D-Day Parachuter and More!

The information below which is recorded in the book New Milford in World War II, written by Teresa Martin, May 30, 1947, reveals James Lacey's extraordinary service during the invasion of Europe in 1944.

James Lacey's brother, Dennis Lacey, died in a cargo plane crash shortly after take off in Australia. Dennis had been on furlough and was attempting to return to duty on his fighter plane somewhere in the Pacific when the crash occurred.

Credit: Bob Meli

James E. Lacey, Staff Sergeant

Entered service July 15, 1942...Trained at Camp Lee, Va.; Camp Butner, N.C.; Atlanta Ordance Base, GA.;
Pomona Ordnance Base, Calif.; Camp Kohler, Calif.; Camp Davis, U.C.L.A., Calif.; Reno Army Base, Reno, Nevada;
Rapid City Army Air Base, Rapid City, S.D.....Embarked from Camp Miles Standish, Taunton, Mass.,
November 9, 1943...Landed in Guroch, Scotland, November 15, 1943...Transferred to 82nd Air Borne Division
January 15, 1944...Trained at Nottingham and Leicester, England. D. plus 1, landed with 508 Parachute Infantry at Carentan, France....In combat 7 days...Back to England....Landed South of Brussells....D. plus 32, in combat
11 days....Back to England.....Made Glider landing at Eindhoven, Holland....D. plus 52, 3 days combat.....
Back to England...At Bastogne until December 15, 1944....Back to Caen....Made Rhine jump with 508th Regiment January 1945....In combat 37 days.....Given 7 day furlough in England....On May 1, 1945 landed at
Neuremburg, Germnay for Air Disarmament Operation...Sent on Detached Service with 101st Airborne to Berchtesgarden, Austria...Returned to Camp Miami, Trente, France, August 1, 1945....Left Marseilles,
France August 31, 1945...
Landed in Staten Island, N.Y., September 16, 1945...Served as Chief Radio Operator ....Awards: E.T.O. with
3 Battle Stars; Bronze Star; A.T.O. Ribbon; Good Conduct Medal....Date of discharge November 12, 1945...
Graduated New Milford Junior High School 1938.

New Milford in World War II
Teresa M. Martin
Copyright May 30, 1947

Background image of a patriotic flag obtained from:
https://www.desktopbackground.org/wallpaper/patriotic-backgrounds-wallpapers-cave-269835

James E. Lacey