Just over 80 years ago, a young man from Edmunds participated in the largest airdrop in history, storming the Normandy beaches of France and helping to turn the tide against the Nazi forces that had devastated mainland Europe the previous four years. The journey of Alton Bell -- shared as a reminder of why those who have served are honored on Veterans Day and Remembrance Day -- was recounted during the October 9 meeting of the Trescott Historical Society by Alton's son Bob and grandson Henry, both of whom had the opportunity to go to Normandy in June for the 80th anniversary commemoration of D-Day.
      Growing up in Edmunds, Alton got his first BB gun at the age of seven, Bob shared, and soon employed it to make at least one dubious choice: "He popped his mother in the bum." At 10 he'd completed his first successful deer hunt, and a few years later -- during the Great Depression -- he was a high school student in Lewiston. "He was just a country bumpkin," Bob said, recalling how Alton initially received a cool welcoming at the "city school" until he asserted himself and went into baseball.
      Distinguishing himself with his athletic performance, Alton was encouraged to go to the University of Maine at Orono and play at the college level. He did so, becoming captain of the baseball team -- and soon earned the same position for the rifling team and the track and field team, "which is kind of unheard of for a junior," Bob said.
      After excelling at college sports, Alton tried out for the Boston Red Sox and made the team; however, an injury early on prevented him from continuing in the major leagues.
      When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Alton enlisted as an officer, owing to his ROTC training -- and he would soon go on to become a new kind of captain. Having heard about "this new thing called the paratroopers," which paid more money, he opted to sign up, becoming a member of the newly-minted 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division.

Alton goes to Normandy
     Once trained, Alton was a prime candidate to participate in the D Day invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. He was one of 23,000 paratroopers who were loaded into giant C 47 planes, each of which was hauling a glider bearing between 8 and 12 paratroopers and a Jeep.
      It was 2 a.m. when the paratroopers were set to jump, with thick fog rolling around the planes. As the jumpmaster of his plane, Alton jumped last, Bob said, waiting until the plane was just 500' high. "Some planes went high, others low. Dad said he barely got out of the plane before his chute opened, and then he hit the ground."
      Owing to the thick fog and the German machine-gun fire, many of the paratroopers -- Alton included -- got off course during the drop. The Germans had flooded the nearby fields, leaving some troops to become tangled up and drown.
      In Alton's case, he landed directly in the camp of the 91st Regiment Infantry of Germany's forces, being on the grounds of a 60 acre complex with a large mansion. "The Germans thought we were somewhere around, but never knew we were 10 yards from one of their pillboxes," Alton recalled in a radio interview a few decades later. He and his companion found an irrigation ditch and buried themselves in it. "We heard and saw a lot of fighting. We were in that ditch from early morning Tuesday to Saturday afternoon."
      It was a long wait, with only one C-ration and a canteen between the two men. "It was the hungriest I have ever been or care to be," Alton said in the recording. On Saturday by 3 p.m., the last German sniper left his perch in the face of the Allied land forces' arrival. Attempting to get up from the ditch, Alton and his companion had to recover from partial paralysis.
      Alton's experiences in Europe from that point forward, which included service in southern France, Holland and the Ardennes sector, were typically intense. Later on, when asked by Bob if he wanted to go and see the 1977 film A Bridge Too Far, Alton recounted nearly every scenario in the film without having seen it, down to the German snipers hanging from the bridges. "He lived through it," Bob said. "The Bulge was probably the worst because of the cold." At one point "he smoked a pipe because the smell of the dead bodies was so strong." He saw the effects of cluster bombs that had dropped through thatch-roof homes. "Devastation like that, he witnessed," Bob said. Alton was recognized at various points for his service and has been pictured alongside Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy. His unit led 20,000 troops through Paris in honor of what they'd accomplished, Bob said. He returned home to Maine in November 1945, finally getting to meet his daughter, who was born 30 days after he left. He went on to live an active life in the community, including running for state senator in the 1970s, before passing away in 1983.

Tracing Alton's steps
      Being raised by Alton, Bob had heard ample stories about his life outside of the war -- but very little about the war itself. "It was the stories of Normandy that we really didn't know," Bob shared. "So I said, 'We've got to get over there and see what's going on.' I never expected it to happen, but I always said that it would be something I'd like to know -- what, really, Normandy was."
      Unbeknownst to Bob, his family, with the help of donations from the community, had orchestrated a trip to Normandy for the 80th anniversary celebration in June 2024 -- with the reveal taking place right after they'd gone to Presque Isle to see the C 47s that had made the runs during the attack. "It was very hard to keep my mouth shut," said wife Jane Bell of the secret plan.
      "It was like the biggest heist in history," said grandson Henry, who would accompany Bob - who, for his part, cried when he found out about the trip. For the Bells, the opportunity of a lifetime was under way.
      Upon arriving in Normandy, the Bells marveled at the "perfect farmland," Henry said -- and were particularly struck by the 30' craters that led down the ledge to the beach. "There was no flat land," Henry recalled, referencing the heavy bombing that had taken place.
      The Bells were met warmly by the French locals, who were in a spirit of celebration. "June 6 is like July 4 there," Bob said. "There were U.S. and Canadian flags flying on the street. They were very supportive."
      One of their first stops was the Normandy American Cemetery, where 9,387 U.S. soldiers -- most of whom died on D-Day -- are buried in immaculate rows. "It was very moving," said Bob. "The silence of it was orchestrated by the birds."
      While attempting to follow a map of Alton's landing in the countryside, the Bells stumbled upon a commemorative stone wall listing the names of American soldiers assigned to take Hill 30 -- the same hill Alton was assigned to take. As they looked at the wall, a woman in her late 60s came out and explained in broken English that her father had been saved by a U.S. medic and had made the "Wall of Remembrance" in their honor.
      Talking to the woman further, the Bells uncovered another surprising connection -- she had been married in the same location as the former camp of the 91st Regiment Infantry. Even better, she was more than willing to take them there.
      "Me and Bob-Bob were ecstatic," said Henry. "It was incredible hospitality." They accompanied her to the grounds and toured the area by the hedgerows where Alton was trapped eight decades prior. "It was right where we were," said Bob, his words infused with awe.
      Another highlight of the trip was the grand celebration of the 80th anniversary of D-Day, with 17 dignitaries from around the world -- including U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron -- giving speeches. There were 5,000 first come, first serve tickets available to the event. Fortunately, thanks to Jane Bell's advance planning, Bob and Henry were also among the attendees. Others present included Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Hanks and director Steven Spielberg and a few men who had made the jump on D-Day. There were two enlisted men from Alton's division at the event, and Bob gave one a card with Alton's information on it. "He took it to his chest and said he'd treasure it forever," Bob said.
      Battleships lined the bay, and C 47s -- including That's All Brother, the lead airplane of the D-Day invasion -- flew overhead. "They were flying so low, it shook the earth," said Henry. A 21 gun salute with cannons reached a deafening crescendo.
      "It was an incredible celebration," said Bob of the event.
      Coming home, Bob shared that he was glad he'd gone. "It was an experience. Came back with more questions than answers, but I'm comfortable to let them rest." Reflecting on what his father had been through and seeing where some of it had happened firsthand helped him understand what his father had carried.
      "You had your wounds inside of you, for sure. War has its effects on many people. Dad said the heroes stayed over there," Bob recalled. "There were so many people who were touched by this. So many people at the celebration with stories."
      "It's not like he did anything different than the millions who fought and served in the war. He was one of many. But he was my father."