I remember standing on the ramp of the C-130. I was counting – I stood counting each Soldier as they passed by. Once everyone was on board I took my seat closest to the jump door. It was June, and we were at Ft. Benning, Georgia. Tonight was our first night jump as Airborne School candidates.
As we took off, the jump masters yelled over the roar of the engine “10 min” which we all echoed. For the past two weeks we had been told that we were going to jump out of a perfectly good high-performance aircraft. Being crammed into a C-130 that night changed my perspective on the definition of “high-performance”. “5 minutes,” they yelled. We awkwardly arose, each of us helping each other. We checked each other’s equipment, a firm slap on my thigh from the man behind me confirmed that I was good to go. The jump masters opened the door, the heat of a Georgia night rushed in. The jump master motioned me to the door “1 min out sir, standby.” I stood as the plane gently rocked, I stared out the door, waiting for the light in my peripheral vision to switch from red to green. I remember how dark it was, there were some lights in the distance but as far as I knew we could have just as well been 10 ft or 10,000 feet above the ground below.
I couldn’t help but think what the paratroopers were thinking on June 6th, 1944. These men were jumping behind the lines of an entrenched enemy. 1,000 planes carrying 13,000 paratroopers who were a critical component of the allies plan to pull victory from the jaws of defeat. The light turned green and with the eyes of the world upon them we leaped blindly into a great unknown.
On the 75th anniversary of D-Day, we reflect on the detailed planning that went into the largest invasion in history, or Eisenhower’s letter, or staggering casualties taken that day on both sides. But I don’t think it really does justice to what actually happened. The stories we hear from the soldiers’ are about missed drop zones, lost items, troops on the landing craft getting seasick. In military doctrine, we call this “the fog of war” again a very clinical term that overly simplifies the reality that combat is utter chaos.
They had 13,000 landing all over Normandy, only one of the five drop zones was properly marked. Once on the ground, these men often found themselves alone separated from their units and each other. Without guidance – which by the way is something that sets the U.S. military apart – without guidance as individuals they headed towards their respective link-up sites, along the way they would form small groups, gradually growing in size, eventually falling under the command of an officer or a sergeant. While unit integrity was lost the moment they left the aircraft, once on the ground these small groups of paratroopers would become the most lethal fighting force that day. This is not only a tribute to their training but to rugged individualism, their ingenuity, resourcefulness, and most importantly their willingness to put that all to use as they accomplished the mission.
Fast forward to today- our military is made up of men and women from across the country voluntarily serving in locations across the globe. They perform missions that are as diverse as the background of the men and women who perform them. When they return home, many suffer issues that are increasingly complex, PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, homelessness, and suicide are just some of the issues facing Veterans across our country and here in Maine. These issues can create seemingly insurmountable barriers for these brave men and women who answered the call of service to our nation – but they don’t have to be.
Since 2013, Easterseals Maine has, through the generosity of the community, helped to address the unmet needs of our Service Members, Veterans, and their families here in Maine, helping them to break down the barriers that they are facing. Each year as our successes grow so too does the need for our services. So far in 2019 we have provided over $20,000 dollars in financial assistance to Veterans across the state. As I write this, we are finalizing some ambition plans for the summer – while we have made great progress, we still have a ways to go, and we can’t do it without your help. Please go to www.vetscount.org/maine to learn more about our program and to make a donation to help us achieve our ambitious goals.
Joe Reagan
Senior Director of Development
www.vetscount.org/maine
Easterseals Maine
125 Presumpscot Street, Portland, ME 04103
Phone: (207) 828-0754
