European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 5, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse \ the stars and stripes sunday june 5,1934stories fill air around by Ron Jensen Normandy Bureau , France on the streets Here saturday stories were being told. If you slopped to eavesdrop you could hear them "1 was the last Man in the plane. When the ground fire hit the plane it sounded like you took a handful of gravel and threw it on a tin the speaker was a Zane Schlemmer. Early on the morning of a Day he dropped into a Normandy Field with other members of the 82nd airborne div. This is his eighth return visit to Normandy. On Rue . Eisenhower Schlemmer was a Center of attention in his airborne jacket a i wanted out of that plane. I wanted nothing to do with that goddamn plane a he said. During saturdays visit in town Schlemmer was stopped on the Street by a Young Man a briton who lives in Hawaii not far from Schlemmer As it turned out. The briton had questions. Sci Slemmer a 69-year-old real estate Developer was More than Happy to provide answers. Asked if the normans in the area were helpful Schlemmer said yes but Only a Little. And subtly. He then explained. A in their defense they no to know How it was going to turn out. You a find a Gate open. If you came to a Wall they a have left a ladder. If i went to a door to find out where i was they would always have cider or Schlemmer stood next to a rack of postcards. People stopped to look and heard his stories. They turned and listened. Or they took a Quick picture. He answered More questions. Yes he said his unit took prisoners. They would Cut the prisoners belts and pull off the Fly buttons so the prisoners hands were Busy holding up their pants. And yes they could make the prisoners talk. A a there a nothing like a machine gun pushed into your gut to loosen your Tongue a he said. Just behind him stood his wife doly. She has Learned to be patient As her husband tells his stories but she remains amazed at his own Loose Tongue. A at Home he does no to have time for anyone. He is so Busy Quot she said. A frenchwoman moved to the front of the Small crowd Schlemmer had attracted. She finally caught his Eye and moved Forward. He knew her from an earlier visit to France. He kissed her on s3.s Kon Goorge Frenchman Joel Bonn Cland left gets Veteran d. Zane Schlemmer to sign an autograph on a . Flag. Both Cheeks and gave her a hug. Quot they Are really Nice people Here. They treat us great a he said. Those first couple of Days on the ground were treacherous. The paratroops on the ground had no idea whether the Beach invasion had we just no to know a a he said. A then we finally got radios and were in Contact. Plus we heard artillery Schlemmer was a Forward observer for a while calling in artillery on enemy positions. A when we called for Navy fire we could actually see those bastards shells coming in a he recalled. A they were so big i could follow them with my his first Day on the ground was a dry one. But then the rain came. The uniforms had been treated with a Wax to prevent Gas from penetrating if the germans used chemical weapons. It also helped keep the rain out. A on the other hand while it kept the rain out it kept the perspiration in a he said Schlemmer laughed at the thought of How he stank. He no to have a Bath until Early july. And he had to get wounded to get that. His wife said a every time he comes out of the Shower he still says a a i love a a Schlemmer recovered from his wounds in time to jump into Holland in september As part of operation Market Garden. He even participated in the Battle of the bulge in late 1944. Docs he like to talk about his War experiences a for about 30 years i wanted nothing to do with it a he said. A the memories were so bad i wanted to suppress it. Then i realized this is history. There a nothing i can do to change some people stopped just to shake his hand. Still More asked him to sign an autograph or pose for pictures. He had stood and talked for More than an hour a a we re celebrities. You see Why i come the old Veteran laughed. This is what you hear on the streets of . Dream Job preparations keep Bamberg no Busy by Vince Crawley Normandy Bureau Utah Beach France staff sgt. Bruce Hunter had some pretty big boots to fill saturday at Normandy. The Bamberg Germany Soldier was scheduled to commemorate the role of Black soldiers in world War ii by reciting Martin Luther King i have a dream speech at a Small French Village ceremony. Then he was going to continue final preparations at Utah Beach where he will be in charge of a group of soldiers and French students who will escort veterans. How Are the preparations going Hunter joked that he pleaded the fifth amendment. But he added a a in a flexible. Everything a running pretty much on there Are a minor details to be worked out but everything will work a steady chilled rain fell saturday morning As dozens of american and French soldiers stood in formation at Utah Beach. Scores of other service members and civilian workers were on the sidelines nailing boards and nailing Down ceremony details. As the drenched military bands in the practice ceremony played the National anthems of both countries All the military members turned toward the flags and saluted. Ignoring the music the civilian workers hammered away. Hunter 37, from Columbia s.c., said he would be honoured to read Kings speech later saturday. Quot the chaplain wanted me to give this narration because of the Black soldiers who came in on a Day a said Hunter who a with the 5th in 2nd air defense arty regt. A the French remember the Black soldiers who came Over a Hunter said. A so basically we re commemorating Black soldiers during the a Day invasion and liberation of he said the moment will be a a and Honor if i done to get the he a also among the 75 american soldiers and 150 French students who will act As Ushers escorting veterans during the monday ceremonies at Utah Beach. For their preparations the Ushers Are going through different scenarios practising what to do in Case of an emergency. They have run through everything from mass casualty drills to a what happens if one person has a heart attack in the Middle of the rows of seats a Hunter said a a we la just try to keep it smooth and Calm if any Accident does happen a he said. A a in be got to be flexible think Quick and react ordinarily he a a Section sergeant with one of the new avenge r missile weapon systems. Sgt. 1st class Theresa Larkin 36, from Trenton n.j., said she was ecstatic when she found out saturday that she would be an usher. A a in a so excited to be with the veterans. Its a once in a lifetime Opportunity a said Larkin an army reservist who was called up for the 50th anniversary commemorative activities. In civilian life she works As an emergency medical technician with Central Texas College at Kaiserslautern Germany and she lives across the Border in France. All the military Ushers have had medical training Hunter said. Sgt. 1st class Kenneth p. Wiggins 40, originally from Philadelphia was att eth or reservist at Utah Beach. Quot its great. Its the Best place to be this time of year Wiggins said of his Call up to Normandy. There a a lot of history Here a he said running through the names of the beaches where Allied solders fought Omaha Utah Juno Gold and sword. He was Here for the 40th anniversary part of the color guard from 1st in 16th inf regt 1st f div in adv out of Goppinger Germany. Now in Ctm Lian life he works As a bodyguard for a German firm in Augsburg
