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Article published Jun 6, 2009 Blount County D-Day paratrooper Kenneth Russell mentioned in American Rifleman magazine
From Staff Reports
A national magazine profiled a Louisville man's service to his country on D-Day in World War II in this month's issue.
The American Rifleman magazine describes a life-changing incident for Kenneth Russell as it highlights the landing of the 2nd platoon of F Company, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division on Ste. Mere-Eglise during the early hours of D-Day.
A colleague of Russell mailed a copy of the article to Russell's widow, Dorothy Russell of Louisville. Russell died on June 6, 2004, in Knoxville. According to his wife, the time of death -- at 2:30 a.m. -- corresponded with the exact time Russell landed in France so many years before.The article said the regiment, including Russell, jumped from C-47 aircraft at approximately 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 6, 1944. It also credits a fellow soldier with saving the life of Russell and another private shortly after they hit the ground.
The pilots apparently overshot the assigned drop zone, which caused the paratroopers to descend directly over Ste.-Mere-Eglise. and German soldiers had already been alerted to the invasion a day earlier. Two of the 505th troopers landed on top of the town's 13th century Roman Catholic church, the article states.
"Pvt. John Steele snagged his parachute on the bell tower and Pvt. Ken Russell came down hard on the slate roof of the nave," the article said. "A third man, Sgt. John Ray, landed hard in the church square just below Steele and Russell."
As the story goes, a German soldier shot Ray in the stomach while he tried to free himself from his parachute harness. Thinking he was dead, the German turned toward Steele and Russell, "both of whom were helpless targets."
"As the German shouldered the MP40 to shoot Steele, Ray drew his M191A1 .45 ACP pistol and shot the German in the back of the head," the article states on page 50.
"Steele and Russell both survived the Invasion of Normandy thanks to the actions of John Ray, who left a young widow back in Louisiana."
Ste.-Mere-Eglise became the first town in France liberated on D-Day after more 82nd Airborne paratroopers arrived in town a few hours later.