John Steele and the Church Steeple: A D-Day Miracle in Sainte-Mère-Église

 

John Steele mannequin on Sainte-Mère-Église church steeple in Normandy, D-Day tribute
Historical photo of John Steele or 82nd Airborne


John Steele and the Parachute on the Church Steeple

In the early hours of June 6, 1944, as Allied forces launched the D-Day invasion of Normandy, American paratrooper John Steele found himself trapped in one of the most unlikely and terrifying places imaginable — hanging from a church steeple.

Steele’s parachute became tangled on the steeple of the church in Sainte-Mère-Église, leaving him suspended high above the town square. Below him, the invasion was already underway. Gunfire echoed through the streets, buildings burned, and soldiers fought fiercely in the darkness. For nearly two hours, Steele hung motionless, pretending to be dead as the battle raged beneath him.

John Steele was a member of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division. His unit had been dropped behind enemy lines in the early morning hours of D-Day with orders to secure key roads and towns in Normandy. Poor visibility and heavy German defenses caused many paratroopers to land far from their intended drop zones, with several landing directly in and around Sainte-Mère-Église.

The town quickly turned into a battlefield. Many paratroopers were killed almost immediately after landing. Steele was wounded by shrapnel as he dangled helplessly from the church, but his unfortunate position may have saved his life. Unable to escape and surrounded by enemy forces, he remained perfectly still, hoping to go unnoticed.

Eventually, German soldiers discovered Steele, cut him down, and took him prisoner. Remarkably, he later managed to escape captivity and rejoin Allied forces, continuing the fight in Normandy.

Sainte-Mère-Église became the first French town liberated on D-Day, and John Steele’s experience became one of the most unforgettable stories of the invasion. Today, a mannequin hangs from the church steeple in the town, serving as a lasting tribute to Steele’s survival, courage, and the chaos faced by paratroopers on that historic day.

References / Sources

Ambrose, Stephen E. D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II. Simon & Schuster, 1994.

82nd Airborne Division Archives – John Steele, Sainte-Mère-Église Story.

Ryan, Cornelius. The Longest Day. Simon & Schuster, 1959.

Normandy Tourism Board – Sainte-Mère-Église Historical Records.

Veterans History Project, Library of Congress – Oral Histories of D-Day Paratroopers.

Wikipedia – “Sainte-Mère-Église” (checked against archival sources).


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