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Private First Class Clarence S. Hughart from West Virginia and Sergeant Robert (Bob) L. Bearden from Texas were both original members in Company H 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

 

For 60 plus years Clarence and Bob told the same story that Clarence had been stuck in the plane on his jump into Normandy and Bob helped him get unstuck.  They were both right and yet both wrong at the same time if you can believe that!

 

After Clarence and Bob both received their Manifests they were shocked.  Clarence was stuck and someone helped him out of the plane.  Bob did help someone out of the plane as well.  Only problem was they were in different planes. 

 

Clarence’s stick, (42-32806) was far off course just west of Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte (190:950) down to (179:839) near La Haye-du-Puits where Clarence came down.  Bob’s stick (42-92842) jumped between Hautteville-Bocage (242:988) and Fresville (320:000) Northeast of Drop Zone T.

 

Remember that both sticks were strung out due to both had men stuck in the door.  Clarence’s stick flew north to south while Bob's went west to east.  The delay time were not known but both Clarence and Bob felt it was between 30 seconds and 1 minute. 

 

Clarence’s jumpmaster was captured around Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte and was killed in a strafing the next day 7 June 1944 at Le Mesnil-Vigot and Clarence landed far away due to the delay.  Bob's stick shows clearly that the first part of the stick landed together and were accounted for.  The ones who were behind the soldier stuck in the door were not as luck as many became POW.         

 

Bob Bearden wrote a book about his time in WWII titled To D-Day and Back.  Clarence on the other hand did not. 

 

After Clarence hit the ground he was shot in the hip.  He was taken to a German Headquarters to start (near La Haye-du-Puits) (179:839) and then taken by wagon to a German Temporary POW Hospital near Orglandes (254:984).  A few days later Clarence along with other seriously wounded soldiers went from Orglandes to the Germany (French) Naval Hospital in Cherbourg.

 

That was a lucky break for Clarence and his injured hip.  On June 27, 1944 the City of Cherbourg fell to the Allied forces.  He went home three months later and was discharged/Retired on Disability July 1945.  Bob who wasn't wounded became a POW for the remainder of the war.

 

Both Clarence Hughart and Bob Bearden got home, just in different ways.  Both men were lifetime members of the 507th Parachute Infantry Association.  These were just two men of millions that fought Fascists around the world.  The soldiers from WWII wouldn’t have believed that 81 years later Fascists are in power in the United States of America.

 

 

Brian N. Siddall

June 6, 2025

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