The Story of the Picture

This is a picture of 501 Company C, 101st Airborne, Screaming Eagles US Army, taken in England in early 1944. Let me tell you how I obtained it, and why it matters.

December 7, 1941 my father (James Leonard Mason) was stationed with the US Army in Hawaii. He
was off duty when he saw the planes with the rising sun symbol on the sides swoop low and drop bombs on the Harbor. He said one flew so low overhead he could see the goggles on the pilot's face. This attack plunged the US into the middle of the raging war on all fronts. Dad went to Officer's Candidate School, and on completion was sent to England, serving in 501 Company C, 101st Airborne, Screaming Eagles. He is the 7th from the left in the first full row of soldiers.

In  May 1944 the troops knew they were getting ready for the big moment, and the greatest military leaders of the day came to inspire the men--Generals Eisenhower, Montgomery, and Bradley were all there. The most memorable moment of all to young paratrooper Mason was hearing Winston Churchill. Dad said, "I was standing so close I could have untied his shoelaces. I knew this was a moment for the ages. He reminded us that the free world was depending on us to defeat 'Jerry'. He spoke of Hitler as the enemy of the free world --he spoke of his tyranny and the evil he had rained upon the world. Mr. Churchill shared with passion and urgent emotion, as tears flowed freely down his cheeks. When he finished his brief exhortation, we were ready to give all we had to a cause so significant."

After some strategic delays and attempts to confuse the enemy, on June 6, 1944 more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline. Dad was one of those. He and the other members of the 101st Airborne blackened their faces and climbed into C47 airplanes, taking off in silence for France. Dad says no one spoke a word. They sat with heads in hands, everyone lost in their own thoughts of family and freedom and the very real likelihood they would not return. Dad said there were just a few clouds, and he was stunned at the number of ships he could see in the shadows of the water. When they reached their destination, they leaped out into darkness, landing behind the German gun placements. They were there to provide cover and take out enemy troops as Allied soldiers came in waves to storm the beaches. "It was a terrible night, " he says, "planes and gliders, and planes on fire everywhere, the sky red with tracer bullets, and it was raining. As we jumped our weapons were on our backs. As we landed, we only had our bayonets out. The password was American cigarette brands. We were not to fire in the jump area lest we kill our own men. When we heard a sound we would click a little child's cricket. If there was a return click, we would exchange passwords. Because of my position, I was collecting men to fall in behind me. 17 men jumped from my plane with me. I only saw 10 of them again."

The 101st Airborne took the village of Carentan, liberating the good people of the community, and then moved into a holding pattern out of the city with hedgerows as their shield. They were shelled regularly by the Germans as they provided protection for the city. There are many precious and sacred memories too long to tell in this story. This part of the story ended, however, with Dad getting wounded in 11 different places, a piece of shrapnel stopping less than an inch from his liver.

The Allies won the war, Dad survived the injuries, and came home a humble but dedicated hero to live a life of passion and purpose, in the USA. He kept a battlefield commitment that he made to surrender his life to fully following Jesus Christ. He became a pastor, leading people to the joy of relationship with Christ, raised a family, and never forgot the men with whom he served, the people they tried to help, the surviving family members of the many who made the ultimate sacrifice. Over the years he has spoken countless times as a loyal patriot, and been honored in a variety of ways. His favorite place to speak over the last decade was at a middle school where he spoke every Veterans Day week. He never has sought the spotlight or gratitude, but the young people always responded to his urgings in that way. He says repeatedly, "I am not a hero; I simply did what soldiers do."

In February 2014, Dad was very ill and not expected to live more than 5-7 days. He grabbed hold of the goal to share the "one more good patriotic talk in me", and, despite another time in July when we was not expected to survive,  come November he was still here, attending church services, ministering in his nursing home, and raring to go. He spoke again to a standing ovation from the young people and their teachers,  the oldest Vet at the celebration, the only one to have enlisted in the 30's, and wounded in WWII. He continually gives praise to God for his goodness to him. He anticipates heaven and reunion with so many he loves, especially his lifelong love, our mother. But he says as long as God has something for him here, he loves being an earthling.

The day after Thanksgiving, Dad got another amazing gift from the Father and an amazing Frenchman. He is literally flying high with gratitude. It's the picture you saw and this letter. Thank you, God, and thank you, new friend Thierry. I am sure there will be another chapter in this story. I will keep you posted.

Normandy, France

November 18, 2014

Dear Mr. Mason,

I'm permit writing to you as I am making some researches about an outfit, "C" Company, 701st Para.Inf. at Normandy.

But permit me, in first, to introduce myself, as you can see I live at Normandy, at 5 kms West of Carentan, I'm a farmer and I'm 50 years old.

In my living room, I have a copy of the "big picture" of your "C" company, a company of heroes who jumped and who fought here in June 1944. You are one of these so bravous and so courageous soldiers of this company, and, first of all, I would like to THANK YOU for all the precious contributions that you brought for the success of this big operation that were made by your so nice country (I visited it 6 times) in 1944.

Sometimes, I'm thinking about the big courage that you had when you jumped here, behind and in the middle of the German lines, so hard was the battle and the fight, I can "only" imagine what it was.....

On June 6, 1944, my family lived there, South of Carentan, they were in the middle of "no man's land" when the American troops were dropped here, some of them were from "C" Co. 501st, several of them escaped, several of them not......

As I am a religious man, I think that the Good Lord was with you as he "guided" and "drived" you to the success. Then, by this way, you brought to our people a new life, a new hope, a new wind blew, then, at Normandy, a Liberty's wind......

I am very lucky to never saw the War, my parents who were some children, saw it, they told to me what it was. It was horrible, but they were so happy to be liberated after four years of slavery with the terrible Nazis.....

Then, today, I've the Big Honor to write to you and to tell you how precious was your big contribution and to tell you THANK YOU for the big sacrifice that you made in 1944. I would like to speak with you, by phone, but I don't have your phone number.

May that the Good Lord protect you, I'm sure that you're close to him.

                                                                                                                From a French Friend,

                                                                                                                                Sincerely,

                                                                                                                    Thierry Ferey

PS: I'm sorry about the bad English translation.

Dad says, "I always wanted to return to Normandy; instead, Normandy came to me!"