ave you ever seen a large, really large, military parachute jump? If you’re lucky enough to actually be present at such an event like this – and that’s what it is – it’ll be something you’ll remember with stunned disbelief for the rest of your life. I’m a travel journalist, and also a military aficionado, so I was thrilled when the French government invited me, in 2004, to attend the 60th Anniversary of D-Day, on June 6th, 2004 in Normandy.

Hundreds of US paratroopers’ fill the sky in an enormous celebration parachute jump above St. Mere Eglise, Normandy in France.

The first town captured by the Americans in that invasion, was the town of St. Mere Eglise, and it was carried out by mixed units of the US 101st and 82nd Airborne, in Operation Boston. To celebrate the event of June 6th, 1944, sixty years later, the US military planned a huge jump some 4 miles from St. Mere Eglise. I boarded a press bus in the town and was whisked to an enormous field on which there was already an audience of hundreds of people – military and civilian.

When I got off the bus, there was an almost carnival sort of feeling about it, as if we were all about to witness an extraordinary event. As it turned out, that was EXACTLY what it was. I wasn’t part of any travel media press group, as I’d gone there on my own, and I felt a bit lonely and wished I’d got some fellow columnists to share my feelings with. Even though everyone was told there’d be a “big” paratrooper drop, I’d no idea what that really meant. I got my camera ready, and waited.

Down below on the ground hundreds watch in fascination as the US 101st and 82nd paratroopers float towards the (now friendly) ground.

Then, in the far off distance, I saw a line of aircraft. As they drew nearer at about 2,000 feet, I saw it was a long line of planes that stretched as far as the eye could see. First a C-130, then a C-17. Then another C-130, then a C-17, and so on. Back in WW2, the DC-3 – or C-47 as the US military called this famous aircraft – carried 18 paratroopers. Today, the C-130 can carry 92, and the even bigger C-17 can accommodate 102.

Now they WERE overhead, and the excitement of the huge crowd below was “loudly evident.” We all looked skywards and, one by one, faster and faster, bodies tumbled out of the first C-130, then milliseconds later, more and more came out, and it looked like a huge, very thick rope that was just one long solid line – the sight made you draw in your breath and say "Wow, that's amazing."

I counted at least 30 aircraft in total, as more and more bodies and 'chutes' tumbled out, often on both sides of the aircraft! The awesome sight above me, made me think someone had opened up the back of each plane, and emptied out a gigantic bag of hundreds and hundreds of really huge marbles, as the paratroopers came out so fast, and in such huge numbers. It was stunning, amazing and a jaw dropping moment for anyone lucky enough to be there. Of course, I kept imagining there were enemy soldiers on the ground, and I was a paratrooper already landed, and was making my way to the battle – and I was back in 1944 – but no, it was today’s reality, and there were no sounds of bullets and machine guns. But everything about this event, was still thrilling beyond belief.

Many of the paratroopers, as soon as they’d landed, ran over to the crowd – and one could see – like their brothers in arms in 1944 – today’s airborne warriors were also in their late teens and early 20s. There aren’t any so called “Big Wars” anymore (thank goodness!) so I don't know where you could ever witness something like I did on that fine June day in 2004 in Normandy France. But I do know that whatever else happens in my life, THIS will be one of my most memorable memories.

What are your thoughts about events like this? Email me at jdcradio@cox.net

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