THE 2009 NORMANDY TOUR

This years tour of Normandy was another success! This years veteran guest was Mr. Dick Ladd of H&H Company 502 Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division.

The picture above shows Mr. Ladd as he was in 1944.

This picture was taken underneath the C-47 inside the Airborne Museum at Ste. Mere Eglise. Dick Ladd was with the S-2 section during WWII. Paul Woodadge is my good friend and Normandy Guide. Lewis Shank was part of the crew serving on C-47's for Airborne operations throughout the war.

Dick Ladd stands at the entrance to General Maxwell Taylor's HQ's in Hiesville.

Dick Ladd is all smiles after Paul Woodadge presented him with an M42 jump jacket with all of Dick's proper insignia attached.

One of the fantastic ceremonies that we perform while on tour is that of raising bothe flags at the U.S. Cemetery in Coleville sur Mere or The Omaha Beach Cemetery. This picture shows Major Don LaRue (one of our drivers), Dick Ladd and Mark Patterson (tour operator).

A poignant moment caught on camera. Dick Ladd pays his respects to Major Vaughan who was killed in the shootout at the road junction just outside of St.Mere Eglise. This skirmish was made famous in the Band of Brothers series but failed to include Dick Ladd in the scene.

Major La Rue does the honors of wrapping the rope around the flag pole 13 times after the flag was raised.

Dick Ladd does the honors of raising the first flag out of two at the cemetery as other veterans stand at attention and salute.

Paul explains what took place at this hedgerow opening. This is where the Germans had moved the guns from Pointe du Hoc and is where Len Lommel spiked the breeches with thermite grenades, thus rendering the guns useless to the Germans.

Paul explaining the construction of the inside of one of the bunkers at Pointe du Hoc.

The grounds of Blazing Sky. This is where our tour group stayed during this tour. This farm house and buildings was attacked by men of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment and battle scars still remain on the buildings exterior.

This is one of the rooms that we used for some of our tour guests. During the battle that took place here, a German sniper used a hole that was in this converted barn to shoot at the attacking paratroopers.

This picture shows the bullet riddled "sniper hole" in the side of the building.

The owner and operator of Blazing Sky, Richard Cooper. He operates a small bar on premises that makes things convenient for our guests.

The tour group enjoys dinner at one of the several restaraunts that we use during the tour. I have never had bad food while in Normandy!

The 501st's Hill 30 is in the distance as Mark Bando explains the action that took place here. This was also just minutes before the high speed train from Paris breezed through here at 150 mph, just missing Bando!

Here the group heads to the top of Hill 30 which has commanding views of the entire area.

Mark Bando tells the story of Father Sampson outside of his aid station in La Haute Adeville.

The church in St. Germain de Varreville. This is where Captain Frank Lillyman and his group of pathfinders set up there lights and beacons to guide the incoming C-47's to their drop zones.

Here is an excellent job of blending a WWII photograph with a current photo taken in the same location in St. Marcouf.

This picture was taken IN Bloody Gully itself. This is where elements of the 506th fought of the attack of the 17th SS. Now made famous in the Band of Brothers Series.