Artie “Jack” Cotner, England, one week prior to D-Day Invasion of Normandy
It seems appropriate to use this date as the first post to my new blog.
On this date in 1944, my father, Artie C. “Jack” Cotner was a radio-gunner on the famous “Dee-Feater”, a B-26 Marauder and part of the Allied Invasion Force at Normandy.
I have written of his experience on that day in a chapter of my book Storytellin’: True And Fictional Short Stories Of Arkansas explaining how, according to his Group’s Historical Record, my father was the only known enlisted man in the U.S. Army Air Corps to make two bombing runs over France that day.
Here’s a picture of his plane with D-Day Invasion Stripes on the wings.
“Dee-Feater” B26 Bomber Over England
Congratulations and happy anniversary!
Thank you!
Congrats on your Blogiversary!!! Cheers and to many more years!!! All the best! 🙂
Thank you very much! Cheers.
Glad I found your blog. Happy anniversary!
I’m glad you did, too, D. Wallace Peach and thank you!
That was a really nice way to strat your new blog, Jack. It not only honours your dad and gives readers a little about his role in those D-Day operations, but establishes you as someone with a great interest in history – and, of course, a writer of historical fiction. Happy Anniversary!
(June 6th is a special day to me, too. Our eldest daughter was born on this day in 1773.)
Thank you for that, Millie. Very pleased you’ve been part of this blog. I’ve learned a lot about the history of your part of the world from you. Happy Birthday to your eldest!
Thank you! I’ve enjoyed sharing your writing word, too. Hurry up with Book 2 so I can read it. (I did tell you I was an Aries, didn’t I? Impatience is my middle name. :D)
“Yes, ma’am!” he said, dropping his salute and dashing back to the computer and the as yet unfinished manuscript. 🙂
Well, that image really made me smile! I want to read your other book, too, the Arkansas tales. I know it’s a paperback, so is it on Amazon?
🙂 The Arkansas short story book is on Amazon in paperback as well as Kindle versions.
Thank you. I’ll do that tomorrow. 🙂
Thank you, Millie!
😀
Congrats! I’m so glad you found my blog, Jean’s Writing and enjoyed my post.
Thank you, Jean. You have a wonderful, informative blog! Thanks for posting.
Congratulations on your first anniversary. Here’s hoping for many more.
My father was in the Pacific theater, and fought in the Battle of Okinawa. Having grown up with Hollywood’s version of war, my brother and I never could understand why Dad would never tell us war stories.
About ten years ago, for some reason of his own, he opened up about what he’d seen and felt and heard. Now I understand why he’d tried so hard to forget.
Thank you, Mike. Absolutely agree about Hollywood vs Reality and war. My dad flew on B17s in the Pacific for two years and was in the Coral Sea Battle; then he was transferred to England and the B26 Bombers. He, like your father, rarely if ever talked about the war until his final years. Thanks for posting, Mike. Always glad to hear from you.
Belated congratulations on your blog anniversary, Jack! You wrote a terrific first post!
Thank you very much, Dave.
Well done on your first anniversary, Jack. I let mine sit for a year because I hadn’t a clue what to do with it (or how to use wordpress).
Thank you, Jean. I’m still learning about wordpress and blogging, I suppose. I had another site for years before wordpress but I got into it with Google over privacy issues and we parted ways. I’m happy with wordpress and find it easy to use. Your site is always so professional and full of interesting information. I enjoy visiting.