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13 - We Were There at the Normandy Invasion by Clayton Knight · We Were There at the Normandy Invasion

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Andrea was so surprised that he stammered in English, don't fire.
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: The flier's hand dropped parlevous English. He faltered, frowning. Andrea's
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: suspicions leaped up. Dirty brown coveralls, the strange cap, the
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: German looking tow colored hair, and the plane. Andre had
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: never seen one like it, and the star insignia could
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: be a Nazi fake. Andrea stood his ground some distance away.
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: When the pilot flung open the side door and jumped out.
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: Andrea stepped back and a swift glance over his shoulder
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: Andrea Saoul reached the bottom of the ladder. He shouted,
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: then get slim au and tell de capitan for the
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: leven mike kid, what gave with you? You think I'm
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: a German? The pilot demanded, You could be. Andrea retorted,
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: holy mackerel. The pilot leaped, That's what I thought you
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: were at first. I didn't even see you were a
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: kid when I pulled the gun. Forget it well, Andre
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: admitted after a moment, you do talk like an American.
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: I'll come, Andre laughed uncertainly. Germains don't say I'll come
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: for one thing, he stated, But what are you doing? Here.
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: It looks as you were lost. Lost is right, and
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: out of fuel too, The pilot replied with angry disgust.
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: Now I've got to find more gas and get over
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: to Utah Beach in a hurry. Where am I anyway?
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: You're about to fall minus farms your Nias invasion beach,
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: Andre said, But I am not sure of the different
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: names you Americans have given them. Someone will be here soon,
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: Captain Doby, I can come himself. He has a poken leg.
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: Is this Dobe's command? The fire exclaimed, Well, I am
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: in a hurry. Cripes, I can't keep the general waiting.
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: He'll give me hooplot for navigating myself into this mess.
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: Fog or no fog. Here's somebody now. It was Slim
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: at a gallop, followed by two armed guards. They fell
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: in on each side of the pilot. Slim took a
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: quick look at the flyer and the plane and asked,
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: what else fit you with? Army Liaison Squadron Lieutenant Bill
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: Carson replied the pilot, you with the eighty second Airborne.
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: Slim nodded and asked, sharply, now what's up here? Don't
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: you guys use landing strips anymore. Don't pilot on, Buddy,
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: Carson said, I'm in bad enough already. I got myself
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: lost good in this weather, and this kid here thought
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: I was a German. Slim turned sternly to Andre. You
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: can overdo this taken prisoner with al consultant, as you know, son,
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: he muttered, coldly, explained to the pilot more mildly, is
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: Andre and old frenchman helped catch a car full of
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: Nazi offices once? But once is enough? And it's stared
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: at Andrea? Say? He exclaimed, Are you the French kid
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: I heard about trap those German staff officers. I'll bet
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: my general'd like to shake hands with you. He's the
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: one who questioned them. Slim put on his best corporal's manner.
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: Best we get back to your business here, lieutenant. How
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: are you going to wangle your gelapi out of this corner? Now?
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: You got her wedged in so good? The pilot shrugged,
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: Get me some gas and I'll fly out. Okay, I
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: might have to wait till the fog lifts a little,
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: Slim pardered a moment. Listen, Andre, you think we could
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: squeeze a little more gas out of that pump of
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: your dad's take us an hour mortar wayle a US
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: truck care and gas. Andre smiled, we have been telling
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: everyone see pump was empty, but we have a little
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: lift in case of you'll know. Carson gave a yelp.
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: I know emergency you mean, well, boys, I'm in the
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: worst emergency you'll ever meet. Slim ordered one of his
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: men to guard the plane at a frown from the
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: guard Raoul, who had been standing close by, stopped off
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: at the house. Slim went in to report to the
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: captain and came back with word that Dobe had telephoned
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: the General waiting at Utah Beach. The General had a
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: message to Carson. What did that idiot mean by getting
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: stuck in a plastic cow pasture? And tell him to
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: get out of there in a PLASTI hurry or I'll
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: have his blasted and so forth. Carson smiled wildly. That's
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: my general, he said. Slim went back to duty, and
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: Andrea and the pilot refilled the plane's tank from the
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: cans they had brought from the Gangnong pump. Carson took
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: a dismal look at the gray blanketed landscape. With Andrea's help,
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: he rolled the machine around so that it had her
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: away from the hedge. Want to get in while I
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: taxi her into position, Carson asked, permitted, Andre cried. Carson laughed,
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: of course, I'm not permitted, But what's the difference? Climb in.
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: Andre clambered into the seat beside the pilot's Carson turned
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: the switch, adjusted the throttle, swung the propeller, and the
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: engine started promptly. Now fasten that seat belt and hold on.
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: This feels bumpy, but the surge of power the plane
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: began to move scearfully. The pilot rendered a joling course
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: around the potholes and stumps to the far corner of
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: the meadow. Need all the run I can get for
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: the takeoff, he explained, Faced around for a diagonal course,
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: he throttled the engine. Gosh, I think the fog is
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: beginning to break, he cried. He leaned out to observe
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: the wind direction, which already was beginning to ruffle the
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: tops of the trees. I'd feel better if I knew
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: this country, he said. You know, I like your own hand,
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: I suppose, Andre said he did, and the pilot stared
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: down at him thoughtfully. Say Carson broke out again. How
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: about you coming along for the ride and point out
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: landmarks for me. Andrea's eyes lit up, but he began,
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: you see the evasion beaches yet, I'll show them to you,
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: he offered. Before Andre could gather his wits, Carson exclaimed,
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: there's a patch of blue sky. We better grab this chance.
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: Hang on, here we go, and he pushed open the throttle.
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: Andre felt the engine quicken, and then the forward jolt
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: as the brakes were released. Smoothly, the little ship lifted
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: after the short run, bang king sharply. It swept toward
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: the far rim of trees, and with inches to spare,
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: skimmed over them. The mist was breaking up, revealing open vistas.
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: As the plane rose, the houses and fields below shrank
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: away swiftly. The pilot said, keep a close watch for
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: low flying bombers. They're all over the place today, cleaning
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: out isolated German pockets. Almost at once, they were over
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: the marshes Zatsalod to the sea. Andre pointed. The mists
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: broke away sharply over the channel. Andrea gasped. A staggering
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: panorama had been unveiled, Pigmy files of marching troops, pigmy tanks,
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: and trucks crawled up the sea road in an endless procession. Oceanward.
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: Beyond the shore bluff and recks Room Beach lay a
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: sight which Andre could scarcely take in. Hundreds of ships
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: extended as far as he could see across the gray waves.
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: Over the ships, huge balloons lulled and bobbed and tugged
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: at their anchors. Destroyers and landing craft darted between the
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: shore and a line of hundreds of transports. Andrea could
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: make out a fleet of plains heading towards Sherburg to
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: the north, and from that direction the dull thud of
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: bombs rolled back on the wet air. It is grand,
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: he managed to said, breathlessly, but he hesitated and added slowly,
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: it is terrible. Foisie fledged Bee build so many guns,
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: and the bombs pointed at us. Carson glanced down at him.
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: They're pointed at the Germans, he corrected, Andrea, don't forget that.
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: We're trying not to hurt France more than necessary. We
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: I know, Andrea said, But Sir, I did not know
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: that there were so many sheeps and guns in the
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: whole world. Well, said Carson, take a good luck while
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: you've got the chance. I've got my bearings now. Andrea
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: studied the beach below. In the shallow water, wrecked landing
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: craft swung uselessly half a wash on the sea's edge,
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: lay tanks which had reached the shore only to be
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: shelled into wreckage. Savage battles had turned the sands into
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: a disorder of blasted, blackened gun pits and machine gun nests. Twice,
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: while Carson circled, Andrea saw him fiddling with the radio.
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: Then he spoke into the hand microphone and listened for
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: a few moments, got em at last, he said, they
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: say we've got to hold off a while longer. Some
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: Luftwaffa guy got through last night and bombed the strip.
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: They're just finishing repairs. See them down there. Andre looked
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: directly down. Tiny men laying strips of steel mesh moved
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: in groups like ants. Bulldozers swept along one side and
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: between the air strip and the sea. Supplies were piling
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: up steadily into mountains. Carson grinned, I'll bet that's my
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: general pacing up and down in front of that big tent.
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: A second later, he said, as long as we can't
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: get down right away, how about we take a look
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: at the English and Canadian beech heads. He swung along
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: shore and headed eastward. Carson pointed out the little city
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: of Carntan. There was a rattle of machine guns below,
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: and the pilot threw the plane into a series of
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: violent turns. Noises like angry wasps stueaked past their ears.
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: Andrea swayed dizzily. H Oh, what am I doing in here?
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: Carson yelled, That's the way I get holes in my ship.
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: He pointed out new terrors in the fabric. As they
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: zoomed away. He explained that was a Nazi machine gun.
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: There are still German troops and guns between Utah and
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: Obaha beaches and the British beachheads. The plane climbed steadily away,
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: and Andrea relaxed. The fury of Omaha and the British
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: beaches was very like that which he had seen at Utah. Unconsciously,
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: Andre shuddered part of the right. Under pall of smoke
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: and the flickering of explosions lay a city being pounded
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: to rubble. The Zeta must be calm, Andre murmured. My
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: Mozille was born in Kong. Then, after a moment zephalms,
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: see people, he counted sadly. Carson sat thoughtfully quiet. He
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: swung the ship in a wide circle for the return.
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: Don't think about it, kid, he said, presently, Just remember
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: the big german guns that aren't there anymore. Andre replied slowly,
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: isn't sinkly, Lily KNUSI le brasion would be as bad
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: as these. We will be glad when it is ovill. Suddenly,
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: the pilot jammed his control stick forward. The plane nosed
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: into a violent dive. Hang on fighters overhead. Up there,
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: he shouted. Andrea's head had jerked back. In his range
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: of vision. A formation of six thunderbolts with white stars
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: roared past. Wow. Carson gasped and pulled the ship level.
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: There After a bridge, he yelled. Andrea watched plane after
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: plane go into a dive and the bomb leave the
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: racks to arc downward. In the successive reign of bombs.
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: A black flame flecked cloud shot skyward. They have hid it,
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: Andrea cried, jubilantly. The thunderbolt zoomed upward out of the haze, reformed,
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: and disappeared toward England. Some time later, Carson talked once
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: more into the radio It's okay. They say you'd come in. Now,
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: the runway's ready, he announced. He throttled back. Well, now
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: you know what the beaches are like, he sighed. There
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: was a smooth descent. Carson slid in over the seal
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: mesh and brought the machine to a stop beside a
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: group of officers. He snapped open his own seat belt
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: and Andrea's oh, Carson gasped, I better try to explain you.
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: Andrea looked across at a glistening, brilliant red face that
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: belonged to a bulky man in a sweat stained uniform.
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: It's the General, Carson, wh He pushed the door open
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: and saluted. He spoke more rapidly than usual. This is
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: the French boyster who helped get the Nazis brass from Paris.
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: The General seemed to be caught between fury and curiosity.
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: Is it? He sputtered at last, And what's he doing
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: in an army plane? Well, sir, Carson blinked, I needed Oh,
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: never mind, boomed the General explosively. He's here now, and
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: I want to shake hands with him. Come on, boy,
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: Andre leaped down from the plane and his hand disappeared
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: in the general's bear Clutch's glad to thank you personally,
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: roared the huge man. Gruffly. He mopped his neck.
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: Want to tell you what's your name again? Andrea Ghunian
• 13:48
  Speaker 2: can't get these foreign names brought their languages, but I
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: can judge people. Where's that old fellow friend of yours, Wilmer?
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: Was it who shot the tires off the Nazis? Andrea
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: had tried to speak several times now, he said loudly,
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: lit del let's go, let's go, let's go. That means
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: green vegetable, doesn't it, barked the general. No, well, never mind,
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: congratulate him for me. Found out a lot from those
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: Nazi colonels. We did tell you what we expect, the
• 14:20
  Speaker 2: biggest generals we got here in this bridgehead for a
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: couple of days.
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: Eyes now, Marshall Arnold. Then we're glad to know how
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: you French kids have helped. He paused for breath.
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: Well, got to get going.
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: Lieutenant Carson emerged from inspecting the bullet holes in the
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: plane again, chattering rapidly. How are we going to get
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: this boy home? Sir? He can't walk us too far,
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: the generals snorted. Send him in a cheap, of course,
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: with some new orders for Captain Dolby. An iron faced
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: sergeant appeared and saluted, Oh there you are. Strukhoff shouted
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: the general. Take this boy to Captain Doby. Boy knows more.
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: This command post is over there somewhere. He jerked a
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: large thumb toward Inland Normandy. At the plain. He called back,
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: and mind you get a receipt for him. Carson called
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: to Andrea, we had funny be seeing you, and opened
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: the throttle. Half an hour later, a jeep bearing Andrea
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: in the front seat, rocketed around a line of trucks
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: and soldiers into Andrea's own village. He had been busy
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: for some minutes, thinking how he was going to explain
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: his trip to Captain Doby. As the jeep rolled down
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: the village street, Andrea saw that something unusual had happened.
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: The neighbors were running toward a little gathering of people.
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: His eyes raced over them and stopped in front of
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: the parish house. Worn gray with fatigue, his clothes dusty
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: and torn, loomed a tall old man. Andrea's heart stood still.
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: Father dupray, he shouted. End of Chapter thirteen