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We've all heard the stories, seen the movie "Band of Brothers" watched the documentaries about WWII special forces and admired the grit of our fighting men of days past...
Learning about my grandfather has given me a new perspective on the events leading up to D day. The glider troops that fell from the sky and airborne infantry behind enemy lines securing roads and bridges for the ground invasion part of operation Market Garden and subsequent missions...
My grand dad was one of them... He served in the 101st airborne infantry and was one of many soldiers dropped by aircraft behind the German lines.
I have very few details about him but a picture that doesn't show his shoulder insignia patch. No helmet with a stencil to identify his unit or other documentation to know where (exactly) he went or what he did.
I heard he was declared missing in action and a telegram was sent to his wife... He was wounded at least three times and on one occasion was driving a half track full of soldiers when they were attacked by enemy aircraft. Some of those men were killed.
On the day he was sent into action his aircraft was hit by AAA and took evasive action to avoid being shot down all together. The men that made the jump were spread all over the place and seperated from their unit(s). The plane he jumped from didn't make it back and the wounded and dead still on board were never recovered...
I suppose there are many more exciting and dangerous adventures I will never know about as my grand dad never really spoke of the events of that war but to say it was a mess. He didn't think he deserved a purple heart when so many men around him paid such a high price for the freedoms we still enjoy.
He was awarded two hearts and other service medals for his small part in the second world war.
No one seems to know what became of them or anything else related to that part of our family history.
It seems sad to have lost those things...
May he rest in peace!
Learning about my grandfather has given me a new perspective on the events leading up to D day. The glider troops that fell from the sky and airborne infantry behind enemy lines securing roads and bridges for the ground invasion part of operation Market Garden and subsequent missions...
My grand dad was one of them... He served in the 101st airborne infantry and was one of many soldiers dropped by aircraft behind the German lines.
I have very few details about him but a picture that doesn't show his shoulder insignia patch. No helmet with a stencil to identify his unit or other documentation to know where (exactly) he went or what he did.
I heard he was declared missing in action and a telegram was sent to his wife... He was wounded at least three times and on one occasion was driving a half track full of soldiers when they were attacked by enemy aircraft. Some of those men were killed.
On the day he was sent into action his aircraft was hit by AAA and took evasive action to avoid being shot down all together. The men that made the jump were spread all over the place and seperated from their unit(s). The plane he jumped from didn't make it back and the wounded and dead still on board were never recovered...
I suppose there are many more exciting and dangerous adventures I will never know about as my grand dad never really spoke of the events of that war but to say it was a mess. He didn't think he deserved a purple heart when so many men around him paid such a high price for the freedoms we still enjoy.
He was awarded two hearts and other service medals for his small part in the second world war.
No one seems to know what became of them or anything else related to that part of our family history.
It seems sad to have lost those things...
May he rest in peace!