Editors
Introduction: this picture book was assembled using emailed material provid=
ed
by Deborah Ziegler from her family’s 2008 trip to France.
![3D"126Dead](3D"France2008Storybook4.1_files/image002.jpg")
The Dead Man’s Corner Mus=
eum
in Normandy is located in a house, on highly historical ground between Care=
ntan
and Saint-Côme-du-Mont. The historic house and surrounding land are
property of the Carentan Historical Center and it houses an impressive
collection of authentic WWII German and American airborne artifacts
concentrating on local activities of the 101st Airborne Division. Beginning=
at
midnight, in the darkness of June 6th, 1944, General Maxwell D. Taylor̵=
7;s
paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division became the first Allied soldier=
s to
touch French soil, and for 33 successive days they carried the fight to the
enemy. This was the beginning of the Allies’ airborne trail through N=
azi
occupied Europe.
The 101st had been assigned the
mission of capturing the key Norman city of Carentan. Before them lay
Saint-Côme-du-Mont, defended by a well-entrenched, crack German unit
– the Fallschirmjagers of the Luftwaffe – the famed German
parachutists. Here, the troopers of the 101st committed themselves in the f=
irst
large-scale attack launched by the Division during the invasion. The Germans
had been issued orders to hold Carentan at all costs. For the Americans, it=
was
vital to capture the city, so they waited for the supporting light tanks
landing on Utah Beach to move inland. Only one road was open to the tankers.
This one road led from the beach, passed through Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, and
terminated at the Carentan / Saint-Côme-du-Mont road.
From hedgerow to hedgerow, thro=
ugh
field after field, then onto the road and on into town, fierce fighting rag=
ed
as the Eagle troopers swept into the streets of St. Come-du-Mont. As the fi=
rst
American tank reached this intersection and drove toward Carentan, it was
struck in the turret by a German rocket. The tank was disabled and the
commander was killed. For several days thereafter, the hull remained abando=
ned
at the intersection, with the dead lieutenant hanging out of the turret. The
paratroopers at first referred to ‘the corner with the dead guy in the
tank’, but soon shortened it to ‘Dead Man’s Corner’=
, by
which name it will always be remembered.
![3D133WWIIChampsElysee=](3D"France2008Storybook4.1_files/image004.jpg")
WWII Champs Elysee – tanks
driving down the famous Parisian street
![3D"135Champs](3D"France2008Storybook4.1_files/image006.jpg")
What the Champs Elysee looks li=
ke
today
![3D136WWIIArchdeTriomp=](3D"France2008Storybook4.1_files/image008.jpg")
Arch de Triomphe Tanks under the Famous Memorial
![3D"137Arc](3D"France2008Storybook4.1_files/image010.jpg")
The Arch de Triomphe - as it lo=
oks
today
=
The Arc de Triomphe to=
day.
The Arc de Triomphe is one of the most famous monuments in Paris. It was
commissioned in 1806 by Emperor Napoleon at the peak of his fortunes. The a=
rch
honors those who fought for France, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars=
. On
the inside and the top of the arc there are all of the names of generals and
wars fought.
=
Pedestrian access to the Arc de Triomphe is via an underpass. Dodging
the Paris traffic on the roundabout that surrounds the arc is dangerous and=
is
not recommended. Visitors climb 284 steps to reach the top of the Arc. And =
we
did!
![](3D"France2008Storybook4.1_files/image012.jpg")
100 Dad's View -
This is the barn that the Mayor
believes that they brought Daddy to.I stood thinking about Dad, probably ly=
ing
on his back looking up for most of this trip to the barn. And staring up
– I realized that the barn probably still had the same roof that it h=
ad
sixty years ago. The stone walls were holding up just fine and probably wou=
ld
for a long time to come. There is sunlight pouring in through some holes in=
the
roof. But the old timber looked untouched. I tried to put myself in DadR=
17;s
position. Having just seen Ron Baker killed, having bullets in his leg,
wondering what would happen next. Not being able to feel his legs. And what=
of
Ed Nicholson, running down the farm road, looking for the medical kit in the
jeep, searching for the sulfa-powder. Was his heart thumping?
The
discovery of Sulfanilamide greatly affected the mortality rate during World=
War
II. American soldiers were taught to immediately sprinkle sulfa powder on a=
ny
open wound to prevent infection. The first aid pouch contained a package of
sulfa powder and a bandage to dress the wound. One of the main components
carried by a combat medic during World War II was sulfa powder and sulfa
tablets. SULFANILAMIDE, first used in 1936, was the grandparent of the
SULFONAMIDE family of drugs that are still extremely useful today. Dramatic=
proof
of the effectiveness of this new agent was provided during an outbreak of
meningitis in the French Foreign Legion in Nigeria. While sulfanilamide was
available, there was an 11% mortality rate. After the supply was exhausted,
mortality climbed to 75%. Sulfanilamide and its derivatives, which soon
followed, were said to have "dethroned the captain of the men of
death," such was their effectiveness. I don’t know if Dad would =
be
alive today - infection of his wounds could have killed him without it R=
11;
and since this was to be his only treatment – I would have to say it =
was
quite effective.
![](3D"France2008Storybook4.1_files/image014.jpg")
New friends
The
mayor’s father was the mayor during WWII and he told Gary and I an
interesting anecdote. His father was arrested and taken prisoner by the Ger=
mans.
He was transported to Germany. He escaped his captors and began a long and =
slow
walk back to his village w- which took him over a month – as he was
walking through hot areas of battle and had to proceed carefully. When he
arrived he was thin and disheveled and it was a Sunday morning. He slipped =
in
the back of the church. The minister – stopped his sermon in mid sent=
ence
and very calmly said, “Our mayor has returned.” Alan Schmitt
thought this story was very funny and laughed heartily. He told it twice. V=
ery
cute.
The
mayor treated everyone to a cold beer or chilled wine, and the girls perked=
up
immediately. The minister of tourism accompanied us. The mayor asked a young
English woman to close up her shop early and come and translate for us. She
spoke flawless French and was very witty and funny.
Our
translator is in the orange t-shirt here. We felt so very welcome. They ask=
ed
all about Dad and asked if I knew John Wernick. I explained about the reuni=
on
of the 167th and why we had the sign with us. We were treated like royalty.
Daddy wrote the mayor a very nice letter when I returned bearing gifts and
stories of how gracious our hosts were.
=
The mayor and his friend are cut-ups – their sense of humor ke=
pt
us laughing. The mayor was explaining to Brittany that his son was in a med=
ical
field (genetics) when she mentioned that she was going into audiology. Brit
asked for more detail about the field of medicine that the Mayor’s so=
n is
in. Turns out that his son is quite successful – involved in (possibly
the owner of) a company in France that freezes sperm for future use. The ma=
yor
laughed heartily about this too.
I told the mayor that he looked like a Texan – so tall and
“John Waynish” in his demeanor. His friends laughed and laughed.
“He loves John Wayne!” they said. “We will never hear the=
end
of this.”
=
My patriotic girls summed up the day. “I can’t wait to t=
ell
my Mom that I had cocktails with a Mayor in France!” Julene gushed.
“I’m so glad we took the time to come see where Grandpa was tak=
en
captive,” my daughter said, “even though it was a really long
drive.”
![](3D"France2008Storybook4.1_files/image016.jpg")
![](3D"France2008Storybook4.1_files/image018.jpg")
Curly Allen and others found the
jeep - windshield shot to pieces and evidence of Ron Baker's grave here.
![](3D"France2008Storybook4.1_files/image020.jpg")
French Cheek Kissing –
We were on our way to see the
childhood home of the Mayor. The minister of tourism taught me the two-sided
French air kiss next to the cheek when he presented me with a rose and then
proceeded to explain that in some regions of France it was three kisses =
211;
depending on local custom.
![](3D"France2008Storybook4.1_files/image022.jpg")
Long
Last - is finding Villaines la Juhel after many hours driving in the french
countryside
![](3D"France2008Storybook4.1_files/image024.jpg")
Gary
Holmes, Deborah Ziegler(OT's daughter), Julene, and Brittany (OTs
granddaughter)
![](3D"France2008Storybook4.1_files/image026.jpg")
The
Mayor - The Mayor, or Maire as the French say, introduced himself as Alan
Schmitt and his English was very good. He was gathering magazines about the
town, presenting me with a gift of a little pewter bowl for Mom and Dad and
also a hard back book published about the history of Villaines la Juhel. Th=
en
we were all following his car out to the monument for Ron Baker.
![](3D"France2008Storybook4.1_files/image028.jpg")
Back
at the roadside memorial, we found out just who the Mayor had been calling.
Newspaper reporters and a photographer were waiting there. The mayor was
explaining who we were and showing them a picture of Dad
![](3D"France2008Storybook4.1_files/image030.jpg")
94
farm - “A D=
octor
lived here,” the Mayor said, pointing at a boarded up red brick home.=
He
was a member of the resistance. The Germans brought your father here, to his
barn after the ambush.
We stood staring at the red brick home, wondering if the Doctor̵=
7;s
wife had stood peaking out her window after hearing the shooting. Wondering
what was going on?
These
are all photos taken in St. Lo (which was 98% destroyed during the war - by
American fire)
![](3D"France2008Storybook4.1_files/image035.jpg")
![](3D"France2008Storybook4.1_files/image036.jpg")
![](3D"France2008Storybook4.1_files/image037.jpg")
![](3D"France2008Storybook4.1_files/image038.jpg")