Staff Sargent Charles J. Lucian
WWII 9Th. Air Force.
Received a Purple Heart for the wounds he received on D-day.
June 6th. 1944 he was only 19 years old.
His B-26 plane was hit and he had to parachute out.
He landed behind enemy lines in Normandy France.
He was captured and hung in a barn. Whipped on his back...
then the German soldiers left in a hurry.
They left him hanging there, alive. He released himself and hid
in some hedges for a few days. Caring for the wounds on
his back and the shrapnel in his leg that he got
when he parachuted out of the plane.
He was the sole survivor of the crew.
He came out of the hedges when he heard French soldiers.
He recovered in a castle in Scotland.
My Dad1925 -1994
11 comments:
Oh. My. Gosh.
What an incredible man and soldier your dad was. Simply amazing. I'm still reeling over what he went through.....
That's a great tribute to your dad.
What a touching tribute to such a brave man. Thank you for sharing his story(one of way too many I'm sure). I'm sorry you've lost him already.
Molly
What rare strength and will to live your father must have embodied to have survived such a nightmare. I can't imagine what that does to the psyche of a person, especially one so young.
We as a nation need to gratefully remember all of those who gave so much in service to our country in the hope of preventing wars, whenever possible.
Larry's Dad also died in WWII in 1944 although I don't remember exactly where he was killed. Funny the paths life takes us.... Larry served as an officer for 20 years in the Army before retiring AND is one of the strongest proponents for peace that I know.
I don't think there is such a thing as a "happy" Memorial Day so I won't say it, but Thank You for sharing with us such a personal story. It is so easy for most of us to forget that our history was made by real people......
I shouldn't have written "also". I meant he was "also in WWII" and that he didn't make it.
Dear Anet, your dad's story is exactly what we need to hear, and not just on Memorial Day. We need to hear such stories every day. Someone should be reading them aloud somewhere without stopping. How lofty our wars are, how ideal, for the few who haven't been able to rein in their desire for control. To imagine your father's suffering, seeing his beautiful face in that photo, such tenderness and kindness it seems to me (what do I know?), but even if he weren't tender and kind, no one deserves such suffering. Oh I just ache thinking of it. I thank your dad for what he did for us in our future generation. And I shudder at the men who were pressing into all the farms and villages in Europe under the leadership of a madman.
Thank you everyone! I was so glad to share this with you.
I used to ask my dad "Dad, tell me the D-day story" He would laugh and say "You know it by heart." I didn't care I wanted to hear it over and over. As I grew, I came up with questions for him like; why did they leave? what were you thinking? He said he wasn't sure why they left, a German soldier rushed in and was shouting something. They grabbed their things and ran out. My dad said when he realized they were leaving he thought for sure they would shoot him. He closed his eyes and continued his "Hail Marys and Our Fathers." He said then it got quiet, he open his eyes and they were gone. He thought they might come back. So he quickly worked on setting himself free.
I would see the big wide scars on my dad's back.
When I was really little and asked about them, he would just tell me he got ouchies. "Oh" I would say.
I often wonder about the "what ifs" I believe there's a reason for my dad, and all of us that followed!
*************
Ruth, you were so right about my dad. He was a kind and tender man.
The kind of guy that would allow a homeless man sleep in the church brolier room. He really did that!
Oh Anet, the tears just flow. How your dad was able to talk with you about his experience, the 'ouchies.' Ohh, the sensitivity to a child, the recognition that you needed to hear about it over and over. It's just so touching.
I've heard of many soldiers from WWII who were/are unable to talk about their experiences. Maybe the fact that your dad was able to, it says something about his own ability to survive psychologically as well.
Anet, this is just such a touching story.
I'm so glad you shared it.
Thanks Tammy, I know he's smiling because I shared it with you guys!
That is a wonderful story Anet..Only 19...
19 is so young... I'm glad he came back
Thanks Gwen, At nineteen you should still be a kid having fun with no worries! Right? My Dad completed 56 missions during his time.
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