Coal Miner's Sons
--General Gavin reviewing the troopsA gun is a tool entirely without humor
--Absent Without Leave, Heinrich Böll
Whether all is really lost
or not depends entirely on
whether or not I am lost
--It is I Who Must Begin,
Vaclav Havel
____________________
Let us celebrate the 68th anniversary of D-Day by looking at a photo memory of two Airborne officers -- one being an inspiration to a later generation of paratroopers. It is a photo of two slim guys named Jim shaking hands, one of my most cherished moments of my brief service. Ranger was 26 here, and D-Day was 28 years past.
This photo was taken in 1972 when two men, both sons of Pennsylvania coal miners, met at Ft. Benning, Georgia at the Headquarters of the 4th Student Battalion (Abn.), commonly called, Jump School. General Gavin was kind enough to visit our unit, providing a link between the Old School officers and the new troopers.
No history is needed for Gen. Gavin as the history of World War II and the 82nd Airborne is also the history of men like Gavin. He jumped into actions with his men, and always carried an M-1 rifle, the assigned weapon of the Infantryman. Gavin carried the weapon of a buck Private, just as Gen. Grant wore the Private's tunic throughout the Civil War; both men were linked to the fighting men of their command.
General Gavin participated in ground combat and killed Germans -- on one occasion a Machine Gunner and crew -- with direct fire from his assigned weapon, the basic tool of the Army. Those were the days that created the Airborne mythos which guys like Ranger sought to emulate.
Above is an Army plaque that shows what Airborne and Ranger Infantry looked like in WW II. These plaques used to be in every Army day room back in the 1960's and 70's; Ranger liberated this copy just as Gavin's 82nd helped liberate France.
General Gavin is buried at West Point Military Academy. How can anyone live up to the standards of men like Gen. Gavin?
Will my pen ever be more effective than an M-1 rifle?
--Tyke demonstrating how the paratroopers
must have felt on D-Day
must have felt on D-Day
Labels: 82nd airborne division d-day, airborne school, D-day, general james maurice gavin, u.s army jump school
posted by rangeragainstwar at 2:59 PM
3 Comments:
As great as the accomplishments these guys made on the battlefield of Europe were, in my opinion they and their families did greater things after they came back home, went to school, and built highways, cities and rockets that took us to the moon and back.
With the help of a few former German enemies.
It seems those things aren't as important so much anymore.
bb
The advantage of elite troops is that an airborne corporal is as good as a sergeant in the regular army. The disadvantage is that that man is not a sergeant in the regular army.
bb,
Pls remember the mindset and the estimated % of casualties for the Airborne on D day.
it was estimated 90% potential casualties.
And these men still chuted up.
jim
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