European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 6, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse It. My my vol. 53, no. 50 500the st�r5.and?stripes monday june 6,1994 d 8693 triumphant return vets greeted i by Ron Jensen Normandy Bureau , France the town Square where men died in combat 50 years ago was the scene sunday for a Celebration of peace. It was an event that focused much of the worlds attention on , where the message was of peace and love Friendship and gratitude. A a it a. The biggest thing in town since the first one a said Billy Sullivan a new yorker who served with the 505th Parachute inf regt which liberated the town Early on the morning of a Day 50 years ago. A a this is a 505 town a said Don Mckeage also a vet eran of the regiment. The town was stretched to the limit sunday. The area around the Square where the first combat took place on the night of june 5-6,1944, was blocked off to vehicle traffic. It was packed with pedestrians. How Many the question elicited mostly shrugs from gendarmes. One Man qualified to guess was Howard Vanoian a 505th Veteran who is retired and has lived for years in ste.-m6re-eglise. A minimum 30,000,�?� he said a maybe plus. the multitude was treated to a Beautiful Day of weather. Only a few White Clouds marred a Blue sky just a Day after a cold and Rainy 24 hours. A wind rolled in around late morning and threatened to cancel the Airdrop three Miles from town. But the winds held below the 13-knot maximum set by military safety officials and the drop went off As planned. A memorial service sunday morning brought More than 4,000 people to the town Square. Presiding was the Rev. George b. Wood of Huntsville Ala. Wood was division chaplain of the 82nd airborne div on a Day and one of the first soldiers on the ground that morning 50 years ago. During the service he spoke eloquently of the Welcome in this a City of gratitude a and honoured the fallen see return on Page 2 inside today views of France 1944 and 1934 pages 4 and 5 expanded coverage pages 3-12 9 veterans sound off on Clinton Pago 3 3 Clinton urges Allied Solidarity Pago to 3 rangers return to the Pointe Page 10 a former enemies make peace Page 11 a amps Jilin Utji to r Elsworth Harger of Munising mich., celebrates after his Parachute jump near , Harger 68, jumped in Southern France during the War and is a Veteran of 941 Parachute jumps
