The incredible story of John Steele who's story was unknown until he filled out a questionnaire for the movie 'The Longest Day' The clip at the start of the film is the depiction of John Steele in the Longest Day (played by Red Buttons)
Back in 1994, I was part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the D-Day landings. While in Sainte-Mère-Église I was informed by the locals the the movie did not show the right spot where Steele got hung up. The locals had a mannequin hanging from the roof of the church. But that is not the correct position which Steele had. If you look at one of the opening scenes of the Longest Day, you will see German soldiers leading civilian men with their hands on their heads down a narrow street. That is the street on the left of the church when you facing the front of it. That is the actual side that Steele was caught on. But due to the narrow street, they couldn't get a good camera angle. So they moved it, to the right side of the church. When I asked why they had it on the right said, they told me that tourists, who had seen the movie, would tell them that it was not correct. So to just make it easier, and to let them see what that had seen in the movie, they moved it to the location it was placed for the movie. And just an FYI, if you are an American service member in uniform, they don't charge you to tour the museum in Sainte-Mère-Église.
It's a lovely little village. My English folk group used to have breakfast at the same cafe every time we did the night-crossing on the ferry to Le Havre. It became quite a tradition. You could see the mannequin from the outside tables. Weirdly, we were also there in '94. All the guys were moved seeing the beaches.
Note that before the book "The Longest Day" there is apparently no account what so ever about a paratrooper stuck in the church tower. It is most likley an exaggeration. Learn more by watching HOUR 16 - D-Day 24h here on RU-vid, at 4:50 mark in that video.
@@War_And_Truth I haven't researched this myself but I find it intresting how books/movies can alter peoples accounts, are these witness accounts dated before the book came out? I'd really like to know more about this story acually, I've read the book but I wonder now if it is acually true, it would not be the first D-Day 'myth' to be proven wrong. Although it could have happend for sure, I'm sceptical.
