Chief Of Staff Myers Pays Special Tribute At Normandy
As the United States and France paid
tribute to those killed during the airborne operations during the
Normandy invasion, everyone was brought close to tears and every
person's chest swelled with pride at Normandy, France Sunday.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard B.
Myers saluted the vets in the audience – most now over 80
– and said the new generation of service members is living up
to their legacy. Myers said it was a "great and deep honor and
privilege to be in the company of those who made history here 60
years ago today."
He told the veterans that the United States is "grateful for
your service then, and your presence today."
Part of the salute came when almost 700 of today's soldiers and
airmen jumped into the same drop zone that many of the veterans
jumped into the night of June 5, 1944. Then, the soldiers of the
82nd Airborne Division and the 101st Airborne Division jumped from
C-47s. Today's soldiers and airmen jumped from Air Force C-130s,
HC-130s and C-17s. The aircraft made three passes and every time
the US paratroopers began jumping, the vets applauded.
Army Sgt. Charles Cooper, an infantryman with the 2nd Battalion,
502nd Airborne Regiment of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in
Vincenza, Italy, was among the jumpers. "The best thing about this
whole week has been the veterans," he said following the jump.
"We've had some time to meet with them and hear their stories.
There are men here who made four combat jumps during the war. I
can't even imagine that. Anything we can do is a tribute to
them."
The airborne veterans were stunned at the reception they
received from the French and from the men and women of today's
armed forces. Buses drove the veterans to the drop zone. The
weather cooperated with a bright, warm day.
As the veterans walked to the
grandstand erected for the occasion, the crowd applauded. The
veterans were startled, looking around to see who famous had just
walked in. While they clearly enjoyed the attention, many seemed
embarrassed by it.
It was many veterans' first time back in France since 1944. Many
looked out at the peaceful fields and compared it to the first time
they saw it. "The Germans flooded this whole drop zone," said Tom
Pelluca, a 508th Infantry Regiment vet. "They tell me about 40 guys
drowned in the fields. When I landed I was able to find three other
guys. It took us four hours to get out of the water."
Pelluca and the rest of the airborne troopers liberated
Sainte-Mere-Eglise and held it against numerous counterattacks. He
said he went on to fight in Holland and in the Battle of the Bulge
before being wounded.
At the beginning of the tribute, the 101st Airborne Division
Band played the French and American national anthems. The veterans
came to attention and saluted, and belted out "The Star Spangled
Banner" with such obvious pride and respect that many others in the
crowd couldn't sing because they were choked up.
"These veterans are thanking us for all that we're doing for
them," said a young private first class medic. "I tell them, 'Don't
thank me. I'm the one who should be thanking you.'"
Following the tribute at the drop zone, the veterans and today's
paratroopers went up the hill to the statue of "Iron Mike" –
the French memorial to those airborne troopers killed in the
liberation of France. The mayor of Sainte-Mere-Eglise spoke of the
"honor and courage" of the airborne troopers of 1944. He said his
people will never forget the cost of their liberation.
Veterans joined Myers and local officials in placing wreaths at
the memorial. Veterans and today's paratroopers saluted as a bugler
played "Taps."
"People call us heroes," said Robert Murphy, an 82nd Airborne
vet. "I wasn't a hero. The guys that didn't come back, now they
were the heroes."