Commentary
In my past recognition of the anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of the beaches of Normandy, June 6, 1944, I wrote of the trip my wife and I took there in 1999. It is among the most memorable of our trips across Europe.
On this, the 77th anniversary, I decided to tell you about a military mission leading up to the invasion that gets little recognition – the capture and securing of Pegasus Bridge at Benouville, France.
British Company D, a small detachment under the command of Maj. John Howard, was given the assignment to secure the Pegasus Bridge. Without it, the 6th Airborne would have been trapped and vulnerable to enemy fighting.
After two years of training with the members of his division unaware of their mission except that they would one day be called upon to capture and hold a bridge. They trained at night flying in gliders.
The men of Company D were the first to land on French soil at midnight June 5, 1944. The rigorous training paid off as six Airspeed Horsa gliders, made mostly of wood, made a rough night landing near the bridge. Reportedly the bridge was secured within 10 minutes.
(Courtesy Printerest)
Standing on the site, overlooking a small open field where the gliders landed, it is hard to imagine how the mission was successfully executed. A bust of Major Howard is located there. Like all missions, there were the unplanned incidents.
When we visited there, the area around the bridge was a popular tourist site for those aware of the mission. The bridge in my photo is actually one that replaced the original bridge in 1994. The original bridge is on display at a museum in Ranville, where the remains of a number of soldiers are buried in a small cemetery.
If you are interested in the details of the mission, I recommend Stephen E. Ambrose’s book, “Pegasus Bridge.” And, if you are fortunate to get to Normandy, a side trip to the site of the bridge is recommended.
It is my hope that someone on the White House staff reminds the president of the anniversary of D-Day, and that he pays tribute to those who lost their lives.
FINALLY, let’s recall these words from President Reagan’s memorable speech at Pointe du Hoc in 1984:
“Behind me is a memorial that symbolizes the Ranger daggers that were thrust into the top of these cliffs. And before me are the men who put them there.
“These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war.”
Now, more than ever … may God continue to bless the United States of America.
