Latest news of the “Drag ‘en Oot” in France

Dear Forum Friends,

Just thought I would share with your that “Drag ’em Oot’s” original US Army Air Corps command pilot, Orlando “Bill” Allin has been invited by Paddy Green to join him and the Dak for a reunion in Normandy June 5-8th.

My father and mother will be leaving Olympia, Washington, USA tomorrow to fly to Heathrow and later to Cherbourg where they will drive to St. Mere Eglise and Carentan on June 5th. Jil Launay and her husband in St. Mere Eglise are helping organize commemorative parachute drops on June 5th and 7th involving the Drag ’em Oot.

Here is an article supplied by Jil that is to appear in the June edition of the “Ouest France” newspaper:

LIBERTY JUMP TEAM AND LT. BILL ALLIN

In the early morning hours of June 5,1944 Lt. O. H.’Bill’ Allin dropped 18 paratroopers of the 101st Airborne over the area in the Normandy area off the Carentan peninsula. On June 5, 2006 he will once again see his beautiful C-47 ‘Drag Em Oot’ owned by Mr. Patrick Green as she drops a group of parachutists, the Liberty Jump Team, on the DZ near Carentan. Lt Allin last saw the plane in March of 2005 when he once again at age 82 years had the chance to pilot her.
The Liberty Jump Team’s members are either US Airborne, Foreign or Civilian airborne qualified jumpers. They will be joined as well by the HALO members of the Golden Wings Parachute Team as well as French Military HALO team. Former Special Forces SFC Roger Wolf will be the jumpmaster for this group of jumpers who are dedicated to honoring the brave men and women of WWII. The HALO jumpers will bring in the American and French flags as well as the POW MIA flag to honor all Veterans. The Static line jumpers will exit in period uniforms of WWII.
The Team will also have the honor of traveling with other WWII Veterans some of whom jumped in or near Carentan on D-Day. These will be Jake McNiece and Mario Patruno 506PIR, Ralph Manley 501PIR, Reed Pelfrey 502PIR, Lloyd Neblett 301 Troop Carrier Command and Gordon Smith of the 507PIR.
Lt Allin continued to fly during WWII after D- Day as he flew missions in the Battle of the Bulge, Operation Dragoon and Operation Varsity. He was once awarded cases of champagne and cognac for bringing gasoline to Patton’s tanks. It will be a proud moment for these men to pay homage once again to these brave men as well as the other Veterans of WWII who sacrificed so much for the French citizens of Normandy.