Chartres' Jean Pierre laying flowers at the base of Lt. Thomas Pearce's cross at St. Laurent cemetery in Normandy, France: April 10, 2009.
On May 11, 1944, my cousin, Clarksburg Ohio resident, Lt. Thomas Pearce (487th Bomb Group, 838th Bomb Squadron), was killed-in-action when his B-24 bomber was hit by German Anti-Aircraft Artillery over Chateaudun, France. Following an emergency crash landing in a French farm field not far from Chateaudun, the aircraft caught fire and exploded with a significant amount of fuel remaining in the aircraft's tanks, and a full bomb load in the bomb bay. Before the explosion, Pilot - Captain Ed Brodsky, and Co-pilot - Captain Jack Roberts managed to squeeze through a hole in the windshield and escape, but were quickly captured by German troops and sent to the Stalag Luft III POW Camp. Lt. Lee Johnson, an additional Navigator on the mission, parachuted to safety before the aircraft crash landed and was also captured. The remainder of the crew including Clarksburg's Lt. Pearce, Lester Weiss (Navigator), Walter Simoni (Engineer), Cliff Nance (Radio Operator), William J. Murphy (Gunner), Elton Tollett (Gunner), and Bronis Lipskas (gunner), were trapped inside and killed when the aircraft exploded a few minutes following the crash landing.
Today, I received a surprise email from a dear friend, Mr. Jean Pierre, from Chartres, France, who visited Lt. Thomas Pearce's grave (At the U.S. Military Cemetery in St. Laurent, France - overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy) this weekend and laid a nice bouquet of flowers at its base. Mr. Pierre has taken a keen interest in this specific crash and through the years shared information back and forth with me, including sending me two separate pieces of the wreckage -- a piece of the aircraft's glass, as well as a piece of the sheet metal. He is a smart and compassionate man who shares my love for World War II history and a deep respect for the men who fought in the war. One of his most significant research accomplishments was locating and uncovering the remains of the pre D-Day C-47 crash that killed Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment Company Commander Lt. Thomas Meehan. Lt. Meehan's death on June 6, 1944, led to the promotion of Lt. Richard Winters -- the focal point of Stephen Ambrose's book and HBO special - Band of Brothers. I am proud to be Jean Pierre's friend and appreciate his friendship very much. Without excellent, intelligent resources like Mr. Pierre, it would be very difficult for Americans to thoroughly research and locate the crashes and battlefields of loved ones. Thanks Jean! (PICTURED: Jean Pierre in Normandy in front of Clarksburg Ohio's Lt. Thomas Pearce's grave).
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