81 Years Ago My Father In Law Jumped into Normandy With the 501 PIRA

[gamboolman]

It's been 81 year since D-Day.
ms gamboolgals father, Mr. Beam was in the 501 PIRA.
He told me that they jumped around 0200 to 0300 best he recalled.
He said the night sky was lit up from the German gunfire and that all he wanted was to get out of the plane.
He was part of the original group at Toccoa.
He survived the war and was never wounded. He told me that he had a pencil shot out of his hand and all his web gear shot off him. He also said that the Slave Labor the Germans used in Munitions Factories saved him and many others, as multiple times he said that Dud munitions landing by him but did not go off.
He had utmost respect for the German Soldiers fighting ability.
At Market Garden, he said there was lots of Brit bodies floating in the River as they had got tore up bad upstream.
He was like a Father to me.
We lost him in 2008 and I miss him to this day.
Respect and Gratitude to all the Veterans of all the Wars.

Mr. Beams Obituary from 2008
Mr. Beam is lower right in the 101st picture

 

[Teacher Terry]

My dad was also in World War II and he was a driver for a colonel that was really difficult to deal with. My dad was the only driver that lasted, and when the war was over, he tried to talk him into reenlisting. My dad had been in Europe for four years at that point and was done with the military.

My dad had flat feet and the army took him, but the army doctor said he should not be put in the infantry. Of course that’s where they put him was in the infantry which further ruined his feet and he ended up hospitalized numerous times. Then they gave him the driving job. I think he was in England when D-Day occurred. Your father-in-law was very lucky to survive Normandy and all the close calls.

 

[Lewkat]

We had two close family friends who landed at Omaha Beach that morning. The stories they brought home to us were unbelievable.