Men of D-Day


    
 Troop Carrier
Michael N. Ingrisano
Robert E. Callahan
Benjamin F. Kendig
John R. Devitt
Arthur W. Hooper
Ward Smith
Julian A. Rice
Charles E. Skidmore
Sherfey T. Randolph
Louis R. Emerson Jr.
Leonard L. Baer
Robert D. Dopita
Harvey Cohen
Zane H. Graves
John J. Prince
Henry C. Hobbs
John C. Hanscom
Charles S. Cartwright
 
 82nd Airborne
Leslie Palmer Cruise Jr.
Marie-T Lavieille
Denise Lecourtois
Howard Huebner
Malcolm D. Brannen
Thomas W. Porcella
Ray T. Burchell
Robert C. Moss
Richard R. Hill
Edward W. Shimko
 
 101st Airborne
John Nasea, Jr
David 'Buck' Rogers
Marie madeleine Poisson
Roger Lecheminant
Dale Q. Gregory
George E. Willey
Raymond Geddes
 
 Utah Beach
Joseph S. Jones
Jim McKee
Eugene D. Shales
Milton Staley
 
 Omaha Beach
Melvin B. Farrell
James R. Argo
Carl E. Bombardier
Robert M. Leach
Joseph Alexander
James Branch
John Hooper
Anthony Leone
George A. Davison
James H. Jordan
Albert J. Berard
Jewel M. Vidito
H. Smith Shumway
Louis Occelli
John H. Kellers
Harley A. Reynolds
John C. Raaen
Wesley Ross
Richard J. Ford
William C. Smith
Ralph E. Gallant
James W. Gabaree
James W. Tucker
Robert Watson
Robert R. Chapman
Robert H. Searl
Leslie Dobinson
William H. Johnson
 
 Gold Beach
George F. Weightman
Norman W. Cohen
Walter Uden
 
 Juno Beach
Leonard Smith
 
 Sword Beach
Brian Guy
 
 6th Airborne
Roger Charbonneau
Frederick Glover
Jacques Courcy
Arlette Lechevalier
Charles S. Pearson
 
 U.S.A.A.F
Harvey Jacobs
William O. Gifford
 
Civils
Philippe Bauduin
Albert Lefevre
René Etrillard
Suzanne Lesueur
Marie Thierry
 

 

Arthur W. Hooper
Glider Pilot - 72nd Troop Carrier Squadron, 434th Troop Carrier Group.

I was a Glider Pilot that landed in Normandy near Ste-Mere-Eglise on 6 June 1944 at about 4.30 am.

We landed in flood field, had 4 members of 101st Airborne Division plus jeep with radio equipment. Because field was flooded, we did not get the jeep out till much later on D-day, we landed not to far from where the General Pratt was killed on there landing.
I was in Glider #7 as I recall. After landing we came under small arms fire and headed for nearest hedgerow for cover. Our orders were to stay off roadways till daylight and shot at all that were on same. Take no prisoners till after dawn. We were not sure if we were near our landing area but after daybreak hooked up with our airborne troops and by early afternoon were in Ste-Mere-Eglise and spent the night of 6 June there.
Early evening of 6 June another group gliders came into this area, but were under attack and suffered heavy losses in landing.

As I recal late on 7 June the forces that landed on Utah with tanks reached us and we took some German prisoners back to beach area, and not long after retuned to England by ship, to be ready to go again if needed. The co-pilot was assigned to me only a day or so before we left, I cannot recall his name, he was not from our Sqd? We became separated after landing and I never saw or heard from him again!!!!!

When you are young you take all this for granted, and feel you could live for ever, so many did not!!!!!

Arthur W. Hooper     (June 01, 2003)