European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 18, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Ste. Mere eglise where the american Flag flew first sets Gus be Huettr Ahw i him inc i of so Farrr Fig Ora or right off if jump of .1   ski Jian from of in roof. The Wing of a j or to and Lic of.  in Froni Olf a Mer can ll.,g arc a Asp avid in the museum at Sto. A or fisc. He streets it sic. Mere Slise Are paved with the history of Northern i Ranee durum the roman occupation the town was a Stop on the main Highway through the vast Empire. I hat  through the t enl uries Pasi William tin c Oil Seror to pm Henry v to King i Nuis Xiii. When history intruded  on the old Market Lown in nil it r.,Ime irom the sky american p Iralu i i is  us the i Ugi St invasion fore e in , dropped into me me e tells in the pro Dawn darkness no Lune f alter fighting with bayonets knives and grenades Meinberg us the a nil airborne div raised an Ami Man  in front of the Lown Hall it was the first Amer ii All Flag to in Wase on i a in h soil during world War time Mere Uglise was on one be live of he airborne assault and a ire Success of a Forte that included 1,d 0 sorties of planes and 1 " 2 transport gliders in get men and equipment on the continent. Many missed their drop ones  of anti Ain Ratt lire Low Ilou Fli or Strong winds. Some Tell Ink areas flooded by the germans and drowned of the  men of the loll airborne div who  the ump. 1,500 wire missing As a Day Inii to i close some 111. Had been killed in action and i \7 wounded. La air list i pm a Livre Ero still More than 1,100 a Mim Many of them prisoners of War. On 1 of thu be who lumped into the darkness was Hob  in tear old private in the Ichih i Arai Hute hit i it. The red  i Don l a Ilie Riiber beini1, air  ii i ver  me said the Boisi Harment a Spinali d him. Ii reminded him of .1 fireworks display a k Home in Pennsylvania.  it Billt to tired irom German us ired towards him in i us Oriel parabolas ii seemed he said like a Lon Way to the ground filth i a he limped irom Only 1,000 Leet above the in Dpi in  a Pearl landed in a so he pasture -. Ii  w. Is of Ste no  i Eltse. I lie drop in Hind the lines by units of the Stivland ident was planned to  Oil the Ameri an Beai lies irom enemy Rem Lorrenne its Oil e the invasion Beikian  Irr Veteran of her 1hlh Alan Lieut Elk remembers the leak seeming to i to in on the i in  h he was rid i the Mil air Rall bursts were so dense that the paratroopers oked that they would t need their parachutes ii was so the i a we figured we t Ould walk Down he said. Delelli said one of the Bif Fiest worries of the jumpers was the  i Ecru below ii in. As part of the German defences the Fields were flooded or riddled with sharpened stakes linked by barbed wire. Grenades were hanging from the wire. Bettelli. A retired lieutenant colonel landed in a Field with his platoon  and another paratrooper on the wrong Side of the Merceret Kiver. Overall the airborne jump was a near disaster. The. Keil devils and other paratroopers were spread Over several Miles much of it flooded. Many drowned or were Hung up in Trees. Others landed among German defenders and were killed As they hit the ground. The invasion started in mass confusion. Bui some historians have concluded that the confusion worked in favor of the invaders. The wide dispersion of the Force left the germans just As confused. 1 he toy clickers or Cri Kels passed out to help troops assemble on the ground worked Bettelli said. I Low Ever the germans soon caught on and began using them As a lure. Some gliders landed in confusion. Many crashed on Landing killing the Ore upans. Others came Down far from their designated Landing area. One of the successes of the Allied glider Force was 70 Tripet Magai be my in 1989