The John Steele Monument, Sainte-Mère-Église
John Steele was a paratrooper of the 505th PIR who on D-Day jumped into Sainte-Mère-Église and like so many other troopers that morning ended up landing in a rather unlucky spot. Instead of landing on the ground (or even a tree), Steele found himself caught on the spire of the town’s church and could only observe the fighting that went on below him. Instead of panicking or attempting to cut himself loose, Steele successfully hung there limply for two hours pretending to be dead before the Germans, realizing Steele was alive, took him prisoner.
Later, Steele escaped from his German captors and rejoined his division when the 3rd Battalion, 505 PIR attacked the village he’d been hiding in—capturing thirty Germans and killing another eleven. For his actions, Steele was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
