D-Day by Virgil R. Marco Sr., 366BS Tail Gunner, 305BG When
Genevieve arrived with our morning meal, she entered her Grandparent's house saying, "It has happened. The Allies have invaded France from Cherbourg to Dunkirk". We found out later that the invasion was at
Normandy, a long way from Chauny. This explained the unusual exodus of young men on their bicycles. "Where were they going?" Genevieve answered this question by pointing out that everyone was
afraid the Germans would begin searching the homes for all young men and transport them to Germany, reducing the chance of an uprising. These men were headed for the woods to hide and join the Resistance Forces.
Genevieve also informed us that we would have to leave right away. After we ate we followed her at a safe distance to her home. Soon a French Resistance Agent arrived in a small, black station wagon. We
climbed into the covered back portion. There were no windows. We then sped away not knowing where we were going until we arrived at a large farm. Inside a large barn, we found to our amazement about fifty
other American and Allied flyers. Later that day Gene, Bill and I were taken to a smaller farm nearby and the other flyers were disbursed to other homes in the farm community. During the night we could hear the constant
roar made by the planes flying overhead, one after another all night long. Our home now was a farmhouse about a thirty-minute drive from Chauny. When I returned to Chauny in September 1994, I met five of
these men again in Chauny to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Liberation of Chauny. Their names are (Americans) John Harms and Jack Kupsick, (Canadians) John Neal and Bob Lindsay and one from Great Britain, Stanley
Everiss. While there, I learned the owner of the farm with the large barn was shot by the Germans who also burned his farm buildings. A middle aged woman lived here alone. She had a cow, chickens, ducks
and some other barnyard animals. I remember the first night she cooked a large bowl of what looked like spaghetti and ground beef. Gene grew up on a farm in Stilwell, Oklahoma and immediately recognized the dish as
tripe. After describing to Bill and I what tripe was, we lost our appetite. The woman first thought we were sick and then she realized that we did not like what she had served us. She then brought us a large bowl of
boiled potatoes and a loaf of bread. We ate the boiled potatoes as if we were eating steak. The next few days were a pleasant change from being confined to the inside of a house all day. We did miss the
nice soft bed at our home in Chauny, but the hayloft was not as bad as we expected and the brown and white cow below did not seem to mind our sharing her home in the barn. We spent the day watching the farm
animals and wondering if the invasion was successful. Would we be rescued soon? Our new hostess had made a pet out of her rooster. His name was "El Captain". When she called his name, he came
running and then fall. Every time he tried to run any distance he would fall several times. He was knock-kneed. He also had a strange crow. His crowing would sort of give out. As much as he tried to crow like any other
rooster, he couldn't. The kitchen door was often left open and El Captain would be free to walk in and out as he wished. He thought he was king of the barnyard, but some of the other animals did not think so, especially
the drake that ignored his occasional threats. Charlevoix, Michigan June 5, 1944 Dear Mrs. Marco, It certainly was a pleasant surprise to hear from you, as I
feel the same as you do about the situation. I think we have all been in the same predicament. My husband wrote to me about the same time your son wrote to you and it has been the last letter. Our prayers and all our
offerings go for their safe keeping. May they be found safely and return to us safely. I would like the addresses of all the crew members families. It seems so much better that we correspond and keep
in contact with all the news we might have received concerning our boys and our husbands knowing for sure that they are close together too. I am working right now and my sister is with me with her new
born baby, so my time has been occupied almost entirely but I promise I will write at intervals to anyone of our members providing I receive the addresses. If you so happen to have any, kindly send me their addresses. I
want to get acquainted with them too. I have heard from the captain's wife. I also have pictures of the crewmembers and their names but not the addresses. They have taken such nice pictures. I thought they would be a
lucky bunch. I still hope and pray that they are. You know my husband was a radio operator and gunner. Our boys (we have two sons) are certainly proud of their daddy. They often dress just like he
dressed when he came home to see us. We had such a marvelous visit with him. It will never be forgotten and also said he gained 8 lbs. when he was home. I am a cook by trade and when he was here I really fed him and I
wish I could do it again. I do hope you hear from your son and I do sincerely hope you receive good news about his whereabouts. I will let you know if I hear anything new. Write if you want to. I
appreciate it all. Yours Sincerely, Mrs. Clara Denemy |
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Bill was looking out the window one morning when he asked Gene and I to do the
same. We saw young men pedaling their bicycles as fast as they could. Each had a pack on their back filled with long loaves of bread, wine and probably cheese. They were leaving town. Bill said that he had been
observing this mass exodus for at least twenty minutes and felt something strange was going on. This day eliminated our hopes of traveling to Paris anytime soon. The day was June 6, 1944, D-Day.