D-Day Squadron Buzzed The Statue of Liberty, Normandy is Next

In an effort to commemorate the 75^th anniversary of D-Day, several planes roared down the Hudson River and around the Statue of Liberty in New York City. KGVO’s Correspondent Susan Campbell Reneau traveled to Oxford, Connecticut to watch the display.

“An assemblage of some of the rarest C-47 airplanes came together,” said Campbell Reneau. “We were there when they took off. They made a lot of noise because they are very big airplanes. They are also commonly known as DC-3’s. These were the airplanes that flew over Normandy. One of the planes was actually at D-Day.”

Several planes were supposed to arrive, but not all of them made in in time. Campbell Reneau says Miss Montana was one of the planes that didn’t quite make it.

“Miss Montana has taken off without a hitch,” said Campbell Reneau. “She was supposed to be in Oxford, but weather delayed her. There are tremendous tornadoes all over the middle of the country. 14 historical planes were supposed to come, but only nine of them arrived.”

Campbell Reneau explains why D-Day is so significant.

“There were 13,100 men that made the jump,” said Campbell Reneau. “Many of them were 17 and 18-years-old. It gives me chills to talk about it. They did not know where they were going. They did not know what they were doing. They jumped out of these airplanes and they did a phenomenal job. They literally saved the world.”

The D-Day Squadron will join up with C-47s from Europe and Australia for Daks Over Normandy. More than 30 aircraft will drop 250 paratroopers over the shores of Normandy on June 6, 2019. They will be in authentic Allied uniforms and World War II military-style parachutes.