Thank you for service, Mark Milley Thursday, June 6, is the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the allied invasion of France to defeat Nazism. Very few veterans survive, but I was in Normandy for the 50th year observance, travelling with veteran paratroopers on D-Day Eve. I was supposed to witness airborne veterans parachuting from a vintage aircraft into a VIP area, but I decided to leave my space to a veteran, so I walked into Ste Mere-Eglise, the first French town liberated by our paratroopers, to wait for the parade- the ceremonial re-enactment of the battle- to assemble in the church square where the carnival of American television- Bryant Gumbel and Joan Lunden- were all broadcasting to the US and the world. As I moved through the mass of people to photograph the parade, I was overtaken by a surging throng screaming “Vivre Americain! Merci Americain!.” I kept saying, “Je ne suis pas une veteran!” but it didn’t matter. They wanted to physically embrace Americans today. I have photos of the parade. A line of mounted Gendarmerie cleared the path. The 68-year-old airborne veterans who had jumped again raised beer cans and cheered. Then- future Chairman JCoS General Hugh Shelton led combat-ready detachments of contemporary American paratroopers, fresh from the fight against Iraq. The victors of Desert Storm saluted the victors of Normandy with a triumph that would have paled Ceasar. The best light infantry of any army, anywhere, at any time in history, were feted by thousands of grateful, free people from around the world, their clamor to render all honors and glory to the airborne forces of the United States. On June 6, 1994, I was travelling with the 101st Airborne Division veterans’ association when we drove into Carentan, encountering the Fallschirmjager Regiment Six 50-year reunion. Fans of the tv show, “Band of Brothers,” will recall the battle to capture and defend Carentan. We were looking for the turn from the Normandy highway to Les Moulins, Omaha Beach, for the international observance by the heads-of-state of 13 D-Day countries. We missed the turn, driving past the German cemetery at La Cambe, where a lot of people were gathered. We drove on to Carentan for refreshments, before turning back to Omaha. As I stepped off the bus, I saw the green banner with gold Teutonic lettering, “Fallschirmjager Regiment Six.” I assumed they were at La Cambe, but when I opened the door to the restaurant, there they were. Elite German infantry, now 68 years, drinking and talking. I held the door for a Screaming Eagle who walked with a cane, saying, “It looks like the Germans are having their reunion, too.” “Just the ones we didn’t kill,” he muttered, a reference to the large tumulus at La Cambe. The sight of the Screaming Eagles patch on our veterans’ caps exploded like a hand grenade. Every German sprang to his feet and pulled tables and chairs out of the way with a cacophony of squeaking and scraping. Now I was wearing a trench coat, so I acted like a security officer, holding the Hun at bay. After 50 years, this band of brothers just didn’t want to speak with Germans.
Thank you for service, Mark Milley
Thursday, June 6, is the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the allied invasion of France to defeat Nazism. Very few veterans survive, but I was in Normandy for the 50th year observance, travelling with veteran paratroopers on D-Day Eve.
I was supposed to witness airborne veterans parachuting from a vintage aircraft into a VIP area, but I decided to leave my space to a veteran, so I walked into Ste Mere-Eglise, the first French town liberated by our paratroopers, to wait for the parade- the ceremonial re-enactment of the battle- to assemble in the church square where the carnival of American television- Bryant Gumbel and Joan Lunden- were all broadcasting to the US and the world.
As I moved through the mass of people to photograph the parade, I was overtaken by a surging throng screaming “Vivre Americain! Merci Americain!.” I kept saying, “Je ne suis pas une veteran!” but it didn’t matter. They wanted to physically embrace Americans today. I have photos of the parade.
A line of mounted Gendarmerie cleared the path. The 68-year-old airborne veterans who had jumped again raised beer cans and cheered. Then- future Chairman JCoS General Hugh Shelton led combat-ready detachments of contemporary American paratroopers, fresh from the fight against Iraq.
The victors of Desert Storm saluted the victors of Normandy with a triumph that would have paled Ceasar. The best light infantry of any army, anywhere, at any time in history, were feted by thousands of grateful, free people from around the world, their clamor to render all honors and glory to the airborne forces of the United States.
On June 6, 1994, I was travelling with the 101st Airborne Division veterans’ association when we drove into Carentan, encountering the Fallschirmjager Regiment Six 50-year reunion. Fans of the tv show, “Band of Brothers,” will recall the battle to capture and defend Carentan.
We were looking for the turn from the Normandy highway to Les Moulins, Omaha Beach, for the international observance by the heads-of-state of 13 D-Day countries. We missed the turn, driving past the German cemetery at La Cambe, where a lot of people were gathered. We drove on to Carentan for refreshments, before turning back to Omaha.
As I stepped off the bus, I saw the green banner with gold Teutonic lettering, “Fallschirmjager Regiment Six.” I assumed they were at La Cambe, but when I opened the door to the restaurant, there they were. Elite German infantry, now 68 years, drinking and talking.
I held the door for a Screaming Eagle who walked with a cane, saying, “It looks like the Germans are having their reunion, too.”
“Just the ones we didn’t kill,” he muttered, a reference to the large tumulus at La Cambe.
The sight of the Screaming Eagles patch on our veterans’ caps exploded like a hand grenade. Every German sprang to his feet and pulled tables and chairs out of the way with a cacophony of squeaking and scraping. Now I was wearing a trench coat, so I acted like a security officer, holding the Hun at bay. After 50 years, this band of brothers just didn’t want to speak with Germans.
Thank you General Mark Milley for your service. Please continue giving your speeches sharing your knowledge and experience. We love you ❤
Thanks for serving this great country people like you General Milley make it so.
Thank you General Mark Milley for your service ❤
It's great that we are honoring him.
It is very important to keep peace in Asia
Thank you General Mark Milley for your service.
General Mark Milley definitely knows how to lead the troops in style!
Um trabalho exemplar do General em prol do país mais desenvolvido do mundo.
Good stuff, thank you Mark
Dankjewel Mark... zo mensen als U zouden er meer moeten bestaan
My greeting Mark Milley...enjoy Your life
Thank you gen;M,M
Thank You General Milley
NATO is a very strong defense for USA .
Mark "Im telling enemies about our plans and deployments' Milley