Backpack Returned

The Normandy invasion on June 6, 1944, known as D- Day was one of the turning points of twentieth century history.  The Western Allies were finally able to deliver their greatest blow of the war, the long delayed, cross channel invasion of northern France, code named Overlord. General Dwight D Eisenhower was supreme commander of this operation that ultimately involved the coordinated efforts of 12 nations, 175,000 allied troops, and 50,000 vehicles as well as numerous ships and landing boats.

At 3 am June 6, 1944, 13,400 American paratroopers began to land behind enemy lines in the French countryside. Their mission was to capture bridges, destroy communication lines and stop German reinforcements from reaching the invasion beaches.  2,499 of these brave men became casualties on D-Day.

Richard G Alsman of Lawrenceville served in WWII and was involved in the D-Day invasion.    This is his account as it was published in the Daily Record on the 75^th anniversary of the Great Crusade.

“In the early darkness hours of D-Day, I dropped from the skies into a tree in an apple orchard near Chef- du- Pont France. I cut a strap allowing myself to fall to the hedgerow and then onto the ground below. Soon I was joined by a couple of other troopers. We started to walk toward a barn until we heard voices coming from the barn.

Having orders not to engage the enemy in small groups and not knowing whether the voices were friend or foe, we took another direction.

Thirty-four years later, I returned to Normandy for a regimental reunion and was able to visit the orchard and farm where I had landed on D-Day.

The man of the house had been one of the voices we heard in the barn on that night in June 1944. He told me the story of two small brothers.

Hearing the ack- ack, they sneaked out of the barn to see what was going on. Having seen a paratrooper land in a tree, they discussed among themselves what they should do.

Then they saw the paratrooper leave their property and they quickly collected the parachute and backpacks as valuable treasures.

During the following years their mother had used a reserve chute for sheets, but the backpack was placed in the hayloft where it remained untouched until June 1978.

The French farmer went to the barn and returned back with the backpack, which he presented it to me. Being unable to bring it back home with me I left the backpack with the farmer.

Much to my pleasure and surprise, the backpack arrived at my home a month later, having been sent by airmail by the French family.

(Readers, we are looking for stories of other Lawrence County men who were fought on D-Day. Please send them to lawrencelore@gmail.com for our archives.)