European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 6, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Gen. Dwight d. Eisenhower meets with paratroops before their jump into family greets returning a Day paratroop by Wayne v. Viall staff writer a farm family in Normandy occupies a front Row scat this year for returning a Day veterans reliving an important Battle fought by . Paratroops. When Frenchman Yves Poisson purchased a farm in the settlement of la Fiere near in 1972, he had no idea of the role his new Home played in the Battle for control of an important River crossing. Now after More than 20 years of greeting returning . Veterans Poisson and his family have become local authorities on the a Day struggle for la Fiere crossing and causeway on the Merceret when we first moved in we had no idea of its the farms importance to the allies during the liberation a said Poisson 46, a former French army paratrooper. A nor did i know of the fierce fighting that raged Here for several Days As they tried to push Forward deeper into France a he added speaking through a translation by his oldest daughter Fabielli 23. The Poisson farmhouse is near a Bridge Over the Merceret a Stream that flows through the lowlands of the Region. Before june 6,1944, the occupying German army had flooded the vast expanse of surrounding pastures hoping to slow the Advance of an invasion Force. In order for Allied invasion forces to Advance farther into France they needed to halt any German reinforcements and then to break through the German lines. In the Region where the paratroops landed that meant crossing the flooded lowlands. The Bridge and causeway at la Fiere were one of the few locations where troops could make a crossing. The farm belonged to the Leroux family in 1944 and when Poisson bought the place he Learned the a Day Story from mrs. Leroux. A a a on june 5, when the first paratrooper landed we were going to bed a a said Poisson Reading from a written version of the Leroux account about the night of june 5-6, a a a it was a Clear evening suddenly we heard the noise of Many planes and then we saw Many mushrooms falling from the a at that time there were no germans in the farm a Poisson said. A however the next morning the germans arrived and came into the House and moved into the he continued Reading the account a a a they made us close All the shutters and until that time we had not seen americans before. The German soldiers started to Settle in and they placed their guns in the attic windows As the morning went on they began to shoot at the americans. A a a As some of the germans got wounded they were put into the Kitchen. By now the family was a amps Dave Covey Yves Poisson Points out a Battle site on a his farm near , France. Army hiding in the cellar. A a a we opened the door and were standing face to face with an american Soldier. He asked us speaking French Well where the germans were in the House. We told them that they were in the bedroom. The paratroopers told us to go into the woodshed inside the a they began a firelight in the House that lasted about 30 minutes said Poisson it ended when the germans surrendered by waving White bed clothing out the bedroom window. They were taken As prisoners into . After a four Day Battle for the causeway at la Fiere paratroops secured the crossing site Over the Merceret on june 9. Shortly after moving into the farmhouse Poisson recalled a Veteran from the Battle came knocking at the door a the asked me if he could look around a Poisson said. Quot he explained that he had fought Here during the liberation. A later he had asked to Sec the inside of the House saying that he helped retake it from the germans. The gentleman asked to see the stairwell. Just a few Steps up he stopped took out his knife and scraped at the stairwell revealing a Bullet lodged in the Stone. A the told me he knew it was there because As he had been looking out a window preparing to fire he heard the Bullet go by and saw As it hit the As veterans returned to the farmhouse through the years the Poissons and their three children became unofficial hosts who often listened As the vets recounted their versions of what happened. Since 1981 the family has kept a record of the visitors and their tales in a Black Binder. The Binder now bulges with photos letters cards and other Memorabilia from those who have returned. / Poisson recalled that one visitor was retired it. Col. Lionel of Frigo a Canadian born officer in the 1st in 508tlv Parachute inf regt. It was Frigo who was the French speaking Soldier the Leroux family encountered while leaving their cellar on a Day Poisson said. Quot it was from Frigo that i Learned of the strategic importance of the Bridge a Poisson said. A the told me that for the germans to get , this was the Only Way. It had to be secured to protect the june 6, 1994 a stars and stripes commemorative edition 19
