THE
THE LARGEST LAND SEA INVAISION IN HISTORY 4@INCLUDEDHUNDREDS O THOUSANDS OF TROOPS...YEARS 4@O
PLANNING...AND 4@A LUCKY WEATHE
WINDOW.ALL FOCUSED ON FEW
STRIPS OF BEACH ALONG THE
FRENCH4@ COAST 75 YEARS AGO. 4@
THEY HAD FAILED, WE WOULD NOT
HAVE BECOME THE LEAD4@ER OF THE
FREE WORLD."4@"AWE INSPIRING
WHAT WAS A ACCOMPLISHED, AND
ALL 4@THE THINGS THAT COULD HAV
GONE WRONG."JUNE 6, 19-44. IN
THE MORNING HOURS 4@OF
D-DAY...TWENTY-THREE YEAR OLD
CLINTON RIDDLE WAS IN ENGLAND
PREPARING TO BOARD A 4@FLIMSY
GLIDER MADE OF CANVAS AND WOOD.
HIS MISSION: TOUCH DOWN 15
MILES BEHIND ENEMY LINES HOURS
AFTER THE INITIAL WAVE ON THE
BEACHES AND ATTACK GERMAN
DEFENSES. THE TWO DOZEN MEN 4@
ABOARD EACH "CANVAS COFFIN"
WERE SUPPOSED TO FIGHT AS A
UNIT TO 4@KEEP ROADS AND BRIDGE
OPEN FOR TROOPS HEADED IN FROM
THE BEACHES. BUT THAT'S IF
THOSE 4@GLIDER TROOPS 4@SURVIVE
THE FLIGHT IN AND WHAT PILOTS
CALLED THE "CONTROLLED CRASH"
LANDING.4@"WE CUT THE TOP OUT O
A 4@TREE WITH THE LEFT WING WHE
WE WENT IN AND HIT REAL
HARD..IN FACT THE FIELD RADIO
I WAS CARRYING, IT BROKE THE 4@
ANTENNA OFF."ON THE GROUND...
AN ALLIED INVASION FORCE
NUMBERING CLOSE TO 150
THOUSAND INCLUDED TROOPS FROM
BRITAIN, CANADA, AND THE U-S.
WAR PLANNERS CALLED 4@FOR THOSE
MEN TO STORM ASHORE ON BEACHES
CODE NAMED SWORD, 4@JUNO, OMAHA
AND UTAH.THE ATTACK WAS A
SURPRISE BUT THE GERMAN ARMY
SPENT YEARS PLANNING FOR IT. 4@
THOUSANDS OF MEN, MACHINE
GUNS, MINES, 4@AND MORTAR FIRE
STRETCHED ALONG THIS 4@ALMOST 6
MILES ST4@RETCH OF
COASTLINE...KNOWN AS HITLER'S
"ATLANTIC WALL."4@"THERE WERE
BULLETS
EVERYWHERE...ZING...ZING.4@"THE
BULLETS EVERYWHERE...ZING...ZING.4@"THE INVASION IS OFTEN CALLED THE
BEGINNING OF THE END OF WORLD
WAR 2. 4@AND THE 75TH
ANNIVERSARY OF THE D-DAY
4@
WAR 2. 4@AND THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE D-DAY LANDINGS IN NORMANDY IS AGAIN
DRAWING THE ATTENTION OF THE
WORLD.4@
4@
@
TROOPS
TROOPS FROM EAST 4@ TENNESSEE PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE D-DAY INVASION ON LAND,
SEA, AND IN THE SKIES OVER
FRANCE. IN THE NEXT HALF-
HOUR4@, WE WILL HEAR HOW 4@MANY
YOUNG MEN FROM OUR AREA LOST
THEIR LIVES IN THE NORMANDY
CAMPAIGN. WE WILL ALSO
TAKE YOU TO THE CELEBRATIONS
IN FRANCE MARKING THIS PIVITOL
TURNING POINT IN THE HISTORY
OF THE WORLD.
4@
TURNING POINT IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD. @
TURNING POINT IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD. BUT FIRST WE TURN OUR
ATTENTION BACK TO A VETERAN OF
THE D-DAY INVASION FROM EAST
TENNESSEE WHO WE HAVE FOLLOWED
FOR YEARS. 98 YEAR OLD
CLINTON RIDDLE IS SPENDING
THIS JUNE 6 BACK IN FRANCE.
PRIVATE FIRST CLASS 4@RIDDLE
GREW UP ON A FARM IN LOUDON
COUNTY AND WAS IN HIS EARLY 4@
TWENTIES WHEN HE SHIPPED OFF
FOR WAR 4@OVERSEAS. TO THIS
DAY, THE VETERAN OF THE
RELATIVELY UNKNOWN GLIDER
INFANTRY CAN STILL WEAR HIS
UNIFORM.
"PEOPLE SAY HOW IN THE WORLD
CAN YOU REMEMBER THOSE DATES
AND THINGSHEY'RE BRANDED IN
MY BRAIN."4@ CLINTON RIDDLE TOO
PART IN SIX CAMPAIGNS AND FOUR
INVAISIONS.A MEMBER OF THE
FAMED 4@82 AIRBORNE DIVISION HE
RECIEVED A PURPLE HEART FOR
INJURIES HE SUFFERED NEAR THE
END OF THE WAR. IN ALL, HIS
MILITARY 4@RECORD INCLUDE4@S 42
4@DAYS UNDER ENEMY FIRE 4@AND 3
MONTHS AWAY 4@FROM
HOME...INCLUDING THREE
CHRISTMASES.
FIVE YEARS AGO WE
FOLLOWED CLINTON 4@RIDDLE ON A
RETURN JOURNEY TO FRANCE.
THE TRIP INCLUDED A VIST TO A
FARM FIELD IN NORMANDY.
IT'S WHERE HE CRASH LANDED IN
A GLIDER ABOUT 24 HOURS AFTER 4@
HIS FELLOW TROOPS FIRST
STORMED THE BEACHES.
4@
HIS FELLOW TROOPS FIRST STORMED THE BEACHES. @
HIS FELLOW TROOPS FIRST STORMED THE BEACHES. THE MOTTO OF CLINTON
RIDDLE'S D-DAY UNIT WAS 4@LET'S
GO.. AND AT 93 HE JUMPS BACK
ON THE SAME FRENCH SOIL HE
FIRST SAW 70 YEARS 4@AGO. AT AG
23 RIDDLE WAS PART OF THE
LITTLE KNOWN GLIDER UNIT. THE 4@
CANVAS TROOP CARRIERS 4@CRASH
LANDED WITH 30 ABOARD READY TO
FIGHT TOGETHER BEHIN4@D ENEMY
LINES 4@"HE IS DRAWING SO MANY
PEOPLE."4@ A STROLL ALONG THE
COBBLE
COBBLE STONES OF ST. MERE EGLISE STIRS MEMORIES OF HIS FIRST STEPS IN THIS TOWN 4@
WEARING COMBAT BOOTS.4@ BUT WHA
THIS CELEBRATED VETERAN 4@WANTE
MOST ON THIS TRIP WAS TO SEE
THE 4@FARM FIELD OUTSIDE TOWN
WHERE HE FIRST JOINED THE
FIGHT.4@ "AGAINST ARMY 4@
ORDERS..."
"THERE
"THERE IT
4@
4@RIDDLE 4@
4@RIDDLE TOOK 4@
4@RIDDLE TOOK A @
4@RIDDLE TOOK A MOMENT TO SOAK IN THE VIEW, COMPARING IT TO A @ SNAP4@SHOT HE TOOK MOME4@NTS AF
LANDING. AND THEN HE PULLED
OUT HIS NEW TESTEMANT.
4@
"" 4@
"" 4@IT 4@
"" 4@IT STAYED 4@
"" 4@IT STAYED IN 4@
"" 4@IT STAYED IN HIS 4@
"" 4@IT STAYED IN HIS BREAST
@
POCKET @
POCKET DURING @
POCKET DURING SIX @
POCKET DURING SIX MAJOR @ CAMPAIGNS, 30 MONTHS OVERSEAS AND A UNIT CREDITED WITH MO4@RE
THAN 400 DAYS UNDER FIRE. ""4@
RIDDLE YELLS
4@4@
4@4@ MR.
4@4@ MR. RIDDLE RETURNED 4@HOME FROM WAR AND BECAME A BAPTIST
MINISTER. HE WAS MARRIED
TO THE SAME WOMAN FOR 62 YEARS
BEFORE SHE PASSED AWAY.4@ H
IS ALSO A POET...AND DURING
THAT 4@TRIP TO NORMANDY HE TOOK
THE MIC ON THE TOUR BUS AND
READ HIS FELLOW TRVELERS A
POEM HE COMPOSED CALLED "THE
OLD DUSTY JUMP BOOTS."
"IF THESE OLD BOOTS COULD TALK
4@AND SHARE 4@THE STORIES, THEY
COULD TELL YOU OF MANY EVENTS 4@
THAT TOOK PLACE DURING 4@THESE
MANY DAYS OF BATTLE WHEN
LIVING IN A FOXHOLE TO THE
DAYS OF THE óóóó. THE BOOTS
SIT IN THE DARK CORNER OF THE
BACK SHELF, UNUSED BY 4@THE
OWNER A VERY BURIED MAN WHO
HAS TAKEN HIS LAST STEPS IN 4@
THE JUMP BOOTS AND GONE TO A
MORE 4@BEAUTIFUL LAND. LET US
NOT FORGET THE 4@SACRIFICE A
MANY HAS MADE SO YOU MIGHT
ENJOY THE FREEDOM YOU HAVE4@
TODAY. THERE IS NOT A GREAT
NUMBER OF OLD SOLDIERS ALIVE.
THEY SOON WILL SOON BE LEAVING
US AND WILL BE ON THEIR WAY.
THEY LEFT BEHIND THEIR OLD
DUST COVERED BOOTS 4@REMINDING
US OF THE DAYS THEY WERE HERE.
LET'S SHINE UP THOSE OLD BOOTS
ONE MORE TIME FOR THE SOLDIERS
GONE THAT WE LOVE SO DEAR4@.4@
AGAIN, MR. RIDDLE IS 4@BAC
IN FRANCE TO MARK THE OCCASION.@
WE CAUGHT UP WITH HIM TO
TALK ABOUT THE TRIP...JUST
BEFORE TAKE-OFF IN KNOXVILLE.
W"VIETNAM AND WORLD WAR II"A
COMBAT VETERAN FROM VIETNAM
READS A 4@HEARTFELT SEND-OFF AT
THE AIRPORT FOR D-DAY INVASION
VETERAN 4@CLINTON RIDDLE."YOU
ARE A GREAT PATRIOT AND AN
EXAMPLE TO ALL.""FROM ONE
VETERAN TO 4@ANOTHERGIVE ME A
HUGTHANK YOUWISH YOU WELL
HAVE A GOOD TIME.."LARRY MOORE
WAS JUST 4@THREE YEARS OLD WHEN
CLINTON RIDDLE FIRST WENT TO
WAR."FORGIVE THE EXPRESSION 4@
BUT I'VE BEEN TO HELL AND BACK
IN BATTLE"THE WORLD WAR TWO
RADIO MAN RECALLS SLEEPING IN
BRIAR PATCH 4@IN COMBAT,
SURVIVING ON HORSE MEAT, AND
FIGHTING DURING A 4@STRETCH OF
33 DAYS AND
NIGHTS
NIGHTS UNDER FIRE 4@WITHOUT RELIEF. 4@"WHEN THE D-DAY 4@ INVASION IS TAUGHT4@ IN HISTORY
CLASSHOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE
IT AS A MOMENT IN OUR
HISTORYOH IT CHANGED THE
WORLD, ABSOLUTELY""WHAT'S IT
LIKE FOR YOU TO BE HEADED BACK @
AGAINOHHH LOOK FORWARD TO
IT SPECIAL 4@MEETING ALL THE
FRIENDS I MET IN PREVIOUS
TIMES.ESCORTED BY FAMILY THE 4@
NOW 98-YEAR-OLD SWEETWATER
NATIVE HEADS OFF TO FRANCE.4@ON
4@HIS JOURNEY OVERSEAS MR.
RIDDLE GOT HIS WISH. 4@4@HE
RECONNECTED WITH OLD FRIENDS
AND MET NEW ONES.AFTER DAWN
BROKE ON THE D-DAY ANNIVERSARY
MR. RIDDLE SHARED THE STAGE
WITH WORLD 4@LEADERS AND HIS
FELLOW VETERANS. HE EVEN 4@
SHOOK HANDS WITH THE 4@LONGTIME
TOP MILITARY MAN IN TENNESSEE.
MAJOR GENERAL MAX 4@HASTON
TRAVELED TO FRANCE TO PAY
TRIBUTE TO COMBAT VETERANS
PAST AND PRESENT.
4@
TRIBUTE TO COMBAT VETERANS PAST AND PRESENT. 37:16"D-DAY AFFECTED EAST TN
LIKE IT DID SO MANY OTHER
COMMUNITIES"4@ EAST
TENNESSEE'S IMPACT ON THE WAR.
HOW MANY LOCAL 4@TROOPS GAV
THEIR LIVES ON THE BEACHES OF
NORMANDY.49:40"YOU CAN SEE HOW
THEUIR TIME IN SERVICE
AFFECTED THEM OR DIDN'T AFFECT
THEM" PRESERVING THE
STORIES OF EAST TENNESSEE
VETERANS. THE GROUP
WORKING 4@TO MAKE SURE THEIR
EXPERIENCES AREN'T LOST.4@