From: Ed (mojoedd@bellsouth.net)
Date: Sun Nov 06 2005 - 07:54:31 PST
Wonderful story indeed! I thank you for sharing. I have met several WWII
Veterans over the years and enjoyed talking to each and every one. Way back
in 1967 I had the pleasure of having my Basic Jump Wings pinned on me by one
of the WWII 101st Airborne Veterans. He was one of the guys in the original
test unit that got us into the Airborne business. Later I was lucky enough
to get in on a civilian reenactment of one of the D Day jumps. Going out of
that C-47 was a hoot! I have to say though that I greatly prefer the C-130,
141 and even a nice helicopter over that bird but I wouldn't have missed it
for the world!!!! We had a few of the WWII Veterans jumping with us and you
should have seen the looks on their faces! It was like they were drawn back
in time and were once again young men on the way to do battle, very moving,
VERY! Now as I seem to have found that my old military uniforms have shrunk
in the waist, (I know that it isn't me getting fat), and being told when I
went to a local sky diving outfit that I needed a cargo chute due to my
weight, (6' 5", 265 lbs.), it's kinda hard to impress the young, fit and
trim, why is she with me, wife, of the beauty of jumping out of an aircraft!
Best,
Ed
----- Original Message -----
From: "Nigel Hay MILWEB" <nigel@milweb.net>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Sunday, November 06, 2005 09:14
Subject: [MV] Was Colonel Sanders now the much more relevant Lord Lovatt
> Lord Lovatt's D Day mission was to relieve and reinforce the British 6th.
> Airborne at the Caen canal bridge at Benouville.
> He had personally promised the 6th. Airborne's commander, Major General
> Gale, that he would be there "Sharp at Noon"
> The recognition signal was to be the sound of his personal piper, Bill
> Millen playing, Blue Bonnets Over the Border.
> He in fact reached the bridge at 12:03 with his piper playing beside him.
> Lovatt, as any Peer of The Realm would, apologised for keeping them
> waiting......
>
> On several of the D Day aniversay trips with our MV's over the last 25
> years we were priveledged to be able to see Bill Millin retrace his
steps
> playing his pipes - enourmous lung capacity is needed.....
>
> I think he took a ride in a jeep with the convoy on several of the
> anniversary events.
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