrifice de la population qui avec courage et abn�gation a subi la destruction aux deux tiers de son village f�t reconnu par l�attribution de la croix de guerre le 11 novembre 1948.

I cannot hide the price paid by the civilian population which just for our village counted 16 civilians dead in the course of the combat. The sacrifice of the population which had the courage and self-sacrifice to withstand the destruction of two thirds of its village, was recognized by the awarding of the medal le Croix de Guerre on 11 November 1948.

Le corps de votre p�re repose aux c�t�s de ses anc�tres dans le cimeti�re de West Frankfort dans l�Illinois.

The body of your father rests at the side of his ancestors in the cemetery of West Frankfort, Illinois.

Vous furent �lev�s dans le culte de votre p�re et du sacrifice supr�me qu�il fit lors du d�barquement et en 1964 alors que de nouveau l�Am�rique s�engageait dans une longue guerre au Vietnam, vous d�cid�rent de perp�tuer la tradition familiale en vous engageant dans l�Arm�e. Vous devinrent tous les deux parachutistes et avez int�gr� une nouvelle unit� en cours de formation�: les Forces Sp�ciales, dont les membres sont connus sous le nom de B�rets Verts.

You were raised in the memory of your father and of his supreme sacrifice which he made during the Landing and in 1964 when again America was engaged in a long war in Vietnam, you decided to perpetuate the family tradition and enlisted in the Army. You both became Airborne and were integrated into a new unit the Special Forces, which are known as �The Green Berets.�

Je n�abuserai pas plus longtemps de votre patience, mais sachez Messieurs ainsi que votre famille que je suis extr�mement fi�re d�avoir �uvr� � la r�ussite de cette journ�e et que nous tous ici pr�sents sommes extr�mement reconnaissants de l�engagement de vos p�res et concitoyens qui ont combattu avec acharnement et au p�ril de leur vie afin de lib�rer notre population de l�occupation ennemie.

I don�t want to test your patience much longer, but please know Sirs as well as your family that I am extremely proud of having worked for the success of this day and that all of us here are extremely indebted to the involvement of your father and his compatriots, who fought with stubborn determination and at the peril of their lives to finally liberate our population from the enemy occupation.

Notre reconnaissance va aussi aux combattants des autres nations alli�es parmi lesquelles le royaume uni dont la population eu � subir les bombardements allemands durant de longues ann�es et dont le territoire servi � la pr�paration du d�barquement.

Our recognition goes also to the soldiers of other allied nations such as those of the UK the population of which had to endure German bombardment during long years and the territory of which served to prepare for the landings.

Je vous remercie.


French D-Day historian Dominique Francois, who helped us get this through, with author Gene and twin brother Jack:

Thanks for posting, Argo. Jim

As an update from the 2019 75th D-Day anniversary in Normandy, this was sent to me by Mayor Terry Renaud of Pretot-Saint-Suzanne. There was a ceremony on the 79th anniversary 06/06/2023 at Pretot featuring my father. Interesting.



The reenactment groups have become so involved in this every 6th of June that you'll see the French tri-color veterans replaced by 508th PIR reenactors with precise uniform regalia. I'm told it's now impossible to get reservations in Normandy for next year for the 80th. Shades of our Civil War reenactments and Gettysburg.



I was substitute teaching a history class at a Northern Virginia Junior High School recently. One of the kids asked how old was I. I said, "I was born 2 days after D-Day; can you figure it out." Dead silence...finally one kid snapped his fingers and said "World War II, right?"

Looking forward to reading about the rest of your adventures. I've not yet visited Normandy but intend to. I have only been to the sites connected with the First World War. Lagopus.....