D-Day +70: Jumping into Normandy with a bugle

[ironlips]

Look closely at this US Army Signal Corps photo. The young paratrooper (who would be in his 90s now) is about to jump into France on June 6th, 1944.

http://attic.areavoi...12/06/dday4.jpg

Just barely visable, tucked behind his belly chute, is the mouthpiece and lead pipe of a regulation camouflage Aman plastic bugle, custom made for the army to save brass for ammunition. (Look just above the wrap of rope.)

There's a photo here of the Aman, from the Middle Horn Leader:

http://www.middlehornleader.com/Evolution%20of%20the%20Bugle%20--%20Section%203.htm

It was men like this of my father's generation (for most readers here, their grandfathers') who saved our way of life.

And when they came home, they started the hundreds of junior American Legion, VFW, CYO, Scout, ANZAC, PAL, Jewish War Vets, Fire Department and other drum corps that grew into our beloved activity.

We owe them, ...big time.

Edited June 13, 2014 by ironlips

[rayfallon]

Brokaw was right calling them "The Greatest Generation"

First they pulled the country out of the Great Depression, then faced pure evil in combat, frequently hand to hand.

Then came back and built the greatest economy in history.

Not perfect - they were older by the time they finally faced up to the civil rights problems at home and (sometimes reluctantly) worked through them.

But they gave my generation a way of life and a sense of responsibility to protect it.

And preserved the noble art of bugling while they were at it.

[Northern Thunder]

Thanks for sharing! It wasn't uncommon for local VFW or Legion posts to give those Aman bugles away to start kiddie drum & bugle corps.

I recall reading one story about a Midwestern town that had several hundred of them in their elementary school corps.

[ironlips]

As you may imagine, those horns are quite rare today. Tom Day, founder of Bugles Across America, owns one and there's an Aman in my collection.

[Bsader]

My Father was a part of the invasion of D-Day as an 18 year old. He was a member of the Sea-Bees and was ferrying the troops and equipment back and forth from the beach and "dodging the 88 shells" that were raining down around him. Later he was with the Doctor of the Sea-Bee's Division (I believe it was a Division) when they happened upon a woman, just off the beach, in labor. They helped deliver a baby girl to a woman who was so grateful that she named her daughter Sea-Bee. No lie! When my Father returned to Normandy for the 50th anniversary he stayed at the house of Sea-Bee herself! Then when Sea-Bee came to visit the States she stayed at the house that my Father was living at the time which just happened to be my house. When my Father returned from that 50th Anniversary he brought a gift for me, a replica of a Bugle that was used during the invasion of Normandy. It's sitting about 10' from me as I write this. My Father was 18 years old during the invasion of Normandy "dodging the 88's." which was the same age I was when I marched for the Boston Crusader's standing in a retreat "dodging mosquito's" and complaining to myself as to why Drum Corp kept with the tradition of these God-awful retreats. I guess I could have used a little more perspective at the time. My Father went on to experience the chaos of Paris hooking up with a Parisian who was hell bent on sniping all the German loyalist's. "I had to leave him when I realized he was going to get us both killed as he had obviously gone insane." At age 19 my Father hadn't accumulated enough points so when the German's surrendered he was sent to the Pacific Theater and was involved in the invasion of Okinawa which he found to be an even more terrorizing experience than Normandy. At 19 he was in Command of his own Rhino Barge with a crew of 3 men all his senior. When one of the American vessels was attacked by a Kamikaze boat, yes their were Kamikaze boats as well, he was tasked with off loading the vessels men and supplies before it sank. "I kept looking over my shoulder waiting for a Kamikaze plane determined to finish us off."

After the war my Father came home, married, and had 8 children 6 of which marched in the Boston Crusader's. He also had 3 Grandchildren who also marched in the Crusader's. In 1977 he had 5 sons and 1 Daughter-in-law marching in the Crusader's often in a stadium in Lynn that we use to joke was named after our family.

Edited September 4, 2014 by Bsader