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Amazing account, Cornelius Ryan's Fall of Berlin is a fascinating book. Anyone interested in WW2 history, I highly recommend this book. Thank You for keeping history alive through YT
My cousin, Billy Dulabon, dropped into St. Mere Eglise that morning but died before he hit the ground according to his buddy coming down beside him. Left a wife and a newborn son in Pittsburgh. God bless all of these guys and their families.
You bet. Bless all of them...Hope they are all having a grand time in their heaven. A place made especially for those who made the ultimate sacrifice. God bless them all. 🙏💜🌿
My late FIL was at st. Mère Église as part of the 82nd, 506 Bravo. He too talked little of the action seen other than getting blown out of the jump zone, connecting with elements of the 101st. He also witnessed Steele hanging from the bell tower. My FIL fought all the way into the Buldge and was evacuated after the victory due to frozen feet. Incredible warriors from an incredible generation.
In 2006 I was on a WWII tour from the D Day museum in New Orleans where we spent three days in Normandy. Our tour guide was a man named Ronald Drez. He was an author and was a research assistant for Stephen Ambrose as well as a combat veteran. While at the Omaha Cemetery, he told us a story of a paratrooper named Sgt. John Ray. In the story, he revealed that there were two troopers hung up on each of the two steeples that were on the dark side of the church from the fire not just one as is believed. The second and relatively unknown trooper was closer to the ground than Steele was. I wish I could remember the other troopers name but I don’t. The trooper was struggling to free himself when a German soldier walked around the backside of the church and saw both Steele and the other trooper. He raised his Kar. 98 to fire on the two helpless troopers when Sgt. Ray landed on a small farm Shed just to the back side of the church. Ray slid off the roof and landed on the ground. The German soldier heard the noise and turned around, and seeing Ray struggling to get up from the fall promptly shot Ray, mortally wounding him. Sgt. Ray did not die immediately and before dying, he pulled out his .45 and killed the German who had turned back to the two helpless and trapped troopers intent on killing them. The other trooper who was closer to the ground than Steele was able to free himself and join the fight. Steele was too high up to help so the other trooper went off to fight. That trooper went on two earn either two silver and one bronze stars or the reverse by the end of the war, again my memory fails me. After the war, that trooper returned to Sgt. Ray’s grave in the Omaha cemetery and buried a small amount of money he owed Sgt. Ray at the base of his grave stone. It was that trooper who revealed this episode to Mr. Drez. In a Paul Harvey “the rest of the story moment”, I give you the following…Mr. Drez relates the story of Sgt. Ray’s death in front of his marker at Omaha to all the tours he leads (or did up till 2006). I don’t know now. Regardless, on one tour when he asked if any of the people in the group had family who fought in Normandy there was an elderly woman who said she lost her brother in Normandy but didn’t know any details. That lady happened to be Sgt. John Ray’s sister and she was able to find out what happened to her brother from Mr. Drez. The names on the markers are not easy to read from certain angles and light conditions. It is apparently a tradition for people to take sand from the DDay beaches and rub it onto the face of the marker. This makes the names much easier to see and read. Mr. Drez had some sand and showed this process to us on Sgt. Ray’s grave stone. I have traveled quite a bit in my lifetime but that D Day tour from the D Day museum was the absolute best travel experience I’ve ever had. Mr. Drez was an incredible tour guide and source of information.
@@thehistoryexplorerI commented on this video before I had a chance to watch it. This video tracks very closely to what Mr. Drez told us so I suspect Mr. Russell was the other trooper whose name I couldn’t remember. The entire continent drips with poignant history stories that are absolutely fascinating and frequently heartbreaking. We visited Hells Highway, Brecourt Manor, Bastogne and many other places and as an amateur historian I was in awe. I stood on Omaha at low tide and marveled how anyone made it off that beach alive. Everywhere you go, momentous historical events occurred in the area. It is a sobering and thought provoking area of our world.
This is close to what my grandson experienced. He took an Advanced Placement WWII History Class last year as a senior in high school. His teacher works at the now called National WWII Museum in NOLA. His class used the museum's large library for research, they did podcast on the war called Tigers By The Fire on Apple, attended several conferences including 1 for the 20th Anniversary of Band Of Brothers with actors, writers & even a vet from the Battle of the Bulge. It's on the museum's TH-cam Channel & worth a listen. The class visited London, Paris & Normandy & they visited this church. On a side note Sgt Ray was from Gretna, LA which is a town directly across the Mississippi River from the museum. His wife stilled lived there.
I read your comment. My wife and I took a tour of Pearl Harbor a few years ago. Tours like this really make you think about what these soldiers/sailors went thru. I appreciate you giving the details of the paratrooper incident because I was curious. When watching it in the movie one always thinks Hollywood embellishment. Thank you for giving us the details and other information.
@@gerryconstant4914 I have been through Gretna many times. I did not know Sgt. Ray was from there. Somehow, this makes it an even sadder and more poignant story to me. My stepfather was a Vietnam war veteran PJ who recently passed. He used to tell me of a favorite phrase of his. “To those who fought for it, Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.” Truly hero’s don’t wear capes, they wear Dog Tags and Combat Boots. May God bless all our military personnel. They make incredible sacrifices so we may live the life we do.
Thank you for your service. I too am a vet of 20 years, including Iraq. WWII veterans should be respected for their sacrifices regardless of what they did. Typing orders in a HQ had to be done by someone. That someone saw terrible things, suffered losses of friends, food, sleep and more. Why question any of it?
I watched this for the first time in 1974 in Hobart, Tasmania with my parents and siblings gathered around a warm fire and our black and white TV. I was 10 years old and was immediately struck by Red Buttons hanging from that church steeple and the paratroopers landing in the St.Mere Eglise town square, only to be gunned down. I never imagined I would become a paratrooper many years later with the 3RAR Parachute Battalion in the Australian Army. I was lucky to have been involved in many C-130 night jumps in full combat gear. The physical and emotional energy expended doing just one jump, including the build up to it was equivalant to a ten hour working day, and that is without being shot at and watching mates killed under horrendous and terrifying circumstances. I often reflect how those boys must've felt on that night of nights and the heroism and sacrifice of that brave young American generation. Thank you.
The Red Buttons character was not gunned down but his character was shot in the foot he was later lowered to the ground as in the movie he was trying to talk to other para troopers but could not hear as the bells deafen him.
Thank you so much for sharing a bit of your story with us. Don't forget to write your own story, (along with this but here) and leave it - at least for your family to pass on. Blessings for you all. 🙏💜🌿
Practically all of the fathers of the kids I grew up with were WWII or Korean War vets. I heard a lot of tales and accepted them at face value even when I knew the man telling one might be a scoundrel, but Dad taught me to respect their service, so I did. I don't know how accurate Steele's story is, nor do I care. He was there and that is enough for me. I personally only knew one paratrooper who made the D-Day jump. He was the father of my childhood best friend, Tuck Monroe, when I was in kindergarten and grade school. His Dad got entangled in a tree and was spotted by a German soldier who shot him in the leg. He feigned death, hoping the German would not shoot him again and it worked. The Heer trooper moved on to search for other Americans in the dark. Tuck's Dad hung there all night, helpless. When daylight came he was located by other American paratroopers and a medic treated his wound, but he had to be sent to a hospital where his leg was amputated, thus ending the military service of Private Robert Fraser Munroe (1922 - 1969).
There was a cool little show about the war before airing the Paris Olympics last year. A reporter went in, talked with various townspeople. These two young teens had their own little museum going, their whole garage was filled with things they had found over the years from the war. Absolutely delightful family, and bright children keeping war history, and it's paraphernalia alive. They had so much love and appreciation for all the soldiers. I would love to visit them, and see their little museum. Blessings for all these good people. 🙏💜🌿
This is a fascinating story. I'm 70, and grew up watching WW ll movies and reading war books. An uncle on my mom's side served as a radioman with the Big Red One. He was wounded on D-Day, and again more seriously at the battle of Aachen, Germany. He rarely spoke about his war experience. When my aunt gave birth to a daughter, he was relieved and said he did not want a son to go through what he had. They had no more children.
My father was Lt. Bill Savell, the 2nd Platoon commanding officer, Company F, 2nd Battalion, 505 PIR. He and his plane load of men landed six miles short of target and he walked all night to get into Ste.-Mere-Eglise He collaborated these events pretty much as recorded. John Ray, a young man from Louisiana who saved these guys on the church, died of his wounds the next day. He is buried in the US Cemetery above Omaha Beach. My dad lost seven of his men from that plane including his second in command and best friend. My son and I were able to meet Ken Russell and Stephen Ambrose in front of that church at the 55th Anniversary of D-day.
Like so many of Dad’s generation, he spoke very little about his experience although he was one of the few who made and survived four jumps. After 30+ days of fighting in the hedgerows of Normandy, he and his third in command were the only officers remaining in F Company. Dad went on to lead the 2nd Platoon of F Company in the Market Garden jump in Holland. He was severely wounded, being shot through both arms, while assaulting the highway bridge at Nijmegen. This assault and his wounding are recorded in Phil Nordyke’s book, “An Irresistible Force” which I highly recommend. Although being triaged as fatal due to loss of blood, Dad survived to marry and raise four children: a dentist, a psychologist, an engineer and a teacher. British surgeons saved my dad’s right arm by taking a section of bone from his left shin to replace the bone blown away in his right forearm (a truly remarkable surgery for 1944). Although classified as 100 percent disabled and retired as a captain, he never considered himself disabled. He was an influential Christian and became the number one professional in his company in insurance claims adjusting. He suffered a stroke while at a reunion at Fort Bragg in 1997 passing 15 months later.
I remember seeing this in the movie "The Longest Day" one of my favourite war films with a great cast. If it was really him hanging from one of the towers - he pretended to be dead,well he could well have done to avoid being shot. My uncle who was a Battle of Britain Pilot crash landed his plane in enemy territory, he pretended he was dead in the plane and the Germans fell for it, after a bit he made his escape with the help of the resistance but it bought him time to get away. There was probably quite a few similar stories throughout the war.. In my eyes they were all heroes going through that hell.
Really well, impartially told, account of ‘what happened’. I thought your final reflection of, ‘does it really matter?’, is exactly the right position to take. Those men, voluntarily, descended, slowly into a hell I can scarcely imagine. As you say, heroes, every last one of them.
@@thehistoryexplorer I suspect it’s in the nature of what you do. Tell some folk the time, or try to explain that night follows day, and there’ll, sadly, always be those willing to take issue with your adopted position. Keep up the good work.
My dad is still alive and piloted a B17 and was shot down over Ploesti. Lucky or unlucky to be picked up by the Russians. But that's a different, horrific story we have very few details about. He forgot about the war at his first opportunity. He rarely talks of the war except maybe a little about the equipment, aircraft or uniform. Conversations dropped off real fast. I'm a combat veteran and belong to Veterans organizations. WW2 veterans rarely talked of the war and never about combat, ever. My wifes grandfather was a British tank crewman and fought in Africa and across Europe. Only conversations were about tanks and tank maintenance. Never ever talked of the tragic combat he endured. He once mentioned they never heard of "the Desert Fox Rommel and that any tales are all Hollywood." A lot of Paratroopers got hung up on a lot of things and generally the church episode was just filed away in experiences like it was the kinda thing one expects. I believe it happened.
I would be honored to know more about your father's participation in WWII. So much to say, but cannot. Respect and honor for the heroes. We all should learn from them.
My dad was a WW2 veteran. Enlisted in 42 at age 20 turned 21 in August. He never really told me much about his experience. He did receive at least 1 bronze star (mom claimed he had a second one), Purple Heart. The strange thing was he was enlisted in 42 but didn’t touch down in Europe until 45. The one thing he shared, said his unit was sent all over the states for trainings. When he finally got there February I believe they where attached to Patton’s 3rd Army. I remember asking him about the wars end and the Russian threat, he just commented we never went to sleep at night without our guns, tanks and artillery pointed in their direction. There was a picture of his 5 man squad doing a bayonet drills in front of Patton in is him towns news paper (McKeesport Rocks, Pittsburgh) There were several men from his home town in the unit. After reading and watching many, many WW2 stories I had heard that during the liberation of the death camps that Patton had made all local units to the camp walk through them to see why they we’re fighting, I feel like this encounter is why he never wanted to talk about the war.
I've always been amazed by the amount of respect and admiration the French people gave- and continue to give to those who came to fight for their freedom. For generations they have cared for our graves, and honored the battlefields on which they died with placques, memorials, and statues. I don't think the French people would go "all-in" if there wasnt some element of truth to this legend. Just my thoughts- these and $3 USD will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Great video as always Rob!
Thank you very much buddy. It really is touching when you visit these places and there is someone cleaning an information board, tending to a memorial garden etc The people of Normandy are brilliant
The Normandy Cemetary is not maintained by the French nor do they pay for its upkeep. All military cemeteries including the one in Normandy are maintained at US taxpayer expense by the American Battle Monuments Commission. I visited St Mere Eglise in 1982 before Saving Private Ryan turned it into a World War Two tourist trap. It was my experience the people were rude and went out of their way to make you feel unwelcome. Having said that it was the younger people who were rude. Those who were of age to remember, and in 1982 there were plenty of them, were gracious. It has changed since then. Now the area is overrun with tourist and tourist dollars. American Express, don't leave home without it.
Bad things do happen in the world. Like war, natural disasters, disease. But out of those situations always arise stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Let us remember the brave souls who never made it back. For their sacrifice, we`ll be forever in their debt. Lest we forget ❤ Nice upload, thumbs up 👍
Many dont realize this but the American paratroopers landed all over Europe at different times. One such event was the time a paratrooper landed in my great grandmother's apple tree in Hungary. Story is she had her pitchfork under him until she realized he wasnt a Russian and would do her no harm. She helped get him down gave him food and drink and did her best giving him directions he had to get to on his map. He was abit off course!
@@thehistoryexplorer I suspect Budapest or nearby. My family was in Hercegfalva @ 1 hr from there. They encountered the Germans and the Russians come through. The American paratrooper was perhaps from a select miltary operation that occurred?
@@thehistoryexplorer Correction...it was a American bombing raid in 1944 that led up to event. The Americans were taking out Germanys fuel supply as they were occupying Hungary. Plane was shot down.
I went on a private tour of the American Sector with an excellent tour guide who has spent decades speaking with D-Day veterans and is former British military. It is interesting to note that the parachutist effigy that hangs on the church is actually positioned incorrectly. It used to hang in the correct spot but has been moved to be in view of the gigantic parking lot that serves the church and nearby museum. Also interesting to note that Bill Guarnere, notably a member of E Co. 506th PIR, also landed on the roof of the church, sliding down on the opposite side of the building from the parking lot and main square of the town. This information comes directly from our tour guide. It would not be surprising if other US Airborne troops did not notice John Steel hanging from the bell tower. It was the middle of the night and very chaotic there - a building was on fire and the German garrison and townspeople were uncharacteristically awake and in the town center trying to put out the blaze. Guarnere hit the ground next to another paratrooper and they both took off away from the town, not knowing exactly where they were but sure they had to get away from where they landed immediately. In this situation, I doubt any of these men had the time to pause and look all around to take in the scene and figure out who else was nearby.
Once again you surprise with a new video. I’ve seen pictures of the paratrooper and wondered who was he what happened too him. Now I know. Thank you for making this beautiful wonderful picture. You never fail with your subject picked and brought back to life.
John M. Steele was on the TV show ‘To Tell The Truth’ back in January 1962, the original black & white series hosted by Bud Collier. Steele was correctly identified as the real hanging paratrooper by two panelists- Tom Poston and Johnny Carson. On that show they first announced Red Buttons would play Steele in a movie to be made called “The Longest Day” based on the book by Cornelius Ryan.
I feel in my heart its all true. Ive watched that movie since the first time one Saturday afternoon. When we only had 3 or 5 channels. For some reason i would always catch it when it was already started. Remember when that would happen. There was no rewind . Just tried to pay attention and look at the TV guide. Or the paper. Wonderful times. And a great movie for my little sister and me to watch on a Saturday afternoon.
I like Paul Woodadges take on it of WW2TV. He comes to the same conclusion. He talked to many veterans. No proof of it happeneing and most probably even on the other side of the church. But they hanged to figure on this side nowadays so it can be seen by tourists.
Just a short note of thanks for the video. I was in Saint Mère Église for the 80th anniversary of D-Day earlier this month. Of interest, while there we were invited to the Jumelage (twinning) ceremony between Saint Mère and Metropolis, Ill. We (the Grey Berets) were there to honor the first military weathermen who jumped/glided into combat, one of whom was SSGT Robert Dobson, a native of Metropolis. His daughter, nephew and great nephew accompanied us. Dodson's great nephew, Beau Dodson, is a well-know meteorologist in Metropolis today. Several representatives from the 82nd Abn Division were also there including the Division Chaplain and Command Sergeant Major. A new statue of John Steele is planned for Metropolis to go next to the 15-foot tall "Man of Steel" statue in the town square.
Who cares if it is 100%v accurate, He served, He was their, He put his life on the line defending freedom. Thank you Sir for your service. And it makes a great story.
I belive John Steele! My dad was an Army air corp. pilot and had 3 Uncles that fought in WWll. My mom's sister's husband lande on Omaha as a 19 year old medic. Not sure what wave of troops he landed with but he survived the war and passed away in 1998.
Steele was seen by the wife of the mayor of Sainte-Mère-Église she even told Ike Eisenhower on camera after the war when he was visiting Normandy for the 20th anniversary that she saw Steel. And as for Steele and Ryan only had one conversation with each other, which is not true Ryan spoke to Steele on the telephone asking the very same question “how did he get down from the church tower” Steele replied the Germans lowered him by a rope. And as for only one person corroborating that Steele was seen hanging from the tower you mentioned Russell, but as I said the wife of the mayor of the town saw him, and you forgot the two Germans in the church tower on the night of 6 June 1944 so that’s four people that saw him! I’m a bit tired of post-war revisionists trying to sell a book or click baiting on the internet, I would rather take the word of people that were there, than some self appointed experts giving back handed compliments to the person whilst accusing them of lying
Thanks for your feedback. The reality is there are plenty of people who contradict those statements. For example, the two Germans in the tower originally claimed they brought him in through the tower and down the steps inside the church. The two accounts of the Germans also differed. I didn’t go into detail about their accounts as it would add another 10minutes to the video at least. Marty Morgan says there is no evidence Cornelius Ryan and Steele spoke on the phone or communicated in detail after the initial questionnaire . For example, Steel wrote to Cornelius Ryan asking for help in getting tickets for the movie premier. The letter reads like someone who is introducing himself and not someone who has had multiple telephone conversations with the recipient. It’s very formal. I’m not an expert and I’m not a historian. Just presenting some views for people who don’t know the story. Regardless, I appreciate your feedback and your point of view
It was brought up on another internet video that the dummy is on the opposite side from the side he actually dangled. I believe it happened I too do not like revisionist versions. For one thing as times pass peoples memory plays games and also people who are actual witnesses pass.
These people make me sick with their opinion 70 - 80 years later that this didn't happen or that's not true. Also the comments about the Yanks came in tnto the war when it was almost over if it wasn't for Russia Germany would have won the war. People are a joke. Get a life.
@@robharris8844UWell, is it revisionist to try find out the truth? The book Longest Day should not be taken as an historic account, nither all war stories. Perhaps he did end up on the church tower, but I find it highly unlikley.
@@Nyllsor- Based on witness on that night it's very likely. Besides the Mayor's wife account. There also Lieutenant Young account of seeing Steele dangling in the church steeples, thinking him to be dead. Cornelius Ryan interviewed personally hundreds of witnesses in all country and have them crossed referenced them to other witnesses, records and letters before he wrote the book. There's a whole list of people he interviewed personally after the war, it's written at the end of the book. It goes from Eisenhower to Montgomery to Hans Spiedel and Blumentritt from the Germany. There's a reason a lot scholars held Cornelius Ryan in high regard. He's quite thorough and meticulous. He's one the first to interview the key player right after the war when their memory are still fresh. It took him nearly 15 years to finally finish the book. And no, he didn't just rely on a single page open letter questionnaire to get his accounts. General Maxwell Taylor, who's then the Secretary of Defense in the 50's, was the commanding General of the 101st airborne in Normandy gave Ryan a thorough account of the exact actions of the 101st, with maps, photos and records. Same with General Gavin of the 82nd Airborne. He too gave C Ryan a indept account of the actions of the 82nd too. These are just examples. Something that modern historians have no access to. It's OK to question the accuracy of all well known History books. Those writers are not infallible, but you must also equally question and check those who also write an alternative versions of the account and not just spout as if they are the truth immediately.
You are absolutely correct about the veracity of first person accounts. They are notoriously unreliable and very frequently contradict each other when there are multiple witnesses. The passage of time very often makes those accounts even less reliable and accounts very frequently change over time. Honestly, a big bad tough guy who was a good 10 years past his prime when he volunteered for airborn who loved New Orleans Jazz and made (at least) 4 jumps into some of the most dangerous and important battle sites in the war and suffering a broken leg on his first one, gets the benefit of the doubt from me. You are also right that ultimately it matters very little whether its absolutely true or not.
thank you for your service, i too am an army vet. some of my buddies recollections differ from mine, but its not important whos right and whos wrong, i served in Germany from 1969 to 1971
@@thehistoryexplorer the American western movies and tv shows were popular, they thought that was how we lived, i had several people ask me if we were still fighting the indians
Absolutely fascinating! And how nice you narrated it yourself. Loved seeing the vintage clips and the movie snippets. Very well presented, and the fact that you included a bit of mystery and invited viewers to consider all angles and possibilities made it that much more intriguing. Great job! Would really enjoy more lengthy and historically informative videos like this. Thank you 👍😊
Of all the combat veterans I’ve personally known or known of, I wish I could have talked to my father’s friend…a former Wehrmacht major who served on the Eastern Front and then survived a decade in Siberia. He passed away while I was still in middle school.
@@thehistoryexplorer I did get to meet him when I was a small boy. I remember a slim, vaguely sad man who always buttoned his shirts to his throat and seemingly never went anywhere without candy in his pockets, which he shared liberally. My dad met him on his first USAF posting to Germany and then took around on his second, to introduce us. The Major looked at his wife and said, “Look, we have grandchildren now! And a new daughter!” He never fully recovered from his time in Siberia so, somehow, they “adopted” my dad. He also didn’t have a bad thing to say about anyone except his jailers in Siberia “for their casualty brutality” and the Nazis, “evil men who created evil men, including in Russia.” I, of course, was too young to understand any of this until long after we’d returned to the States. By the time it occurred to me to go back to Germany and do the research, he was gone 😢
Auberge John Steele is a nice restaurant and hotel owned by a lovely couple. My wife, daughter, and I had the pleasure of staying there at the end of May. I wish we had more time to visit.
Completely agree, to have served in all 3 of those campaigns must have been nothing short of nerve wracking, it absolutely doesn't matter what the truth of it is, what matters is the bravery and sacrifice these men showed to repeatedly jump out of a plane behind enemy lines and fight against the odds. We should absolutely never forget the bravery of these blokes.
I think the lack of corroborated evidence actually supports the genuineness of the story. If he had gone around trying to answer each and every question this would have only encouraged others to ask more questions.
Great story! I remember watching a while back! I knew it was based on real events of ww2, but didn’t know the story of the paratrooper! By the way! Thank you for your service!🙏🫡
My Dad, Harold W. Craig, was with F Co. that night landing in St. Mere Eglise in the Cemetery. He told me that he saw a trooper hanging from the church steeple. I don't think he knew the troopers name at the time. He along with other troopers who landed in the cemetery discussed rescuing the man, but decided that there were too many German troops in that immediate area to be successful. Dad had the opportunity to return to St. Mere Eglise in 1984 for the 40th anniversary. He had plane tickets and hotel reservations when he cancelled the trip. He told me he just couldn't go. It wasn't till my own son returned from two tours in Iraq and diagnosed with severe PTSD, and TBI that I realized that my Dad had severe PTSD also. Him cancelling the trip made sense then. Dad was also severely wounded on July 3rd 1944 at the bottom of hill 131. These troopers really were hero's whose stories of self sacrifice are passed down from generation to generation.
John Steele is a hero by any definition of the word and his story of hanging from the church is so original and crazy that I doubt it could be made up. I believe it very well could have happened.
Great job researching this story and putting it onto TH-cam. I've been aware of this since first reading The Longest Day about the time it was initially published. I've seen the movie five or six times over the years. I had no idea about the merit of the claim about the paratrooper hanging from the steeple on the church. I do recall, however, that the Red Button's character is shot in the foot by a German on the ground with a sub-machine gun. Apparently from what you say here, the paratrooper was not shot in his foot. I'd love to learn a lot more about this account. I'm a serious (40 plus years of research) Pearl Harbor historian. Much of what comes out about war is fabricated. No matter what, you've brought an unusual episode to life which you've questioned---that I have long wondered about. I note that you are serving (I suspect in the British armed services). My dad was a U.S. Navy doctor during my youth. I served as a hospital corpsman, U.S. Navy, from 24 August 1970 to 10 November 1971. Thank you for your service! And thank you for this very interesting and objective report. You are very much appreciated. Andrew "Andy" McKane, 27 August 2024, Maunaloa, Hawaii.
My Uncle was with the 101stnand dropped On D-day. He told me and my cousin that he saw the paratrooper hanging on the steeple. He did not consider it of note at the time, because he assumed he was dead. I wish I had heard these stories questioning this story before my Uncle died. If so, I would have asked him again. Was my uncle mistaken? The trauma of war can do many things. Was my uncle a liar? ADSOLUTELY NOT!! He was a hero like so many others. He did not tell my cousin and I until 1962. Before that, he had refused to talk about anything about the war. He was shot through the left lung, 1/2 inch from his heart right before the Bulge. I for one believe him. Where Steele was hanging may not have been where it was shown in movie by the way. Because it was in the other side, he could have swung much lower to the ground than depicted. I just wish I had known the controversy before he died so I could get clarification.
This video is very interesting because it is analytical and considers different aspects. Some comments are written by people who feel attacked just because they misunderstood the video. I don't know how things went but as you said, whether he did it or not doesn't change the fact that he was a hero
Great discussion. I agree there is probably truth here but the exact version may never be known. I was on an Easy Company tour to ST Mere Eglise a few years ago. The guide said Steele was on the side of the steeple away from the town square but they show the Steel replica facing the square. Saw where Winters landed, The series made it look more like he landed in a field. Again great job.
I don’t see why Steele would make up a story like that. All the D Day paratrooper vets I’ve seen interviewed are very specific about their landing, a vivid memory. The fact Steele only mentioned it in one passing sentence to the man writing the book, suggests he wasn’t looking for attention, just stating the fact. I was in Afghanistan and agree accounts of incidents in war may vary widely, but you don’t make up things like that.
Thanks very much for the video. I have a first edition of the Longest Day but I had forgotten all about Mr Steele. I watch the movie every year on June 6th.
Agree with your comments 100%. I'm not a combat vet, 17 years service, 10 in Special Forces. But all recollections are varied as the number of people involved.
I remember Colonel Anthony Herbert, US Army in Vietnam, describing how guys would get ambushed, scattered in the confusion, trickle back alone to base and report themselves as the only survivor. Just to have another soldier show up minutes, hours, and sometimes a day later. Evidently, this happened more than once. No one was trying to “pad” a reputation as some kind of hero. The chaos was that intense…
A former British paratrooper I once worked with, around 1970, told of a military exercise between British and US troops in Germany in the mid 1950s. He personally saw a US Jeep hanging by it's 2 or 3 parachutes from a church tower 5 miles from the DZ!
I met a John Steele in 1978 while working as a summer intern in college. I was Army ROTC and mentioned that I'd go airborne/infantry upon commissioning. Then he and his colleagues all claimed that he hung from the church on D-Day. He wore a boot on his left foot that had an obvious built-up sole to compensate for a serious injury. This man was 101st.
@@thehistoryexplorer Not sure about your reply. All you did was repeat what you presented in your video. I don't doubt "that" John Steele died in '69 and was 82nd. You also called into question his story (rightly so) later in your video. My comment was that I met "a" John Steele who was 101st during WW2 with a physical disability that matched the depiction presented in the movie.
There's nothing more American than New Orleans Jazz & Dixieland. Back in the early days of the music in 1910 - 1915 it was spelled in variation, JASS, JAS & JASZ. I personally like Jass. Like the ODJB, Original Dixieland Jass Band 1915.
I had no idea until I saw your video what happened. Strange how time can change what one remembers. It’s strange no one remembers seeing a soldier hanging from a church? I choose to believe it until it’s officially debunked. Thank you for making this video and for your service!
Thank you for your kind feedback, some people are taking this video very personally! Anyone who knows me and my background knows I’m just sharing the story for interest
In the book Pvt. Steele, besides explaining on how he lost his knife and then acted dead, also noted he witness 2 paratroopers landed into the burning house. One, he thinks is Pvt White of the mortar squad of Steele. So it's very likely Cornelius Ryan has a much further interview with Steele after the initial letter. (The book did stated only around less than 30 paratroopers landed on the town and it's more of a light skirmish. Of course the confusion of the Germans and the French civilians during that night thought there was a major battle going on. The whole thing was an accidental incident.)
Glad you didnt gt hurt in that missile attack and thank you for sharing your experience. I never knew the whole story about the paratrooper. Isnt it sad that the other paratroopers arent more widely know?
I saw Red Buttons (actor who played John Steele) in person, in 1961, when he made a personal appearance at my local theater, for his movie "Five Weeks in a Balloon"! I knew him from his 1950's t,v, show & at age 15, I thought him to be middle-aged! When I turned 17, I entered Army Basic training & on my only day off, was able to see "The Longest Day" on base! Until now, I never knew that this "dangling soldier" incident, actually happened!
Circumstances of war distinctly require us to become a hero. Some heroes live so the story lives too. What lives grows. It’s our call to make it grow true. Let us strive to be hero enough in the aftermath to let what grows be true.
The other problem with Steele's story is that at midnight he was still en route from England in a C-47. The pathfinders of the 82nd Airborne Division didn't begin to drop until 01:21 according to the D-Day timeline, the rest of the division somewhat later. OK, he might have taken some liberties with the precise time, since it was a heck of a story. If it had happened to me I would not have shrunk from saying it happened "close enough" to midnight to answer the author's specific query about midnight. But geez, what *does* it matter? He made at least three combat jumps including Market Garden. That's enough to be a hero in my book.
@@thehistoryexplorer And thank you for looking into this story for us here in TH-cam-land. I remembered it vividly from having first seen The Longest Day decades ago and I always wondered what happened to the supposedly real-life soldier. (Band of Brothers hews closer to actual combat diaries of the 101st.)
Well, maybe, maybe not. Like you mentioned he served with distinction. Under normal circumstances, the memory can be fuzzy, I can only imagine, and I mean that literally, I can only imagine what it would be like under such extreme and violent circumstances. All the men that jumped or landed on the beaches on D-Day had balls of steel that the trousers could not hold
My father joined the Royal Air Force in 1943 and served for 22 years. He knew an RAF officer bomber pilot who had been shot down during the 1,000 bomber raid on Cologne in 1942. He managed to bail out but his parachute got caught up in one of the spires of the Cologne cathedral, and this man hung there during the entire bombing raid, hundreds of feet above the ground and helpless while hundreds of bombers dropped thousands of tons of bombs around him on the city. He was a young man of only 20 when this happened to him but his hair had turned pure white during this terrible ordeal.
Whatever he maybe and how he got out from that bell tower is not matter anymore. The important thing is this guy is also a war hero as part of the allied forces in normandy paratrooping on hostile area and eventually have himself caught suspended on bell tower of saint mere iglise. And no matter what the story goes on him he still a war veteran airborne and hero! Thats it!❤
All the soldiers who fought during the world war 2 they are All ‘HEROES’ because they gave their lives for freedom Against Dictatorship of Hitler and Hirohito …
You mentioned Richard Burton's name just as a scene with Richard Todd playing Major Howard appeared onscreen. As many viewer may already know, Todd actually was at Pegasus Bridge, but he parachuted in as part of the support force to assist Major Howard's glider troops.
First of all, I believe John Steeles' version that he hung from the roof of the church. It does not surprise me that Steele didn't report seeing the other two paratroopers. A building on fire may light up a scene but it is not sunlight. It will usually produce a sharp contrast between bright light and deep shadow which could have hidden the other troopers from Johns' sight and it's a big church and they may not have landed within his field of vision. Also, there were plenty of other distractions they may have taken his focus off the other men. How he got down? That is certainly the least of a mystery, either by being carried down the stairs or, more likely it seems, lowered down the stairs with the help of a rope makes absolutely no difference to the final story does it?
i was a 328 electronic warfare on a RC135 from 1980 to 84, I did and saw things that if i told you would call me a liar. why i say that is time tempers the truth with the reaction of the action. if the story is true or false then action has become the truth. the bravery of the person is not in doubt and to recant the story would dilute the action of every man that jump into D-day. the persons that can tell you if it was true or not are gone but not forgotten by every person that has seen or read the account. i say let the story stand and say thank you for everyone they didn't make it back and those that did.
Steel may have been on the other side of the church from the other paratroopers. It's also possible that Steel and the other two were blocked from view of each other by the roof of the church. Steele was higher up than the others, and further back from the side of the building.
My comment is less about the events in St. Mere Eglise than that of how memory serves us. Even events that are not traumatic will be remembered differently by two different people. I have heard stories from my friends about me that I know are pure rubbish. Maybe my memory isn’t as perfect as I think? Paul McCartney sings of such memories in a song titled “Early Days “ in which he sings, “as for me I don’t see how they could remember when they weren’t where it was at.” I think someone who dangled from that height would remember it very well.
When I was a kid my grandfather took me to his cedar chest and opened it. He pulled out a piece of silk about eighteen inches square and told me the story of this man and then told me that the piece of silk was a piece of his parachute. I am the only grandchild and after he died I received the chest, but the piece of silk was gone.
I remember watching The Longest Day and thinking that scene was probably done for cinematic effect. I find it incredible that any individuals can make any reliable accounts in the heat of battle, adrenaline, fear, the chaos of battle, identifying people, not to mention it was the middle of the night and judging from a few comments here he was on the other side of the bell tower. So, I'm inclined to believe his story. Stranger things have happened. I'm curious whether the Germans who were mentioned finding and cutting him down left any accounts....
They did leave accounts but way later. They contradicted each other and then changed stories too. Both had different accounts of how they got him down etc
Bottom line all the conjecture is irrelevant. The man was there and served his country well. They are all heroes in that regard . We owe them all a lifetime of gratitude and respect
I've just come back from a d-day tour in Normandy and actually went to visit this church. They have a mannequin with a parachute stuck on the roof and a stained glass window to commemorate the paratroopers.
Supposedly , Steele was actually caught on the "back side" of the Church' (shown facing a narrow street in your drone shot). The local townspeople display the mannequin paratrooper on the "town square" side of the church to make access and viewing easier. They told me the "paratrooper" is replaced annually as it starts to show wear and tear.
From the ladies that packed the parachutes to each and every man that served in what ever way I think they are all heroes in their own right. Awesome story though and I believe that it was possible although there is no hard evidence behind it.
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Amazing account, Cornelius Ryan's Fall of Berlin is a fascinating book. Anyone interested in WW2 history, I highly recommend this book.
Thank You for keeping history alive through YT
My cousin, Billy Dulabon, dropped into St. Mere Eglise that morning but died before he hit the ground according to his buddy coming down beside him.
Left a wife and a newborn son in Pittsburgh.
God bless all of these guys and their families.
That’s so sad. Sorry to hear that
@@thehistoryexplorer😢
You bet.
Bless all of them...Hope they are all having a grand time in their heaven. A place made especially for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
God bless them all.
🙏💜🌿
Very sorry to hear that! God Bless all these Great Veterans and there Families!!
My late FIL was at st. Mère Église as part of the 82nd, 506 Bravo. He too talked little of the action seen other than getting blown out of the jump zone, connecting with elements of the 101st. He also witnessed Steele hanging from the bell tower. My FIL fought all the way into the Buldge and was evacuated after the victory due to frozen feet. Incredible warriors from an incredible generation.
Outstanding. Thank you for sharing
The greatest generation. 🙏
Yes, thank you for sharing...I love reading about all these little stories about the young men who were there!
Bless your Father in Law!
🙏💜🌿
In 2006 I was on a WWII tour from the D Day museum in New Orleans where we spent three days in Normandy. Our tour guide was a man named Ronald Drez. He was an author and was a research assistant for Stephen Ambrose as well as a combat veteran. While at the Omaha Cemetery, he told us a story of a paratrooper named Sgt. John Ray. In the story, he revealed that there were two troopers hung up on each of the two steeples that were on the dark side of the church from the fire not just one as is believed. The second and relatively unknown trooper was closer to the ground than Steele was. I wish I could remember the other troopers name but I don’t. The trooper was struggling to free himself when a German soldier walked around the backside of the church and saw both Steele and the other trooper. He raised his Kar. 98 to fire on the two helpless troopers when Sgt. Ray landed on a small farm Shed just to the back side of the church. Ray slid off the roof and landed on the ground. The German soldier heard the noise and turned around, and seeing Ray struggling to get up from the fall promptly shot Ray, mortally wounding him. Sgt. Ray did not die immediately and before dying, he pulled out his .45 and killed the German who had turned back to the two helpless and trapped troopers intent on killing them. The other trooper who was closer to the ground than Steele was able to free himself and join the fight. Steele was too high up to help so the other trooper went off to fight. That trooper went on two earn either two silver and one bronze stars or the reverse by the end of the war, again my memory fails me. After the war, that trooper returned to Sgt. Ray’s grave in the Omaha cemetery and buried a small amount of money he owed Sgt. Ray at the base of his grave stone. It was that trooper who revealed this episode to Mr. Drez. In a Paul Harvey “the rest of the story moment”, I give you the following…Mr. Drez relates the story of Sgt. Ray’s death in front of his marker at Omaha to all the tours he leads (or did up till 2006). I don’t know now. Regardless, on one tour when he asked if any of the people in the group had family who fought in Normandy there was an elderly woman who said she lost her brother in Normandy but didn’t know any details. That lady happened to be Sgt. John Ray’s sister and she was able to find out what happened to her brother from Mr. Drez. The names on the markers are not easy to read from certain angles and light conditions. It is apparently a tradition for people to take sand from the DDay beaches and rub it onto the face of the marker. This makes the names much easier to see and read. Mr. Drez had some sand and showed this process to us on Sgt. Ray’s grave stone. I have traveled quite a bit in my lifetime but that D Day tour from the D Day museum was the absolute best travel experience I’ve ever had. Mr. Drez was an incredible tour guide and source of information.
A brilliant comment, thank you so much for sharing
@@thehistoryexplorerI commented on this video before I had a chance to watch it. This video tracks very closely to what Mr. Drez told us so I suspect Mr. Russell was the other trooper whose name I couldn’t remember. The entire continent drips with poignant history stories that are absolutely fascinating and frequently heartbreaking. We visited Hells Highway, Brecourt Manor, Bastogne and many other places and as an amateur historian I was in awe. I stood on Omaha at low tide and marveled how anyone made it off that beach alive. Everywhere you go, momentous historical events occurred in the area. It is a sobering and thought provoking area of our world.
This is close to what my grandson experienced. He took an Advanced Placement WWII History Class last year as a senior in high school. His teacher works at the now called National WWII Museum in NOLA. His class used the museum's large library for research, they did podcast on the war called Tigers By The Fire on Apple, attended several conferences including 1 for the 20th Anniversary of Band Of Brothers with actors, writers & even a vet from the Battle of the Bulge. It's on the museum's TH-cam Channel & worth a listen.
The class visited London, Paris & Normandy & they visited this church. On a side note Sgt Ray was from Gretna, LA which is a town directly across the Mississippi River from the museum. His wife stilled lived there.
I read your comment. My wife and I took a tour of Pearl Harbor a few years ago. Tours like this really make you think about what these soldiers/sailors went thru. I appreciate you giving the details of the paratrooper incident because I was curious. When watching it in the movie one always thinks Hollywood embellishment. Thank you for giving us the details and other information.
@@gerryconstant4914 I have been through Gretna many times. I did not know Sgt. Ray was from there. Somehow, this makes it an even sadder and more poignant story to me. My stepfather was a Vietnam war veteran PJ who recently passed. He used to tell me of a favorite phrase of his. “To those who fought for it, Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.” Truly hero’s don’t wear capes, they wear Dog Tags and Combat Boots. May God bless all our military personnel. They make incredible sacrifices so we may live the life we do.
Thank you for your service. I too am a vet of 20 years, including Iraq. WWII veterans should be respected for their sacrifices regardless of what they did. Typing orders in a HQ had to be done by someone. That someone saw terrible things, suffered losses of friends, food, sleep and more. Why question any of it?
I think in questioning it and doing research we understand more
@@thehistoryexplorer But then there is the question of stolen valor.
@@rexbentley8332I read an article describing Austrailian blokes caught in stolen valor
I watched this for the first time in 1974 in Hobart, Tasmania with my parents and siblings gathered around a warm fire and our black and white TV. I was 10 years old and was immediately struck by Red Buttons hanging from that church steeple and the paratroopers landing in the St.Mere Eglise town square, only to be gunned down.
I never imagined I would become a paratrooper many years later with the 3RAR Parachute Battalion in the Australian Army. I was lucky to have been involved in many C-130 night jumps in full combat gear. The physical and emotional energy expended doing just one jump, including the build up to it was equivalant to a ten hour working day, and that is without being shot at and watching mates killed under horrendous and terrifying circumstances.
I often reflect how those boys must've felt on that night of nights and the heroism and sacrifice of that brave young American generation. Thank you.
The Red Buttons character was not gunned down but his character was shot in the foot he was later lowered to the ground as in the movie he was trying to talk to other para troopers but could not hear as the bells deafen him.
Thank you so much for sharing a bit of your story with us. Don't forget to write your own story, (along with this but here) and leave it - at least for your family to pass on.
Blessings for you all.
🙏💜🌿
Practically all of the fathers of the kids I grew up with were WWII or Korean War vets. I heard a lot of tales and accepted them at face value even when I knew the man telling one might be a scoundrel, but Dad taught me to respect their service, so I did. I don't know how accurate Steele's story is, nor do I care. He was there and that is enough for me. I personally only knew one paratrooper who made the D-Day jump. He was the father of my childhood best friend, Tuck Monroe, when I was in kindergarten and grade school. His Dad got entangled in a tree and was spotted by a German soldier who shot him in the leg. He feigned death, hoping the German would not shoot him again and it worked. The Heer trooper moved on to search for other Americans in the dark. Tuck's Dad hung there all night, helpless. When daylight came he was located by other American paratroopers and a medic treated his wound, but he had to be sent to a hospital where his leg was amputated, thus ending the military service of Private Robert Fraser Munroe (1922 - 1969).
A huge salute to all who served then and now. My father and grandfather (mom's dad) were WW II Eurppean theatre veterans.
I like that name, "Tuck"...
Blessings for them all..
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I was just there on June 6th for the 80th Anniversary. Incredible place and the people of Sainte Mere Eglise are amazing !!
It really is a brilliant place. The people of Normandy have always been brilliant when ever I’ve visited
There was a cool little show about the war before airing the Paris Olympics last year.
A reporter went in, talked with various townspeople.
These two young teens had their own little museum going, their whole garage was filled with things they had found over the years from the war.
Absolutely delightful family, and bright children keeping war history, and it's paraphernalia alive.
They had so much love and appreciation for all the soldiers.
I would love to visit them, and see their little museum.
Blessings for all these good people.
🙏💜🌿
@@serpentines6356 very grateful people in Normandy, absolutely salt of the Earth.
This is a fascinating story. I'm 70, and grew up watching WW ll movies and reading war books. An uncle on my mom's side served as a radioman with the Big Red One. He was wounded on D-Day, and again more seriously at the battle of Aachen, Germany. He rarely spoke about his war experience. When my aunt gave birth to a daughter, he was relieved and said he did not want a son to go through what he had. They had no more children.
So glad you enjoyed the video. Thank you for the wonderful comment and for sharing your personal connection to the war
I thank these heroes for my life in freedom in the Netherlands !
😊
❤
My father was Lt. Bill Savell, the 2nd Platoon commanding officer, Company F, 2nd Battalion, 505 PIR. He and his plane load of men landed six miles short of target and he walked all night to get into Ste.-Mere-Eglise He collaborated these events pretty much as recorded. John Ray, a young man from Louisiana who saved these guys on the church, died of his wounds the next day. He is buried in the US Cemetery above Omaha Beach. My dad lost seven of his men from that plane including his second in command and best friend.
My son and I were able to meet Ken Russell and Stephen Ambrose in front of that church at the 55th Anniversary of D-day.
Wow! Thank you so much for sharing. You must be so proud of your fathers legacy
Like so many of Dad’s generation, he spoke very little about his experience although he was one of the few who made and survived four jumps. After 30+ days of fighting in the hedgerows of Normandy, he and his third in command were the only officers remaining in F Company.
Dad went on to lead the 2nd Platoon of F Company in the Market Garden jump in Holland. He was severely wounded, being shot through both arms, while assaulting the highway bridge at Nijmegen. This assault and his wounding are recorded in Phil Nordyke’s book, “An Irresistible Force” which I highly recommend. Although being triaged as fatal due to loss of blood, Dad survived to marry and raise four children: a dentist, a psychologist, an engineer and a teacher. British surgeons saved my dad’s right arm by taking a section of bone from his left shin to replace the bone blown away in his right forearm (a truly remarkable surgery for 1944). Although classified as 100 percent disabled and retired as a captain, he never considered himself disabled. He was an influential Christian and became the number one professional in his company in insurance claims adjusting. He suffered a stroke while at a reunion at Fort Bragg in 1997 passing 15 months later.
I remember seeing this in the movie "The Longest Day" one of my favourite war films with a great cast. If it was really him hanging from one of the towers - he pretended to be dead,well he could well have done to avoid being shot. My uncle who was a Battle of Britain Pilot crash landed his plane in enemy territory, he pretended he was dead in the plane and the Germans fell for it, after a bit he made his escape with the help of the resistance but it bought him time to get away. There was probably quite a few similar stories throughout the war.. In my eyes they were all heroes going through that hell.
Wow, what a story! Thanks for sharing. That’s amazing
@@thehistoryexplorer I think it was called survival- they all had to do things like that.. ❤
My dad, still alive!, landed in Normandy in August '44. Wounded by a 88mm in January '45 and flown home.
Wow, you must be very proud of his legacy
When the legend outweighs the story ptint the legend. Godd bless all those paratroopers
Yes absolutely. I’m getting some heat for this video but anyone who knows me and knows my background knows I was only sharing the story
Ah, a saying from Liberty Valance. Well done.
Really well, impartially told, account of ‘what happened’. I thought your final reflection of, ‘does it really matter?’, is exactly the right position to take. Those men, voluntarily, descended, slowly into a hell I can scarcely imagine. As you say, heroes, every last one of them.
Thank you Colin, I’m getting some heat here! Appreciate your well thought and and considered response 👍
@@thehistoryexplorer I suspect it’s in the nature of what you do. Tell some folk the time, or try to explain that night follows day, and there’ll, sadly, always be those willing to take issue with your adopted position. Keep up the good work.
My dad is still alive and piloted a B17 and was shot down over Ploesti. Lucky or unlucky to be picked up by the Russians. But that's a different, horrific story we have very few details about.
He forgot about the war at his first opportunity. He rarely talks of the war except maybe a little about the equipment, aircraft or uniform. Conversations dropped off real fast. I'm a combat veteran and belong to Veterans organizations. WW2 veterans rarely talked of the war and never about combat, ever. My wifes grandfather was a British tank crewman and fought in Africa and across Europe. Only conversations were about tanks and tank maintenance. Never ever talked of the tragic combat he endured. He once mentioned they never heard of "the Desert Fox Rommel and that any tales are all Hollywood." A lot of Paratroopers got hung up on a lot of things and generally the church episode was just filed away in experiences like it was the kinda thing one expects. I believe it happened.
Thank you very much for your feedback and for sharing your personal association with the war. Much appreciated 👍
I would be honored to know more about your father's participation in WWII. So much to say, but cannot. Respect and honor for the heroes. We all should learn from them.
My dad was a WW2 veteran. Enlisted in 42 at age 20 turned 21 in August. He never really told me much about his experience. He did receive at least 1 bronze star (mom claimed he had a second one), Purple Heart. The strange thing was he was enlisted in 42 but didn’t touch down in Europe until 45. The one thing he shared, said his unit was sent all over the states for trainings. When he finally got there February I believe they where attached to Patton’s 3rd Army. I remember asking him about the wars end and the Russian threat, he just commented we never went to sleep at night without our guns, tanks and artillery pointed in their direction. There was a picture of his 5 man squad doing a bayonet drills in front of Patton in is him towns news paper (McKeesport Rocks, Pittsburgh) There were several men from his home town in the unit.
After reading and watching many, many WW2 stories I had heard that during the liberation of the death camps that Patton had made all local units to the camp walk through them to see why they we’re fighting, I feel like this encounter is why he never wanted to talk about the war.
@@raymccormick317 i heard also that Patton made German troops walk through the camps so they could see what had been going on all along
Please ask him more of his story so we can preserve it forever.
I've always been amazed by the amount of respect and admiration the French people gave- and continue to give to those who came to fight for their freedom. For generations they have cared for our graves, and honored the battlefields on which they died with placques, memorials, and statues. I don't think the French people would go "all-in" if there wasnt some element of truth to this legend.
Just my thoughts- these and $3 USD will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Great video as always Rob!
Thank you very much buddy. It really is touching when you visit these places and there is someone cleaning an information board, tending to a memorial garden etc The people of Normandy are brilliant
The Normandy Cemetary is not maintained by the French nor do they pay for its upkeep. All military cemeteries including the one in Normandy are maintained at US taxpayer expense by the American Battle Monuments Commission. I visited St Mere Eglise in 1982 before Saving Private Ryan turned it into a World War Two tourist trap. It was my experience the people were rude and went out of their way to make you feel unwelcome. Having said that it was the younger people who were rude. Those who were of age to remember, and in 1982 there were plenty of them, were gracious. It has changed since then. Now the area is overrun with tourist and tourist dollars. American Express, don't leave home without it.
At the church that is in Sainte-Mère-Église the para trooper has a stain glass window about him
The Longest Day one most Iconic Movie in the History of world war 2…
Bad things do happen in the world. Like war, natural disasters, disease. But out of those situations always arise stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Let us remember the brave souls who never made it back. For their sacrifice, we`ll be forever in their debt. Lest we forget ❤ Nice upload, thumbs up 👍
Thank you buddy
There is a reason we call them the Greatest Generation.
As a kid I became fascinated with D-Day after watching The Longest Day.
For me it was SPR and BoB but I loved The Longest Day too as it opened my eyes to the what the British did
Many dont realize this but the American paratroopers landed all over Europe at different times. One such event was the time a paratrooper landed in my great grandmother's apple tree in Hungary. Story is she had her pitchfork under him until she realized he wasnt a Russian and would do her no harm. She helped get him down gave him food and drink and did her best giving him directions he had to get to on his map. He was abit off course!
Wow! Must have been very off course. Where was he intended to land?
@@thehistoryexplorer I suspect Budapest or nearby. My family was in Hercegfalva @ 1 hr from there. They encountered the Germans and the Russians come through. The American paratrooper was perhaps from a select miltary operation that occurred?
@@thehistoryexplorer Correction...it was a American bombing raid in 1944 that led up to event. The Americans were taking out Germanys fuel supply as they were occupying Hungary. Plane was shot down.
I went on a private tour of the American Sector with an excellent tour guide who has spent decades speaking with D-Day veterans and is former British military. It is interesting to note that the parachutist effigy that hangs on the church is actually positioned incorrectly. It used to hang in the correct spot but has been moved to be in view of the gigantic parking lot that serves the church and nearby museum. Also interesting to note that Bill Guarnere, notably a member of E Co. 506th PIR, also landed on the roof of the church, sliding down on the opposite side of the building from the parking lot and main square of the town. This information comes directly from our tour guide. It would not be surprising if other US Airborne troops did not notice John Steel hanging from the bell tower. It was the middle of the night and very chaotic there - a building was on fire and the German garrison and townspeople were uncharacteristically awake and in the town center trying to put out the blaze. Guarnere hit the ground next to another paratrooper and they both took off away from the town, not knowing exactly where they were but sure they had to get away from where they landed immediately. In this situation, I doubt any of these men had the time to pause and look all around to take in the scene and figure out who else was nearby.
Once again you surprise with a new video. I’ve seen pictures of the paratrooper and wondered who was he what happened too him. Now I know. Thank you for making this beautiful wonderful picture. You never fail with your subject picked and brought back to life.
Aw that’s such a lovely comment. Thank you, and I’m so glad you enjoyed the video
Amen Steele was a WWII combat wounded veteran, a piece of the Greatest Generation. I don’t care if he hid in the Church. He was an always be a hero.
His brief reply to Ryan convinces me he was just where he said.
No reason to say anything different.
John M. Steele was on the TV show ‘To Tell The Truth’ back in January 1962, the original black & white series hosted by Bud Collier. Steele was correctly identified as the real hanging paratrooper by two panelists- Tom Poston and Johnny Carson. On that show they first announced Red Buttons would play Steele in a movie to be made called “The Longest Day” based on the book by Cornelius Ryan.
I feel in my heart its all true. Ive watched that movie since the first time one Saturday afternoon. When we only had 3 or 5 channels. For some reason i would always catch it when it was already started. Remember when that would happen. There was no rewind . Just tried to pay attention and look at the TV guide. Or the paper. Wonderful times. And a great movie for my little sister and me to watch on a Saturday afternoon.
I like Paul Woodadges take on it of WW2TV. He comes to the same conclusion. He talked to many veterans. No proof of it happeneing and most probably even on the other side of the church. But they hanged to figure on this side nowadays so it can be seen by tourists.
Exactly that 👍 Anyone who knows me should know I didnt make this video out of spite. Some people are taking it very personally
@@thehistoryexplorerI know man, don't worry it is probably just a result of hitting the algorythm right ;)
Thank you for your military service
Absolutely 💯
@@thehistoryexplorerAgain, thank you sir!
Just a short note of thanks for the video. I was in Saint Mère Église for the 80th anniversary of D-Day earlier this month. Of interest, while there we were invited to the Jumelage (twinning) ceremony between Saint Mère and Metropolis, Ill. We (the Grey Berets) were there to honor the first military weathermen who jumped/glided into combat, one of whom was SSGT Robert Dobson, a native of Metropolis. His daughter, nephew and great nephew accompanied us. Dodson's great nephew, Beau Dodson, is a well-know meteorologist in Metropolis today. Several representatives from the 82nd Abn Division were also there including the Division Chaplain and Command Sergeant Major. A new statue of John Steele is planned for Metropolis to go next to the 15-foot tall "Man of Steel" statue in the town square.
Wow thanks for sharing. I hope you recognised these places
Who cares if it is 100%v accurate, He served, He was their, He put his life on the line defending freedom. Thank you Sir for your service. And it makes a great story.
I belive John Steele! My dad was an Army air corp. pilot and had 3 Uncles that fought in WWll. My mom's sister's husband lande on Omaha as a 19 year old medic. Not sure what wave of troops he landed with but he survived the war and passed away in 1998.
Steele was seen by the wife of the mayor of Sainte-Mère-Église she even told Ike Eisenhower on camera after the war when he was visiting Normandy for the 20th anniversary that she saw Steel. And as for Steele and Ryan only had one conversation with each other, which is not true Ryan spoke to Steele on the telephone asking the very same question “how did he get down from the church tower” Steele replied the Germans lowered him by a rope. And as for only one person corroborating that Steele was seen hanging from the tower you mentioned Russell, but as I said the wife of the mayor of the town saw him, and you forgot the two Germans in the church tower on the night of 6 June 1944 so that’s four people that saw him! I’m a bit tired of post-war revisionists trying to sell a book or click baiting on the internet, I would rather take the word of people that were there, than some self appointed experts giving back handed compliments to the person whilst accusing them of lying
Thanks for your feedback. The reality is there are plenty of people who contradict those statements. For example, the two Germans in the tower originally claimed they brought him in through the tower and down the steps inside the church.
The two accounts of the Germans also differed. I didn’t go into detail about their accounts as it would add another 10minutes to the video at least.
Marty Morgan says there is no evidence Cornelius Ryan and Steele spoke on the phone or communicated in detail after the initial questionnaire . For example, Steel wrote to Cornelius Ryan asking for help in getting tickets for the movie premier. The letter reads like someone who is introducing himself and not someone who has had multiple telephone conversations with the recipient.
It’s very formal.
I’m not an expert and I’m not a historian. Just presenting some views for people who don’t know the story. Regardless, I appreciate your feedback and your point of view
It was brought up on another internet video that the dummy is on the opposite side from the side he actually dangled. I believe it happened I too do not like revisionist versions. For one thing as times pass peoples memory plays games and also people who are actual witnesses pass.
These people make me sick with their opinion 70 - 80 years later that this didn't happen or that's not true. Also the comments about the Yanks came in tnto the war when it was almost over if it wasn't for Russia Germany would have won the war. People are a joke. Get a life.
@@robharris8844UWell, is it revisionist to try find out the truth? The book Longest Day should not be taken as an historic account, nither all war stories.
Perhaps he did end up on the church tower, but I find it highly unlikley.
@@Nyllsor- Based on witness on that night it's very likely. Besides the Mayor's wife account. There also Lieutenant Young account of seeing Steele dangling in the church steeples, thinking him to be dead.
Cornelius Ryan interviewed personally hundreds of witnesses in all country and have them crossed referenced them to other witnesses, records and letters before he wrote the book. There's a whole list of people he interviewed personally after the war, it's written at the end of the book. It goes from Eisenhower to Montgomery to Hans Spiedel and Blumentritt from the Germany.
There's a reason a lot scholars held Cornelius Ryan in high regard. He's quite thorough and meticulous. He's one the first to interview the key player right after the war when their memory are still fresh. It took him nearly 15 years to finally finish the book. And no, he didn't just rely on a single page open letter questionnaire to get his accounts. General Maxwell Taylor, who's then the Secretary of Defense in the 50's, was the commanding General of the 101st airborne in Normandy gave Ryan a thorough account of the exact actions of the 101st, with maps, photos and records. Same with General Gavin of the 82nd Airborne. He too gave C Ryan a indept account of the actions of the 82nd too. These are just examples. Something that modern historians have no access to.
It's OK to question the accuracy of all well known History books. Those writers are not infallible, but you must also equally question and check those who also write an alternative versions of the account and not just spout as if they are the truth immediately.
You are absolutely correct about the veracity of first person accounts. They are notoriously unreliable and very frequently contradict each other when there are multiple witnesses. The passage of time very often makes those accounts even less reliable and accounts very frequently change over time. Honestly, a big bad tough guy who was a good 10 years past his prime when he volunteered for airborn who loved New Orleans Jazz and made (at least) 4 jumps into some of the most dangerous and important battle sites in the war and suffering a broken leg on his first one, gets the benefit of the doubt from me. You are also right that ultimately it matters very little whether its absolutely true or not.
Thank you Adam. What a measured and well considered comment 👍
@@thehistoryexplorer I believe it was J. Frank Dobie that said something like "The man that can tell the tale best owns it."
thank you for your service, i too am an army vet. some of my buddies recollections differ from mine, but its not important whos right and whos wrong, i served in Germany from 1969 to 1971
I bet you’ve got some stories of Germany! I lived there during the 90s
@@thehistoryexplorer the American western movies and tv shows were popular, they thought that was how we lived, i had several people ask me if we were still fighting the indians
@@jimsmith9819
Yes.
Absolutely fascinating! And how nice you narrated it yourself. Loved seeing the vintage clips and the movie snippets. Very well presented, and the fact that you included a bit of mystery and invited viewers to consider all angles and possibilities made it that much more intriguing. Great job! Would really enjoy more lengthy and historically informative videos like this. Thank you 👍😊
Glad you enjoyed it! I would gladly make more videos like this. Thank you for such kind feedback, it really makes a difference
Greetings from Alabama USA. I was fortunate enough to have visited in 2019. Normandy is beautiful.
You are 100% correct. I enjoy your work. Thank you so much for all of your hard work.
Tom
You are very welcome Tom. Thanks for the kind feedback
Of all the combat veterans I’ve personally known or known of, I wish I could have talked to my father’s friend…a former Wehrmacht major who served on the Eastern Front and then survived a decade in Siberia. He passed away while I was still in middle school.
Wow he would have had some stories!
@@thehistoryexplorer I did get to meet him when I was a small boy. I remember a slim, vaguely sad man who always buttoned his shirts to his throat and seemingly never went anywhere without candy in his pockets, which he shared liberally. My dad met him on his first USAF posting to Germany and then took around on his second, to introduce us. The Major looked at his wife and said, “Look, we have grandchildren now! And a new daughter!” He never fully recovered from his time in Siberia so, somehow, they “adopted” my dad. He also didn’t have a bad thing to say about anyone except his jailers in Siberia “for their casualty brutality” and the Nazis, “evil men who created evil men, including in Russia.” I, of course, was too young to understand any of this until long after we’d returned to the States. By the time it occurred to me to go back to Germany and do the research, he was gone 😢
Auberge John Steele is a nice restaurant and hotel owned by a lovely couple. My wife, daughter, and I had the pleasure of staying there at the end of May. I wish we had more time to visit.
Good to know! I’ve never been inside actually
Completely agree, to have served in all 3 of those campaigns must have been nothing short of nerve wracking, it absolutely doesn't matter what the truth of it is, what matters is the bravery and sacrifice these men showed to repeatedly jump out of a plane behind enemy lines and fight against the odds.
We should absolutely never forget the bravery of these blokes.
I think the lack of corroborated evidence actually supports the genuineness of the story. If he had gone around trying to answer each and every question this would have only encouraged others to ask more questions.
Great story! I remember watching a while back! I knew it was based on real events of ww2, but didn’t know the story of the paratrooper! By the way! Thank you for your service!🙏🫡
Thank you very much! Appreciate the feedback
Everyone has such amazing stories. Thank you for sharing i seriously just love to read them all.
You are most welcome!
My Dad, Harold W. Craig, was with F Co. that night landing in St. Mere Eglise in the Cemetery. He told me that he saw a trooper hanging from the church steeple. I don't think he knew the troopers name at the time. He along with other troopers who landed in the cemetery discussed rescuing the man, but decided that there were too many German troops in that immediate area to be successful. Dad had the opportunity to return to St. Mere Eglise in 1984 for the 40th anniversary. He had plane tickets and hotel reservations when he cancelled the trip. He told me he just couldn't go. It wasn't till my own son returned from two tours in Iraq and diagnosed with severe PTSD, and TBI that I realized that my Dad had severe PTSD also. Him cancelling the trip made sense then. Dad was also severely wounded on July 3rd 1944 at the bottom of hill 131. These troopers really were hero's whose stories of self sacrifice are passed down from generation to generation.
Thank you so much for sharing your story. What an amazing man, you must be so proud
John Steele is a hero by any definition of the word and his story of hanging from the church is so original and crazy that I doubt it could be made up. I believe it very well could have happened.
Great job researching this story and putting it onto TH-cam. I've been aware of this since first reading The Longest Day about the time it was initially published. I've seen the movie five or six times over the years. I had no idea about the merit of the claim about the paratrooper hanging from the steeple on the church. I do recall, however, that the Red Button's character is shot in the foot by a German on the ground with a sub-machine gun. Apparently from what you say here, the paratrooper was not shot in his foot. I'd love to learn a lot more about this account. I'm a serious (40 plus years of research) Pearl Harbor historian. Much of what comes out about war is fabricated. No matter what, you've brought an unusual episode to life which you've questioned---that I have long wondered about. I note that you are serving (I suspect in the British armed services). My dad was a U.S. Navy doctor during my youth. I served as a hospital corpsman, U.S. Navy, from 24 August 1970 to 10 November 1971. Thank you for your service! And thank you for this very interesting and objective report. You are very much appreciated. Andrew "Andy" McKane, 27 August 2024, Maunaloa, Hawaii.
Thank you so much Sir, your e cement comment is very much appreciated
That's a very fair amount m account. As a young man I saw The Longest Day.
The only question is - How did Steele get down - and yes, does its matter
Thank you. Others are taking offence at this video which is not the intention!
My Uncle was with the 101stnand dropped
On D-day. He told me and my cousin that he saw the paratrooper hanging on the steeple. He did not consider it of note at the time, because he assumed he was dead. I wish I had heard these stories questioning this story before my Uncle died. If so, I would have asked him again. Was my uncle mistaken? The trauma of war can do many things. Was my uncle a liar? ADSOLUTELY NOT!! He was a hero like so many others. He did not tell my cousin and I until 1962. Before that, he had refused to talk about anything about the war. He was shot through the left lung, 1/2 inch from his heart right before the Bulge. I for one believe him. Where Steele was hanging may not have been where it was shown in movie by the way. Because it was in the other side, he could have swung much lower to the ground than depicted. I just wish I had known the controversy before he died so I could get clarification.
Thank you so much for sharing your personal connection to this story. You must be so proud of the legacy your uncle passed on.
If your uncle told you believe him he was there. Thank you
This video is very interesting because it is analytical and considers different aspects.
Some comments are written by people who feel attacked just because they misunderstood the video.
I don't know how things went but as you said, whether he did it or not doesn't change the fact that he was a hero
What a brilliant comment. Well said
Great discussion. I agree there is probably truth here but the exact version may never be known. I was on an Easy Company tour to ST Mere Eglise a few years ago. The guide said Steele was on the side of the steeple away from the town square but they show the Steel replica facing the square. Saw where Winters landed, The series made it look more like he landed in a field. Again great job.
Thank you very much
A well written and objective story.
Thank you very much! Really appreciate your kind feedback
I don’t see why Steele would make up a story like that. All the D Day paratrooper vets I’ve seen interviewed are very specific about their landing, a vivid memory. The fact Steele only mentioned it in one passing sentence to the man writing the book, suggests he wasn’t looking for attention, just stating the fact. I was in Afghanistan and agree accounts of incidents in war may vary widely, but you don’t make up things like that.
Thanks very much for the video. I have a first edition of the Longest Day but I had forgotten all about Mr Steele. I watch the movie every year on June 6th.
Glad you enjoyed it! I watch it every year too!
Agree with your comments 100%. I'm not a combat vet, 17 years service, 10 in Special Forces. But all recollections are varied as the number of people involved.
Thanks for the comment my friend
I remember Colonel Anthony Herbert, US Army in Vietnam, describing how guys would get ambushed, scattered in the confusion, trickle back alone to base and report themselves as the only survivor. Just to have another soldier show up minutes, hours, and sometimes a day later. Evidently, this happened more than once. No one was trying to “pad” a reputation as some kind of hero. The chaos was that intense…
A former British paratrooper I once worked with, around 1970, told of a military exercise between British and US troops in Germany in the mid 1950s. He personally saw a US Jeep hanging by it's 2 or 3 parachutes from a church tower 5 miles from the DZ!
I met a John Steele in 1978 while working as a summer intern in college. I was Army ROTC and mentioned that I'd go airborne/infantry upon commissioning. Then he and his colleagues all claimed that he hung from the church on D-Day. He wore a boot on his left foot that had an obvious built-up sole to compensate for a serious injury. This man was 101st.
John Steele died in 1969 and he was 82nd AB
@@thehistoryexplorer Not sure about your reply. All you did was repeat what you presented in your video. I don't doubt "that" John Steele died in '69 and was 82nd. You also called into question his story (rightly so) later in your video. My comment was that I met "a" John Steele who was 101st during WW2 with a physical disability that matched the depiction presented in the movie.
The man of steel with balls of steel. Good video#
There's nothing more American than New Orleans Jazz & Dixieland. Back in the early days of the music in 1910 - 1915 it was spelled in variation, JASS, JAS & JASZ. I personally like Jass. Like the ODJB, Original Dixieland Jass Band 1915.
When I was there during the 70th anniversary he was still hanging there on the church!
And he is today too! Ha!
I had no idea until I saw your video what happened. Strange how time can change what one remembers. It’s strange no one remembers seeing a soldier hanging from a church? I choose to believe it until it’s officially debunked. Thank you for making this video and for your service!
Thank you for your kind feedback, some people are taking this video very personally! Anyone who knows me and my background knows I’m just sharing the story for interest
In the book Pvt. Steele, besides explaining on how he lost his knife and then acted dead, also noted he witness 2 paratroopers landed into the burning house. One, he thinks is Pvt White of the mortar squad of Steele.
So it's very likely Cornelius Ryan has a much further interview with Steele after the initial letter.
(The book did stated only around less than 30 paratroopers landed on the town and it's more of a light skirmish. Of course the confusion of the Germans and the French civilians during that night thought there was a major battle going on. The whole thing was an accidental incident.)
Good point. Thanks
Glad you didnt gt hurt in that missile attack and thank you for sharing your experience. I never knew the whole story about the paratrooper. Isnt it sad that the other paratroopers arent more widely know?
I saw Red Buttons (actor who played John Steele) in person, in 1961, when he made a personal appearance at
my local theater, for his movie "Five Weeks in a Balloon"! I knew him from his 1950's t,v, show & at age 15, I
thought him to be middle-aged! When I turned 17, I entered Army Basic training & on my only day off, was able
to see "The Longest Day" on base! Until now, I never knew that this "dangling soldier" incident, actually happened!
Thanks for sharing! Brilliant comment
Wow this video is awesome!
Thanks for sharing 🎉❤
Honestly it doesnt matter. Remember Steele just answered the question of where he was on June 5th.
Loud and clear Sir, loud and clear.
One of the best scenes in the movie The Longest Day very realistic Red Button did a good acting
Circumstances of war distinctly require us to become a hero. Some heroes live so the story lives too. What lives grows. It’s our call to make it grow true. Let us strive to be hero enough in the aftermath to let what grows be true.
The other problem with Steele's story is that at midnight he was still en route from England in a C-47. The pathfinders of the 82nd Airborne Division didn't begin to drop until 01:21 according to the D-Day timeline, the rest of the division somewhat later. OK, he might have taken some liberties with the precise time, since it was a heck of a story. If it had happened to me I would not have shrunk from saying it happened "close enough" to midnight to answer the author's specific query about midnight. But geez, what *does* it matter? He made at least three combat jumps including Market Garden. That's enough to be a hero in my book.
Yes exactly that’s my point too, but I’ve taken quite a bit of stick for it in this video . Such is life
@@thehistoryexplorer And thank you for looking into this story for us here in TH-cam-land. I remembered it vividly from having first seen The Longest Day decades ago and I always wondered what happened to the supposedly real-life soldier. (Band of Brothers hews closer to actual combat diaries of the 101st.)
Well, maybe, maybe not. Like you mentioned he served with distinction.
Under normal circumstances, the memory can be fuzzy, I can only imagine, and I mean that literally, I can only imagine what it would be like under such extreme and violent circumstances.
All the men that jumped or landed on the beaches on D-Day had balls of steel that the trousers could not hold
My father joined the Royal Air Force in 1943 and served for 22 years. He knew an RAF officer bomber pilot who had been shot down during the 1,000 bomber raid on Cologne in 1942. He managed to bail out but his parachute got caught up in one of the spires of the Cologne cathedral, and this man hung there during the entire bombing raid, hundreds of feet above the ground and helpless while hundreds of bombers dropped thousands of tons of bombs around him on the city. He was a young man of only 20 when this happened to him but his hair had turned pure white during this terrible ordeal.
when everything breaks loose, our mind is in a survival mode, we may not expect an accurate recollection.
Very true
Whatever he maybe and how he got out from that bell tower is not matter anymore. The important thing is this guy is also a war hero as part of the allied forces in normandy paratrooping on hostile area and eventually have himself caught suspended on bell tower of saint mere iglise. And no matter what the story goes on him he still a war veteran airborne and hero! Thats it!❤
All the soldiers who fought during the world war 2 they are All ‘HEROES’ because they gave their lives for freedom Against Dictatorship of Hitler and Hirohito …
You mentioned Richard Burton's name just as a scene with Richard Todd playing Major Howard appeared onscreen. As many viewer may already know, Todd actually was at Pegasus Bridge, but he parachuted in as part of the support force to assist Major Howard's glider troops.
First of all, I believe John Steeles' version that he hung from the roof of the church.
It does not surprise me that Steele didn't report seeing the other two paratroopers. A building on fire may light up a scene but it is not sunlight. It will usually produce a sharp contrast between bright light and deep shadow which could have hidden the other troopers from Johns' sight and it's a big church and they may not have landed within his field of vision. Also, there were plenty of other distractions they may have taken his focus off the other men. How he got down? That is certainly the least of a mystery, either by being carried down the stairs or, more likely it seems, lowered down the stairs with the help of a rope makes absolutely no difference to the final story does it?
i was a 328 electronic warfare on a RC135 from 1980 to 84, I did and saw things that if i told you would call me a liar. why i say that is time tempers the truth with the reaction of the action. if the story is true or false then action has become the truth. the bravery of the person is not in doubt and to recant the story would dilute the action of every man that jump into D-day. the persons that can tell you if it was true or not are gone but not forgotten by every person that has seen or read the account. i say let the story stand and say thank you for everyone they didn't make it back and those that did.
Great video. I cannot wait to go here in August
Steel may have been on the other side of the church from the other paratroopers.
It's also possible that Steel and the other two were blocked from view of each other by the roof of the church. Steele was higher up than the others, and further back from the side of the building.
Yes it’s very possible
Thank you for your service. True or embellished it doesn’t matter.
My comment is less about the events in St. Mere Eglise than that of how memory serves us. Even events that are not traumatic will be remembered differently by two different people. I have heard stories from my friends about me that I know are pure rubbish. Maybe my memory isn’t as perfect as I think? Paul McCartney sings of such memories in a song titled “Early Days “ in which he sings, “as for me I don’t see how they could remember when they weren’t where it was at.” I think someone who dangled from that height would remember it very well.
Very true
Respect Earnt Respect Given Thank you for your Service
Red Button's had his own tv show in the 50s
Three combat jumps. WOW!
Excellent story, I hope it’s true! They were all heroes, so it doesn’t matter that much!
When I was a kid my grandfather took me to his cedar chest and opened it. He pulled out a piece of silk about eighteen inches square and told me the story of this man and then told me that the piece of silk was a piece of his parachute. I am the only grandchild and after he died I received the chest, but the piece of silk was gone.
When facts question a legend believe the legend.
It could have happened, we will never know for certain, but he was a fighting man, certainly a hero like they all were at that time.
Absolutely
I remember watching The Longest Day and thinking that scene was probably done for cinematic effect. I find it incredible that any individuals can make any reliable accounts in the heat of battle, adrenaline, fear, the chaos of battle, identifying people, not to mention it was the middle of the night and judging from a few comments here he was on the other side of the bell tower. So, I'm inclined to believe his story. Stranger things have happened. I'm curious whether the Germans who were mentioned finding and cutting him down left any accounts....
They did leave accounts but way later. They contradicted each other and then changed stories too. Both had different accounts of how they got him down etc
@@thehistoryexplorer Wow.. that's interesting! Thanks!
It doesn’t matter. So many heroes. Too many whose stories will never be told. Rest now in peace.
Very true. Well said
Bottom line all the conjecture is irrelevant. The man was there and served his country well. They are all heroes in that regard . We owe them all a lifetime of gratitude and respect
Well said
I've just come back from a d-day tour in Normandy and actually went to visit this church. They have a mannequin with a parachute stuck on the roof and a stained glass window to commemorate the paratroopers.
Thanks
I was there for d day anniversary i saw john steele hanging from church i went to omaha gold and utah beach
Any who volunteered was a hero, a charter member of "The Greatest Generation".
Agree
Supposedly , Steele was actually caught on the "back side" of the Church' (shown facing a narrow street in your drone shot). The local townspeople display the mannequin paratrooper on the "town square" side of the church to make access and viewing easier. They told me the "paratrooper" is replaced annually as it starts to show wear and tear.
I think they had one up for a good few years as it looked like it had been through a war!
From the ladies that packed the parachutes to each and every man that served in what ever way I think they are all heroes in their own right. Awesome story though and I believe that it was possible although there is no hard evidence behind it.
This is awesome my brother 🫡🇬🇧
❤❤❤ Nice video , i've been there this year , for me they are all Heroes and have there own stories .
Well said