Pvt. John Marvin Steele, famous for his landing on the church steeple in Sainte-Mere-Eglise on June 6, 1944 was part of a group of paratroopers from F-Company, 505 Parachute Infantry Regiment that had the misfortune of landing in the town square of Ste Mere Eglise, France in the early morning hours of June 6th 1944. Sainte Mere Eglise was the first town liberated in Europe as the Allies landed on D-Day. In the early hours of D-Day, the 505 Parachute Infantry Regiment of the famed “All American” 82nd. Airborne Division was assigned to drop near the town of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, to cut off the German retreat from the beachhead landings. This was some five to six hours before the beach landings of the allied forces. The orders had been changed twice due to a great concentration of German troops and uncertain weather conditions and Steele found himself landing directly over a town of German infantry. He was shot in the foot as his parachute lines fouled on the church steeple. He dropped his knife trying to cut his way out and decided he might survive if he played dead. He was cut down by the Germans and some hours later and taken to an aid station. Several days later he managed to escape to a US tank corps unit. Twelve men of F-Company were killed, wounded or captured as they parachuted into the town square while Private Steele watched while he hung from the church steeple. John participated in six campaigns in the European, African and Middle Eastern Theatres, including participating in the Battle of the Bulge. He made four combat jumps in Sicily, Italy, Normandy and Holland. John Marvin Steele died from cancer at the VA Hospital in Fayetteville, NC on May 16, 1969 at the age of 56. He is buried at the Masonic Cemetery in Metropolis, IL.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 08:01:57 +0000
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