European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 6, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A tree Marks the Start of one soldiers War by Wayne v. Viall staff writer a sign at the base of a tree in  reads a pvt. William h. Tucker entered the Battle in Normandy Here june 6,1944 a but even that memorial one Given few a a common soldiery for their parts in grand Battles understates the bloody struggle that took place there. That tree marked the beginning of the paratroopers journey through France Holland Belgium and into Germany As the allies moved East against Adolf hitlers troops. Tucker recounted that Battle in an interview with the stars and stripes in  earlier this year and it his recently published Book Parachute Soldier. Tucker said he landed near the northeastern Edge of the strategic town near the site of the present Day airborne museum. The troops scattered throughout the Region were to assemble outside of  to prepare for the attack on the town. A from All Over the place Clicks sounded from the Metal artificial a crickets we used to signal each other and help us regroup a he writes of the first few moments on the ground. After assembling a we moved in on the town a the bostonian recounted in his new England pvt. William h. Tucker practices for a jump. Accent a and headed towards the Church in the Center of town. A we attacked along the Road that leads towards the Park near where the airborne museum now stands a he said. A in the briefing we had been told to watch out for that Park because it had been spotted As a German truck Park. A a a a a a a. A a a a we shot an opening in a Wall and ran to that big tree two of us. We put a machine gun up and fired a couple of bursts because we saw a couple of germans probably at 300 or 400 Yards a he remembered. A we looked around and there was a . Paratrooper hanging dead up in the tree and that resulted in that Little plaque because a French author wanted to say that that is where i entered the Battle for France. A i like to Tell that because i did no to land at that tree. The poor Guy that landed in that tree a i found out 40 years later a was a Guy named Bill Buchner. He was in my squad believe it or not in the 506th Parachute infantry  Tucker remembered that he saw seven other parachutes hanging from Trees in the area. A i believe that three of them were filled with bodies and the other were empty a he said. . Troops continued to Advance on the town and despite losses were Able to capture  eglise the first French town taken by Allied. Forces during the invasion of Normandy. Tucker a journey did not end there however As he moved East fighting through the Battle of the bulge and crossing the Border into Germany before being injured in Early 1945. He eventually was evacuated to 164tb general Hospital in Normandy near his journeys Start in june 1944 a a Only about seven months before but it seemed like several lifetimes a he writes. Normandy was not Tucker a first taste of Battle. He had served in Africa and Italy before a Day. L a. Tucker now a lawyer is the former chairman of the . Interstate Commerce commission. He reached the rank of lieutenant colonel in the . Army Reserve. Tucker today Pep talk from Ike for paratrooper Max Hydric a Day began with a visit from the supreme Allied commander Gen. Dwight d. Eisenhower. Hydric then a 22-Ycar-old 101st airborne div private first class from Greenville Texas said a a before we took off for Normandy that night june 5eisenhower came and talked to  Ike gave the troops a Pep talk he said. A after he left our colonel told the battalion a men get on your Knees. Now in a not a religious Man but i want you to get on your  then he said a Little  Hydric was assigned to the 3rd in 506th Parachute inf re goof the 101st. After Eisenhower a visit had Rich a unit boarded the air planes for Normandy. A it was a wild ride a Hydric recounted for the stars and stripes this Spring. A we flew Over with the air plane doors off and we flew Low. It was a Bright Moon Light night and As we flew Over the Channel was absolutely full of ships a Hedric said he jumped with a machine gun but on the Way Down the bag broke and the machines fit pfc. Max Hedric in 1944 and today. Gun fell away. Normally he would have had a Rifle to fall Back on but it was in his assistant gunners  i thought a Well they the germans will kill me if they get me so in a going to run a Quot he said. He remembered that after he hit the ground a i tossed a grenade and i come up running. Well the grenade i guess was a Dud. But you know they did no to hit me a it was wild and when we started the assault the next Day it got pretty bad. I was a prisoner for a Short time until the germans got into a firelight and i slipped into the Bushes and got  during Battle that Day near care Tan he said he was wounded in the right Arm Between the hand and Elbow. He also took three shots in the hip and one in the shoulder while he was pinned Down by fire. Wayne Hall Day jump began with a lie teen Ager Robert Murphy a jump into history began with the lie that got him into the army. Murphy an 82nd airborne div Pathfinder on june 6,1944, said he falsified his age when he joined the army on oct. 1,1942. A my father who was a sergeant during world War i helped me forge my birth certificate so that i could join the army at age 17 a he said. A i was one of the original pathfinders in the 505th Parachute infantry regiment a said Murphy now an attorney in Boston. On a Day a we set up lights and used radar to guide the air planes to their  his unit took off from Britain in the late Daylight hours of june 5. A we flew. Toward the sea where there were various markings to follow one of which i remember was a submarine. It was a Clear night with about a  the planes kept Low he said flying at about 300 or 400 feet. The Hook up command for the pathfinders came As the planes reached the coastline. About 15 minutes later they received the Green Light to jump. He landed somewhere near the strategic town of ste.-m6re-�glise. A i eventually Cut myself out of my harness and Cut out my Bandolier with 300 rounds of Tommy gun ammunition. We assembled and set up our radar and Light  during that night he and his fellow pathfinders were Busy bringing in Waves of paratroops. They also guided in a number of gliders carrying vehicles artillery and other items necessary to sustain the airborne troops until the reinforcements arrived by sea. A your Mission was the most successful of any Pathfinder Mission a he said. A i was sent Back to my unit the following Day a he said. A at that time they were heavily involved in fighting for the la Fiacre  during the 20th anniversary of a Day in 1964, he made the first memorial Parachute jump at . Since then he has become actively involved in the Community. In appreciation the town has named one of its streets after him. Today Murphy is president of the 82nd airborne div association. He plans to be on hand for the 50th anniversary observances. Wayne Hall Sas Robert Murphy 20 a stars and stripes commemorative edition june 6, 1994