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Norman D. Landing


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General Apathy
On 12/2/2021 at 11:30 PM, mikie said:

Thanks for posting all the wire cutters and pouches. Nice to see them.   I'd just like to find a nice wartime example to go with my pouch.  Due to storage and display space shortage issues, not to mention budget the past 5 years putting my dear daughter through college without taking out a school loan, getting a whole constellation of anything is pretty much out.  My desire for More! More! More! is pretty much going to be unfulfilled. I do have one of those WWII British Army folding wire cutters.  It comes in handy around the house.  Any US one I ever get will also have to work for it's keep. 

 

Speaking of the dear daughter,  Kassidy will graduate from college 2 weeks from today!   I'm super thrilled and she is over the top excited.  Not one to shy from a challenge, she put her first job applications in at the hospital at Stanford University.  May as well try for the top. 

 

OK, enough bragging. Though being a humbly proud dad, it is hard not to.  

 

Mikie   

Kiddo Grad Portraits 2021 Small.jpg

.

Hi Mikie,

 

well she LOOKS a young lady and daughter to be proud of completing five years of medical studies, you have put her on the right track in life, I wish her a very satisfying and rewarding life.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, December 04  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

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General Apathy
On 12/3/2021 at 5:12 AM, mikie said:

This post deserves a comment, but I'm coming up empty for one. Period. 

.

Hi Mikie.

 

Yes my mind was blank as well,  probably the reason for the malfunction . . . . it had been a looooooong day.

 

Hi Kat, thanks for adding the like.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, December 04  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

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General Apathy
22 hours ago, mikie said:

Well, since I post a pic of my dear daughter for her upcoming college graduation, I may as well post this one of me and the Dear Wife.  Today is our 32nd wedding anniversary.  I was 32 years old when we married, so we've been together for half my life.  

 

Mikie    

A & M 2021.jpg

.

Hi Mikie,

 

Well that's a great shot and it highlights the perfection of a studio shot, never got round to having any studio shots done maybe next time I visit my daughter maybe we should get a few done, a keepsake for her and my grandson William-Henry. ( perhaps I could loan your face for the day )

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, December 04  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

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General Apathy

.

as is the norm around here, now for something completely different . . . . . . . . . 

 

looking through another of the non-military Shoeboxes I pulled out these MARX admirals & Generals, possibly 1950's manufacture but I know nothing of MARX Toys, just liked the WWII imagery.

 

.fullsizeoutput_ed34.jpeg.29af295dba49b738a6c99ba545c2f9be.jpeg

 

.fullsizeoutput_ed2a.jpeg.41c192ffab61d9b4d68b78813194cb74.jpeg

 

.fullsizeoutput_ed2c.jpeg.d3d468b97974449369191756b5c29da1.jpeg

 

.fullsizeoutput_ed2e.jpeg.268c9b91381cc5281a3c6ddbbb10b67f.jpeg

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, December 04  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

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General Apathy
22 hours ago, Johan Willaert said:

Picked up this one today...

1945 dated US Army JerryCan, made in Belgium just near the end or right after WW2.
Made by ACEC, one of several companies known to have produced these...

 

 

262848039_314066947236405_9019004032403748271_n.jpg

.

Hi Johan,

 

Nice find, always wanted one of this style cans with ' USA ' across the lower front.  Went to a Militaria show last week and surprised to see TWO German SS cans at the show.  Normally you could attend thirty shows and not see any SS cans, sadly the cheaper one had a small hole and weird post-war green paint, the more original was really battered on the bottom as if it had beet used for hammering in tent pegs

 

Left the show without buying a thing . . . . . . . .

 

I spent all day Friday helping out on the restoration of the friends Jeep again, cleaning back the paint on the drivers seat it was evident it had been a Ford one with the ' F' in the centre of the back panel which had been filled by brazing.  ( Philistines )

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, December 04  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

 

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Thank's for sending the information/photos about Mr La Rue.  I remember seeing him at several of the anniversaries, but never knew about his experiences.  If you speak to him, ask him to tell Mr and Mrs Poisson I said hello.  Yves originally was from Blosville.  He served in the (Airborne) French Marines.  His wife is from Neuville-au-Plain.  And they have the La Fiere Manior House not far from the bridge.  Speaking of bridges, (photo used in upper left-corner was taken at 40th anniversary on Nijmegen, Holland Bridge, I'm wearing the original M-42 that I wore in Ste Mere Eglise, a couple months before.  

Paratroops were the first men to arrive at Pt du Hoc before the Rangers;  on one of my trips, in June of 2002, we had a friend, Martin Galle who came over to Omaha Beach, from Germany.  We were trying to find someone that remembered his grandfather, see link (Oberst Goth) on www.ww2dday.com . His HQ's was the Post Office in Trevieres, a few miles beyond the beach.  The man at to post office explained that it was the old post office that was bombed.  But he sent us to see a lady who was a young girl at that time.  She needed medical attention as her arm was injured the night of 5 June during the bombing.  She went out after the curfew for help.  She told us how she hear an airplane roar and looked up in time to see an airplane on fire headed towards the coast.  She saw a few parachutes open and it was finished.  I had never heard about this with all the time I'd spent at 82nd and Static-Line reunions?  I later returned home, and a few months later, a Ranger List I was on (internet), I received a message that Major (ret.) Dick Hathaway had finished his book:  Training For Bloody Omaha.  I told him I wanted a signed copy and immediately received and read the book.  It turned out Dick was a Sgt in Company A, 5th Rangers.  He told about the battle beyond Vierville at Chau du Vaumicel. I now knew he was in Lt Charles "Ace" Parker's platoon. First troops to advance the farthest on D-Day.  I emailed Dick and said, "Dick, I know exactly where you were, but you "weren't" at Chateau du Vaumicel".  He wrote me back and told me that "no" he was there and had been back after the war!  I called him on the phone and explained.  On my uncle's map, the place "is" marked as "Chau du Vaumicel".  But that's a mistake.  Vaumicel is actually just off of the Omaha Beach-West map. This place is really "Chau de L'Hormel".  So, I guess militarily, it's a code-mistake!  I've been to the Vaumicel and met the countess and her son.  Well, those rangers got to the rally point and nobody else was there.  They made the journey to Point du Hoc, and were the only "badly needed" re-inforcements for 2 days.  Years later, Dick was at a library giving a briefing around the 40th anniversary about Pt du Hoc.  At the end of the book, he explains how a man stood up and said he was Pt du Hoc.  Dick asked which Ranger Company he was with?  The man replied, "He was in the 101st Airborne, and not the Rangers". Dick said, "no, there were no paratroops at the Pt".  And that's when this guy explained how he and his buddy had parachuted from an aircraft with 2 others that didn't make it to the point. (Dick was sorry he didn't get more info on the guy but his name. He also said they things the guy knew, he was surely there! But he didn't get an address or phone number. He gave me the name and I contacted Don Lassen "505th PIR on D-Day".  Don told me he was sorry by Leonard Goodgal was no longer a member of Static Line, but he had an address!  I wrote to him in Emerson,New Jersey and one evening he called me back.  This was the aircraft the young girl saw that night.  They had been hit just before the jump. It was decided they were going back to England.  They did a racetrack and came back toward's the coast from behind Omaha Beach.  The a/c was it again and caught fire. All men were quickly ordered to jump! Only 4 of them got out. Lenny saw the cliffs behind him and knew this was one of the Ranger areas.  He and Raymond Crouch of Richmond, Virginia walked along the cliffs that night until they reached Pt du Hoc.  When the Rangers of 2nd Bn arrived, they were shocked when paratroops of I-Company, 506th PIR, 101st Abn Div asked if they "needed some help". I contacted Dick and said, "I found your paratroops".  Immediately I got emails from Ranger Medic Frank South, who told me they'd looked for those guys for many years to invite them to the Ranger Christmas Party, but couldn't find them?  Lenny told me that when they were relieved, Lt Col Rudder got them transportation back to the 101st.  Lenny still had the Eisenhower letter on him that was issued and went around and had many of the guys sign it.  I asked if he'd make me a copy.  He did, and ai forwarded it to Tom Hering, 5th Rangers on D-Day, who was the Rangers historian.  Of the 20+ names on the list, 2/3's of them were killed between June 1944 and February 1945.  One was the Ranger Surgeon, a major.  Only 2 of them,were still alive on that list).  When they got back to the Company, the commander didn't believe their story and thought they were hiding out.  Lenny handed him a piece of paper that Lt Col Rudder had given him requesting he be put in for a Silver Star (Lenny put the U.S. Flag up on the cliff to keep the Navy from firing anymore rounds, as the rangers were there.  In fact, "Rudder asked Lenny to stay with them".  He told Rudder he had to go back to his unit.  When he gave the commander the recommendation for the Silver Star, the guy was so pissed about them having been gone, he tore it up!   

Anyway, about Chaplain Francis Sampson:  prior to volunteering for Airborne, Sampson was in the 90th Division:  T/O "Texas and Oklahoma".  And so was my old buddy Bill Sullivan.  Drank many beers with Bill.  After jump school Sampson ended up in the 101st and Bill ended up in the 82nd.  Bill was in HQ's 505th PIR.  He told me he'd looked all over and could never figure out where he landed on the jump.  He ended up somewhere and was lucky enough to find resistance fighters.  They put him in civilian clothes.  All but his shoes.  One day they were somewhere and the Germans came.  A sharp German looked down and noticed the shoes were military boots. (I was reading this having breakfast with Mrs. Poisson in her kitchen, in the new book:  Chronicles of D-Day by a French Police Major, Gilles Bre.  Mrs Poisson showed me the chapter "The Boots".  I was shocked, as Bill never told me about that!  I left the house and there's Bill coming over to my car.  I told him he was a lucky SOB!  He asked what I meant?  And I told him I'd just read part of the book. I told him, "Bill, you are lucky they put you into a Luftwaffe Stalag back in Germany!  Had it been our guys that caught a German in civilian clothing!  Yeah, he knew the outcome.  I told him, "Bill, not sure I should hang around you, as you have strange things happen to you!  After the war he worked for ABC as a sportscaster.  He was up in a Goodyear Blimp covering the World Series in San Francisco when the earthquake struck!  He told me they could feel the shockwaves.  A few years later a buddy of mine I worked with who'd been in the 101st, begged me to take him to the 82nd mini reunion in Washington.  We ended up riding with Bob Murph and Bill Sullivan was driving.  I asked him as he zipped in and out of the Washington traffic, "Bill, when you live in Dublin those 6 months out of the year, do you drive"?  Yes he replied.  "Well, I guess it's safe enough to ride with you in Washington if you drive over there on the wrong side of the road".  

Okay, did you ever hear of the "Pt du Hoc Paratroops, in of this book.  I don't know if Gil ever,did it in English or not".

 

tim

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7 hours ago, General Apathy said:

.

as is the norm around here, now for something completely different . . . . . . . . . 

 

looking through another of the non-military Shoeboxes I pulled out these MARX admirals & Generals, possibly 1950's manufacture but I know nothing of MARX Toys, just liked the WWII imagery.

 

.fullsizeoutput_ed34.jpeg.29af295dba49b738a6c99ba545c2f9be.jpeg

 

.fullsizeoutput_ed2a.jpeg.41c192ffab61d9b4d68b78813194cb74.jpeg

 

.fullsizeoutput_ed2c.jpeg.d3d468b97974449369191756b5c29da1.jpeg

 

.fullsizeoutput_ed2e.jpeg.268c9b91381cc5281a3c6ddbbb10b67f.jpeg

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, December 04  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

Ken,

 

These are great! Lots of detail for such small figures from the 50's.

 

...Kat

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On 12/2/2021 at 5:00 PM, General Apathy said:

.

Hi Mikie.

 

found another two images of wire cutters I sold back in 2018,  note the second unissued ones still had tape holding the handles together and the remains of a soft resin rustproofing cover on the metalwork of the head.  ( funny as a collector when you can't just be happy with one of something and then you have to try and get all the variations, makes and patterns . . . . . . . . .  )

 

.fullsizeoutput_ecc3.jpeg.00eb790d1d1da8fe0672b9cf1b847c62.jpeg

 

.fullsizeoutput_ecc8.jpeg.65acd31f213b520d05a7816104bee5e3.jpeg

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, December 02  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

Ken,

 

Your posts always make me want to collect new things. I want to start looking for WWII era tools now!

 

...Kat

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On 12/2/2021 at 5:30 PM, mikie said:

Thanks for posting all the wire cutters and pouches. Nice to see them.   I'd just like to find a nice wartime example to go with my pouch.  Due to storage and display space shortage issues, not to mention budget the past 5 years putting my dear daughter through college without taking out a school loan, getting a whole constellation of anything is pretty much out.  My desire for More! More! More! is pretty much going to be unfulfilled. I do have one of those WWII British Army folding wire cutters.  It comes in handy around the house.  Any US one I ever get will also have to work for it's keep. 

 

Speaking of the dear daughter,  Kassidy will graduate from college 2 weeks from today!   I'm super thrilled and she is over the top excited.  Not one to shy from a challenge, she put her first job applications in at the hospital at Stanford University.  May as well try for the top. 

 

OK, enough bragging. Though being a humbly proud dad, it is hard not to.  

 

Mikie   

Kiddo Grad Portraits 2021 Small.jpg

Mikie,

 

I know you are very proud! Fathers and daughters have a special bond. As I am sure you and Ken know.

 

...Kat

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Dad was already in the Army, stationed at Fort McClellan, Alabama when Pearl harbor was attacked.  He said that someone announced that Pearl Harbor was just bombed by the Japanese.  The reaction from everyone was "Where the heck is Pearl Harbor?".  He would soon find out.  He was on one of the first troop ships sent to defend Hawaii very early in 1942.  He said he saw the salvage operation still going on in the harbor.  He was stationed in Hawaii on and off until 1944.  Luckily for him, it was one of the more pleasant places he was at while in the Army.  

Mikie

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12 hours ago, doyler said:

 Richard Brookins, Cpl. from the 28th ID dressed up as St. Nicholas in Wiltz Luxembourg December 1944

 

 

264464611_4701571436566954_2205270694628587589_n.jpg

Oh that's a great photo!

Mikie

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5 hours ago, mikie said:

Oh that's a great photo!

Mikie

 

Thanks Mikie. Wasnt sure if the photo had been posted previously. Ken can chime in on details. Like the wire cutter welded on front. May be one of those German posts used like Ken has.

 

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3 minutes ago, doyler said:

 

Thanks Mikie. Wasnt sure if the photo had been posted previously. Ken can chime in on details. Like the wire cutter welded on front. May be one of those German posts used like Ken has.

 

I don't remember that photo before. But then again, with my memory, I probably saw it last week.

 

I can see how that wire cutter would be useful.  When I used to live in snow country, it seemed like every couple of years some poor guy on a snowmobile would get killed by zooming through a unseen fence wire.  

Mikie

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On 12/4/2021 at 11:23 AM, General Apathy said:

.

as is the norm around here, now for something completely different . . . . . . . . . 

 

looking through another of the non-military Shoeboxes I pulled out these MARX admirals & Generals, possibly 1950's manufacture but I know nothing of MARX Toys, just liked the WWII imagery.

 

.fullsizeoutput_ed34.jpeg.29af295dba49b738a6c99ba545c2f9be.jpeg

 

.fullsizeoutput_ed2a.jpeg.41c192ffab61d9b4d68b78813194cb74.jpeg

 

.fullsizeoutput_ed2c.jpeg.d3d468b97974449369191756b5c29da1.jpeg

 

.fullsizeoutput_ed2e.jpeg.268c9b91381cc5281a3c6ddbbb10b67f.jpeg

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, December 04  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

I live about a 1\2 mile from the factory that made these figures. They have been out of business for quite some time. I have a good many toys from there, but none of these figures. 🙁

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Johan Willaert
10 hours ago, doyler said:

554200_2866251951471_1953935005_n.jpg.fe3d7ea25935f51a0e2a47ab3d6156cc.jpg


Great photo, thanks for posting!

 

Bumper markings indicate vehicle 9 of the 198th Signal Photographic Company, photo taken on Leyte

 

It’s thanks to these GIs we have so many WW2 photos to look at nowadays…

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Johan Willaert

Next weekend will see the annual commemorations of the Battle of the Bulge which took place in the Belgian Ardennes from December 1944 well into January 1945, a battle which saw some of the bitterest fighting in grueling winter conditions of WW2 leading to enormous losses on both sides.

 

I try to attend this annual event regularly and will be in the Ardennes for a few days the coming week…

Last year there were hardly any events because of Covid restrictions and this year too a lot of activities have been cancelled but still I hope to be able to meet up with friends and visit some telltale place such as Baugnez, La Gleize and of course Bastogne…

 

Yes, the battle of the Bulge is of course much more than just Bastogne, but it is through the exploits of the 101st AIrborne Division in and around ‘NUTS’ city the general public knows about it…

 

BTW in my opinion the best movie about Bastogne still is the 1949 flick ‘Battleground’… 

 

 

 

 

B6D1F178-BDE0-43AA-8760-5DFA41482CA0.jpeg

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General Apathy
On 12/7/2021 at 8:52 AM, Johan Willaert said:

Today marks the 80th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Thought it was appropriate to show this item from my collection.

A51F5111-29CF-47DD-BBD8-5BE86D1B58E2.jpeg

.

Hi Johan,

 

Sorry I'm late with a response I have been busy since Saturday and didn't have a chance to comment on this momentous event, which for America meant nearly five years of war and a great loss of life and cost to the country, which many in Europe are still so grateful for.

 

Here's a WWII ' Remember Pearl Harbor ' matchbook  from my collection.

 

.fullsizeoutput_ee9b.jpeg.d376046aa4efeaa6f368f6c3308b91fe.jpeg

 

.fullsizeoutput_eea0.jpeg.9932e8ba916a6d5aadd2e78ea50bdad7.jpeg

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, December 08  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

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General Apathy
On 12/4/2021 at 8:54 PM, Mapman said:

Thank's for sending the information/photos about Mr La Rue.  I remember seeing him at several of the anniversaries, but never knew about his experiences.  If you speak to him, ask him to tell Mr and Mrs Poisson I said hello.  Yves originally was from Blosville.  He served in the (Airborne) French Marines.  His wife is from Neuville-au-Plain.  And they have the La Fiere Manior House not far from the bridge.  Speaking of bridges, (photo used in upper left-corner was taken at 40th anniversary on Nijmegen, Holland Bridge, I'm wearing the original M-42 that I wore in Ste Mere Eglise, a couple months before.  

Paratroops were the first men to arrive at Pt du Hoc before the Rangers;  on one of my trips, in June of 2002, we had a friend, Martin Galle who came over to Omaha Beach, from Germany.  We were trying to find someone that remembered his grandfather, see link (Oberst Goth) on www.ww2dday.com . His HQ's was the Post Office in Trevieres, a few miles beyond the beach.  The man at to post office explained that it was the old post office that was bombed.  But he sent us to see a lady who was a young girl at that time.  She needed medical attention as her arm was injured the night of 5 June during the bombing.  She went out after the curfew for help.  She told us how she hear an airplane roar and looked up in time to see an airplane on fire headed towards the coast.  She saw a few parachutes open and it was finished.  I had never heard about this with all the time I'd spent at 82nd and Static-Line reunions?  I later returned home, and a few months later, a Ranger List I was on (internet), I received a message that Major (ret.) Dick Hathaway had finished his book:  Training For Bloody Omaha.  I told him I wanted a signed copy and immediately received and read the book.  It turned out Dick was a Sgt in Company A, 5th Rangers.  He told about the battle beyond Vierville at Chau du Vaumicel. I now knew he was in Lt Charles "Ace" Parker's platoon. First troops to advance the farthest on D-Day.  I emailed Dick and said, "Dick, I know exactly where you were, but you "weren't" at Chateau du Vaumicel".  He wrote me back and told me that "no" he was there and had been back after the war!  I called him on the phone and explained.  On my uncle's map, the place "is" marked as "Chau du Vaumicel".  But that's a mistake.  Vaumicel is actually just off of the Omaha Beach-West map. This place is really "Chau de L'Hormel".  So, I guess militarily, it's a code-mistake!  I've been to the Vaumicel and met the countess and her son.  Well, those rangers got to the rally point and nobody else was there.  They made the journey to Point du Hoc, and were the only "badly needed" re-inforcements for 2 days.  Years later, Dick was at a library giving a briefing around the 40th anniversary about Pt du Hoc.  At the end of the book, he explains how a man stood up and said he was Pt du Hoc.  Dick asked which Ranger Company he was with?  The man replied, "He was in the 101st Airborne, and not the Rangers". Dick said, "no, there were no paratroops at the Pt".  And that's when this guy explained how he and his buddy had parachuted from an aircraft with 2 others that didn't make it to the point. (Dick was sorry he didn't get more info on the guy but his name. He also said they things the guy knew, he was surely there! But he didn't get an address or phone number. He gave me the name and I contacted Don Lassen "505th PIR on D-Day".  Don told me he was sorry by Leonard Goodgal was no longer a member of Static Line, but he had an address!  I wrote to him in Emerson,New Jersey and one evening he called me back.  This was the aircraft the young girl saw that night.  They had been hit just before the jump. It was decided they were going back to England.  They did a racetrack and came back toward's the coast from behind Omaha Beach.  The a/c was it again and caught fire. All men were quickly ordered to jump! Only 4 of them got out. Lenny saw the cliffs behind him and knew this was one of the Ranger areas.  He and Raymond Crouch of Richmond, Virginia walked along the cliffs that night until they reached Pt du Hoc.  When the Rangers of 2nd Bn arrived, they were shocked when paratroops of I-Company, 506th PIR, 101st Abn Div asked if they "needed some help". I contacted Dick and said, "I found your paratroops".  Immediately I got emails from Ranger Medic Frank South, who told me they'd looked for those guys for many years to invite them to the Ranger Christmas Party, but couldn't find them?  Lenny told me that when they were relieved, Lt Col Rudder got them transportation back to the 101st.  Lenny still had the Eisenhower letter on him that was issued and went around and had many of the guys sign it.  I asked if he'd make me a copy.  He did, and ai forwarded it to Tom Hering, 5th Rangers on D-Day, who was the Rangers historian.  Of the 20+ names on the list, 2/3's of them were killed between June 1944 and February 1945.  One was the Ranger Surgeon, a major.  Only 2 of them,were still alive on that list).  When they got back to the Company, the commander didn't believe their story and thought they were hiding out.  Lenny handed him a piece of paper that Lt Col Rudder had given him requesting he be put in for a Silver Star (Lenny put the U.S. Flag up on the cliff to keep the Navy from firing anymore rounds, as the rangers were there.  In fact, "Rudder asked Lenny to stay with them".  He told Rudder he had to go back to his unit.  When he gave the commander the recommendation for the Silver Star, the guy was so pissed about them having been gone, he tore it up!   

Anyway, about Chaplain Francis Sampson:  prior to volunteering for Airborne, Sampson was in the 90th Division:  T/O "Texas and Oklahoma".  And so was my old buddy Bill Sullivan.  Drank many beers with Bill.  After jump school Sampson ended up in the 101st and Bill ended up in the 82nd.  Bill was in HQ's 505th PIR.  He told me he'd looked all over and could never figure out where he landed on the jump.  He ended up somewhere and was lucky enough to find resistance fighters.  They put him in civilian clothes.  All but his shoes.  One day they were somewhere and the Germans came.  A sharp German looked down and noticed the shoes were military boots. (I was reading this having breakfast with Mrs. Poisson in her kitchen, in the new book:  Chronicles of D-Day by a French Police Major, Gilles Bre.  Mrs Poisson showed me the chapter "The Boots".  I was shocked, as Bill never told me about that!  I left the house and there's Bill coming over to my car.  I told him he was a lucky SOB!  He asked what I meant?  And I told him I'd just read part of the book. I told him, "Bill, you are lucky they put you into a Luftwaffe Stalag back in Germany!  Had it been our guys that caught a German in civilian clothing!  Yeah, he knew the outcome.  I told him, "Bill, not sure I should hang around you, as you have strange things happen to you!  After the war he worked for ABC as a sportscaster.  He was up in a Goodyear Blimp covering the World Series in San Francisco when the earthquake struck!  He told me they could feel the shockwaves.  A few years later a buddy of mine I worked with who'd been in the 101st, begged me to take him to the 82nd mini reunion in Washington.  We ended up riding with Bob Murph and Bill Sullivan was driving.  I asked him as he zipped in and out of the Washington traffic, "Bill, when you live in Dublin those 6 months out of the year, do you drive"?  Yes he replied.  "Well, I guess it's safe enough to ride with you in Washington if you drive over there on the wrong side of the road".  

Okay, did you ever hear of the "Pt du Hoc Paratroops, in of this book.  I don't know if Gil ever,did it in English or not".

 

tim

.

Hi Tim, 

 

Sorry to say that I have never met Mr & Mrs Poisson, I have possibly unknowingly passed by them at various events and commemorations. and talking of passing by one-another I was probably in Nijmegen for the 40th so again our paths may have crossed.  It was at one of the Nijmegen anniversaries that I met a veteran paratrooper that fought in that area, I questioned him about what uniform and equipment they were using at that point of the war. I asked if they were still using the M36 musette bag, he said they weren't and went on to describe the pack they had it was green o.d. deep, had vertical and some horizontal strapping to tighten the pack to whatever contents were carried.  Turns out they were issued a 1943 field pack ( often referenced as a jungle pack ), there is photographic evidence of this pack being used at that time, ( there's also a thread somewhere on the forum discussing this pack )

 

Yes I was already aware of two paratroops at Pointe du Hoc, again there is photographic evidence of two paratroopers sat with Rangers. 

 

About ten years ago whilst walking along the sands of Utah beach I came across several pieces of C-47 washed ashore, the actual crash into the sea is recorded in the pages of the 101st ' Rendezvous with Destiny ' .

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, December 10  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

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On 12/5/2021 at 1:25 AM, cutiger83 said:

Mikie,

 

I know you are very proud! Fathers and daughters have a special bond. As I am sure you and Ken know.

 

...Kat

.

Hi Kat,

 

it's unbelievable when daughters surprise you as mine did a few days ago.  One of the films that we have watched together several times ' Lover Actually ' has a scene in it where one of the male characters turns up at the door of a woman that's he's been deeply in love with for some time but she recently  married one of his friends. He stands and shows her a series of cards with messages that he loves her and it was time that he should let her know.

 

Well I received two Christmas cards off my daughter and in the one card mentioning ' Love Actually ' she had included a photograph of her holding a sharpie written message, and had folded the same message into the card she sent me.

 

fullsizeoutput_eda7.jpeg.81fad8193db1f91470cb35aa02cd26d7.jpeg

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, December 10  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

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On 12/8/2021 at 12:11 AM, doyler said:

 

Thanks Mikie. Wasnt sure if the photo had been posted previously. Ken can chime in on details. Like the wire cutter welded on front. May be one of those German posts used like Ken has.

 

.

Hi Ron,

 

difficult to say as the image is quite dark, I tried to lighten it a bit in hope of revealing more detail but to no avail.  It would b e more than likely that it a German wire stake as they are heavy gauge T section bar and don't bend easily, also so easily available all over the invasion countryside. This one has had a recess cut into it near the top to catch any stretched wires and prevent it riding over the top of the stake. 

 

What is a little more clear is the flexible Jerrycan pouring spout resting in the passenger side handle, and just above it the butt plate of a Garand rifle resting along the rear wheel arch. ( back in the late 70's I carried my flexible fuel spout in the same fashion, but having one stolen, you don't carry it that way again ) 

 

.fullsizeoutput_eea6.jpeg.0337e6d83862394636e4da3566e1446d.jpeg

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, December 10  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

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On 12/8/2021 at 12:12 AM, doyler said:

554200_2866251951471_1953935005_n.jpg.fe3d7ea25935f51a0e2a47ab3d6156cc.jpg

.

Hi Ron,

 

Thanks for this photo being the Pacific then we can easily say it wouldn't be a German wire stake . . . . . . . but then again perhaps we should remember the immortal words spoken by Bluto ( John Belushi ) in the film  Animal House, ' Over, Over, was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor '  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

It's a great photo and I have passed it on as I do with any wartime mentions of photographers to the regular Sunday morning Jeeping friend I have coffee with. Before retirement he was assigned to take photographs of the Queen and Princess Diana for the newspaper he worked for and many of the images regularly seen where ones he had taken. 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, December 10  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

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On 12/8/2021 at 12:19 AM, mikie said:

I don't remember that photo before. But then again, with my memory, I probably saw it last week.

 

I can see how that wire cutter would be useful.  When I used to live in snow country, it seemed like every couple of years some poor guy on a snowmobile would get killed by zooming through a unseen fence wire.  

Mikie

.

Hi Mikie,

 

mmmmh I have never given any thought that snowmobile riders could fall foul of fence wires . . . . . . . . . . . maybe a good idea that you mentioned this.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, December 10  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

 

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