While enjoying some smiles with My Frankenstein. I ran across YouTube's "The Longest Day" I've enjoyed an afternoon of memories.
About The Longest Day" Back in the late '50s I worked with a man that was part of the glider operation, on D-Day. Steve and I worked on a seismograph crew, in
SW Texas--along the Pecos and Rio Grand rivers. We were a two man survey crew and h ad no trouble keeping our seismograph line staked .. We had lots of time to fish, hunt for arrowheads and BS.
Steve joined the Army in 1942. After Basic training, his first assignment was as an inspector at a glider factory in Kansas City. I won't go into his tales of being one of two men in a factory full of man less women.
At a point he was assigned to a glider group, headed for North Africa. He saw no action in North Africa, only lots of training. Then he went to England. His whole time over yonder he only inspected and maintained the gliders, until June 5th. 1944.
For some reason h was ordered to be a crew member on one of the DC-3 tow planes. As I watched scenes The Longest Day glider operation, I thought a lot about Steve's tales of that day.
A slightly bumpy ride across the Channel. Just a short time over France, but unbelieve able tension, every minute.
The tow plane crew released the glider. Steve didn't know any of the troopers, in the glider, but his heart nearly stopped beating as the glider disappeared, in the darkness. By the time the DC-3s made their turn and headed back to England, firing had erupted on the ground. Steve never learned the fate of their glider
Steve also served in Operation Marketgarden, in Holland
Please bear with me for another story. Back to 1058, along the Pecos River. Steve and I were driving along a 70 mi stretch of gravel road when we came upon a single Border Patrolman, pointing a shotgun at over 40 Mexican illegals. He had them srung out and sitting on the ground. He had caught them in a stake bed truck---60 miles from anywhere.
The agent flaged us down and showed us where to park. He had radioed for back up and two Border Patrol busses. We had a two way radio and he asked if we would stay put until his back up arrived. We agreed.
He said that it was common for large groups of illegls, dealing with a lone agent, to rush the agent , kill him and go on their way.
It was a long two hours. The Mexicans were surely and obviously feeling their frijole. They stared at us and grunbled among themselves.
The back up arrived and we waved Adios!
True stories from life. I got a mess of 'em
Okie Drifter.
