Parachutists filled the peaceful Normandy skies on Sunday, jumping from World War II-era planes. Their breathtaking leap symbolized the upcoming week of ceremonial events, honoring the brave Allied troops who fought on the D-Day beaches 80 years ago. Their relentless efforts ultimately led to the fall of Adolf Hitler and the liberation of Europe from his tyrannical grip.
French officials, grateful survivors from Normandy, and other admirers are expressing their gratitude and bidding farewell to the Normandy coastline. It was on this stretch of land that young soldiers from the United States, Britain, Canada, and other Allied nations courageously stormed the five beaches on June 6, 1944, amidst a relentless hail of enemy fire. Their bravery and sacrifice are forever etched in history, and now it is time to say “merci” and bid adieu to this sacred ground.
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The last remaining veterans in their late nineties and older, who are returning to honor their fallen comrades and commemorate their history-altering accomplishments, are becoming fewer in number with each passing day.
As Neil Hamsler, a former British army paratrooper, gazed out of the windows of one of the three C-47 transport aircraft, he was transported back in time to D-Day. The sight of the southern England coastline fading away as they flew across the English Channel to their Normandy drop zone filled him with a sense of nostalgia and excitement. At 63 years old, Neil couldn’t help but reminisce about his days as a young soldier.
He said that he thought that would be the last view of England for some of those lads in 1944. Unlike the Allied airborne troops who jumped at night on D-Day, they had a daytime jump on Sunday and no one was firing at them. Hamsler mentioned that it really brought home the poignancy of the situation.
The D-Day events this week serve a dual purpose of honoring the past and acknowledging the present. Through fireworks displays, parachute jumps, and solemn commemorations, world leaders aim to pass on the torch of remembrance to the current generations, who are witnessing the resurgence of conflict in Europe, particularly in Ukraine. Notable figures such as U.S. President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and British royals will be in attendance, underscoring the significance of these events organized by France.
The C-47s released a series of jumpers one after another, creating a mesmerizing spectacle in the sky. Dressed in WWII-style uniforms, 70 jumpers descended with their round chutes opening gracefully amidst the serene backdrop of blue skies and fluffy white clouds. The massive crowd, numbering in the thousands, erupted in cheers and applause, thoroughly entertained as they listened to lively tunes by Glenn Miller and Edith Piaf while awaiting the airborne display. One particularly memorable moment was when a startled deer emerged from the undergrowth, surprising both the jumpers and the audience, as it swiftly sprinted across the drop zone.
During the historic D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944, two planes, named “That’s All, Brother” and “Placid Lassie,” played vital roles as veterans of the operation. Thousands of C-47s and other aircraft formed the largest-ever sea, air, and land armada. These planes were part of the Allied airborne forces, which made daring descents using gliders. Their mission was to secure crucial strategic points, such as roads and bridges, inland from the invasion beaches. Additionally, they aimed to eliminate gun emplacements that posed a grave threat to both the forces on the ground and the naval vessels offshore.
Dozens of World War II veterans are coming together in France to revisit their past, create new memories, and emphasize a message that survivors of D-Day, the Battle of Normandy, and other World War II campaigns have consistently shared – war is an absolute nightmare.
“I want the younger generation to know what we accomplished,” expressed Graves, who was among a cohort of over 60 World War II veterans that arrived in Paris on Saturday.
The oldest member of the group is 107 years old, while the youngest is 96, as reported by American Airlines, their carrier from Dallas.
“We completed our mission and returned home, and that was the end of it. I don’t think we ever discussed it. For 70 years, I never spoke about it,” shared Ralph Goldsticker, a U.S. Air Force captain who served in the 452nd Bomb Group.
During the D-Day landings, he vividly remembers the breathtaking sight of “a big, big chunk of the beach with thousands of vessels” as seen from his aircraft. He also reminisces about the bombing raids he conducted to target German strongholds and disrupt their potential routes for bringing in reinforcements to counter the invasion.
“I released my initial bomb at 06:58 a.m. targeting a heavily fortified gun placement,” he recounted. “After completing the mission, we returned to our base and landed at 09:30. We swiftly reloaded our aircraft, ready for the next operation.”
