OPERATION OVERLORD61

Story Sgt. Michael A. Clifton/Sgt. Gary A. Witte

Photos Sgt. Michael A. Clifton

American Soldiers recently parachuted from cold, overcast skies over a foreign land only to be met with flowers and gifts from grateful French civilians.

Nearly 100 U.S. Army Soldiers commemorated the American invasion of Normandy during WWII by landing in fields near Saint Mere Eglise, where thousands of residents of all ages awaited their arrival.

Chaplain Ken F. Revell with the 11th Infantry Regiment of Fort Benning, Ga., said his previous 120 parachute jumps -- including one in Gettysburg, Penn. -- fade in comparison to the anniversary jump.

"Nothing is more memorable than jumping into Normandy," he said after his return. "A paratrooper jumping into Normandy is like a Muslim making a trip to Mecca or a Christian visiting the Holy Land."

The jump on June 5 was made up of multiple units, including Soldiers with the 75th Ranger Regiment, Ranger training Battalion, 421st Quartermaster and 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

A crowd of French civilians spent hours waiting on the ground for drizzling rain to clear so the jump could be made. Many ran out to meet the Soldiers in the drop zone.

Some of the people greeting the Soldiers came with gifts. One Soldier sat up to find two children each offering him a can of beer.

Spec. Jonathon R. Winterhalter of the Medical platoon, 4th Ranger Training Battalion, came off the landing zone carrying a bouquet of flowers that was handed to him.

Soldiers who took part in the jump, known as Task Force Overlord 61, participated in numerous remembrance ceremonies to honor fallen Americans and the French citizens who died helping them.

Spec. Thomas C. Bridgeman, a rigger with the 421st Quartermaster of Fort Valley, Ga., said the event was a great experience and seeing the results of past sacrifices made a lasting impression.

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"The most memorable thing about the trip was the wreath laying ceremony at the cemetery at Omaha Beach and seeing the grave markers of all the men who didn't make it back," he said,

Task force Soldiers actually met some of the Army Paratroopers who in the early hours of June 6, 1944, led the invasion of Europe.

At the village of Graignes, task force Soldiers were shown the battlefield by Colonel Frank Naughton (Ret.) of Atlanta, GA, and former Sgt. John Hinchliff of Wisconsin. Naughton and Hinchliff reminisced about Soldiers who fought and died in the battle at the village and the French civilians who helped them.

"I can see now why they are called the greatest generation," Revell said. "It is my opinion that we won that war and seized key objectives in spite of tremendous setbacks and staggering loss of life because of grit, determination and divine providence."

In cities such as Saint Mere Eglise, Carentan and Graignes, the task force placed wreaths at monuments erected by the local governments.

The 421st Quartermaster Company, is the only Army Reserve unit which participates with the active duty Army units in Task Force Overlord each year.

“We are invited because as parachute riggers, we work closely with the active duty units,” Chief Warrant Officer 3 Michael A. Rich said.

Besides honoring fallen Soldiers of the past, the cities of Saint Mere Eglise, Graignes, Carentan and Cherbourg honored past and current American Soldiers for their sacrifices.

The resulting banquets were attended by the Soldiers of Task Force Overlord 61, veterans of the Normandy invasion, local and regional government officials and local citizens.

At the banquets, Soldiers were able to sample a wide variety of French food and beverage. The task force presented local mayors with a matted and framed print of an Army Airborne Soldier as a token of appreciation from the U.S. Army and the American people.

The trip was not all work for members of the task force. There were many opportunities to absorb the local culture.

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Some soldiers were “adopted” by local families for the duration of their stay. They were taken into the homes of their adoptive families for dinner and entertainment.

"It was great to experience something as important as the anniversary of D-Day," Bridgeman said. "I would definitely like to go back."

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