Screaming Eagles honor D-Day legacy through family ties

On D-Day, June 6, 1944, soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) jumped and landed by glider into Normandy before the beach landings, moving behind German lines near Utah Beach to help make the seaborne invasion possible.

Eighty-two years later, Screaming Eagles returned to the hallowed ground to honor the legacy of those who fought there.

"It’s surreal. It’s sacred land. You can just feel something in the mist," said Sgt. David Metzler.
For many soldiers, the visit was personal.

Staff Sgt. Calvin Pannemann said his grandfather, Raymond Pannemann, served in World War II and arrived in France about a month after D-Day with the 3rd Infantry Division. He later learned through family records that his grandfather had served under Audie Murphy, one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II.

"It came together when he went on an Honor Flight," Pannemann said. "Then, with my father, he took a picture next to the tombstone, but he never said he was specifically under him. I just thought he wanted to take a picture next to Audie Murphy’s tombstone. It wasn’t until the paper clippings that it was revealed that he served under him."

Standing among the white crosses, Pannemann said he believes his grandfather would be proud.
"I think he’d be proud of not only me, but everybody coming together to honor all of these men who sacrificed their lives," Pannemann said. "Just keeping the memory alive and trying to do our best to continue upholding the highest traditions and standards of the Army."

Pannemann said representing the 101st Airborne Division in Normandy was an unforgettable experience.
"To be in Normandy to represent the 101st and the Army as a whole is a great opportunity," Pannemann said. "I’m awestruck at how powerful this place truly is and how much a beach can mean to our organization."

Sgt. David Metzler said his great-grandfather, Jack Callow, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II aboard USSCurrituck(AV-7), a seaplane tender that supported Navy patrol and search aircraft in the Pacific.

"I know at one point he was stuck in a crow’s nest for a couple of hours," Metzler said.
Metzler said he believes his great-grandfather would be proud to know that soldiers are still honoring the service and sacrifice of the World War II generation.

"I think he’d be very proud knowing what went on the other side of the world while he was going through it,” Metzler said. "I think he’d be very, very proud."

Spc. Benito Johnson said the legacy of World War II service members remains powerful because of what his grandfather, Marine Purple Heart recipient Francis McGuire, endured and gave.

"Never thought I’d be able to do this in a million years," Johnson said. "Seeing all these monuments and people cherishing what happened 82 years ago is phenomenal.

"Very proud," Johnson said. "My grandfather did his job and then some and made it out alive and survived one of the hardest days in his life."

For the Screaming Eagles who returned to Normandy, the anniversary served as a reminder that D-Day is not only a chapter in history. It is a legacy carried forward by today’s soldiers.