Paratrooper Helped Liberate French Town Portrayed in Epic Film > U.S. Department of Defense > Story

On D-Day, June 6, 1944, paratroopers of the U.S. Military’s 82nd and a hundred and first Airborne Divisions landed between 1:30 a.m. and a couple of:30 a.m. close to and within the city of Sainte-Mere-Eglise in Normandy, France.  

Amongst them was Military Pvt. John Steele, of the 82nd, who landed on the top of a church tower, the place he hung from his parachute for about two hours earlier than being taken prisoner by the Germans.  

Steele later escaped and went on to struggle for the remainder of the warfare. 

The paratroopers determine prominently within the 1962 movie “The Longest Day,” with Steele portrayed by actor Pink Buttons, who additionally served within the Military throughout World Battle II. The movie was tailored from Cornelius Ryan’s 1959 nonfiction e-book of the identical title. Ryan interviewed Steele and others for the e-book. 

The paratroopers had flown throughout the English Channel in C-47 plane and jumped from an altitude of simply 600 ft, leaving little time to maneuver on the way in which down. Plus, darkness and heavy cloud cowl resulted in a scattered drop. 

Taking the city was of strategic significance due to its proximity to Utah Seaside, and the Allies wanted to seize it and transfer inland shortly to keep away from getting pushed again to the ocean, the place troopers in touchdown craft had come ashore. 

Steele, a Metropolis, Illinois, native, enlisted within the Military in 1941, simply days after Japan’s assault on Pearl Harbor. He was 29 on the time, significantly older than most of his fellow troopers. 

In 1943, he made battle jumps into Sicily after which Naples, Italy. 

After his bounce into Sainte-Mere-Eglise, Steele fought in Operation Market Backyard within the Netherlands, attaining the rank of employees sergeant. 

Steele survived the warfare and returned to Metropolis, however his brother was killed whereas preventing in Germany in April 1945, shortly earlier than the top of the warfare in Europe. 

In 1962, Steele attended the premier of the movie, commenting that Buttons did a superb job of portraying him. 

Steele returned to Sainte-Mere-Eglise in 1964 for a regimental reunion and was made an honorary citizen of the city. He died in 1969. 

Different paratroopers had fascinating tales, as effectively, throughout their drop into Sainte-Mere-Eglise. 

Fellow paratrooper Military Pvt. Ken Russell landed on the identical church roof as Steele, however by no means achieved the identical stage of fame. He, too, survived the warfare. 

Military Pfc. Clifford A. Maughan parachuted into the backyard of a home within the city. He was taken prisoner by a German soldier billeted in the home, who then surrendered to Maughan a short while later when U.S. troops overwhelmed the German occupiers. He, too, survived the warfare, taking part later within the invasion of the Netherlands. 

A plaque honoring Maughan and others is in entrance of the backyard and home, which is now a restaurant.