Following their landing at Normandy, U.S. forces attempted to punch through the hedgerows of Normandy, a difficult undertaking as German forces were well-hidden and put-up stiff resistance. Lieutenant General Omar Bradley, field commander of American soldiers in Normandy, conceived the idea of using a massive air strike to pummel the German forces. Code-named Operation Cobra, the plan designated 550 Allied fighter-bombers and 2,000 B-17’s to drop their massive bombs on the German forces and Panzer tanks along a 4-mile stretch of road outside of St. Lo. Tragically, bombs also fell near U.S. forces, injuring 500 and killing 111.
While Allied bombers were pummeling German forces in Normandy, much smaller planes were conducting medical evacuations over the jungles of Burma. Jerry Morehead, a Mooresville, Indiana resident, piloted one of those planes.
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About Ronald P. May
About Ronald P. MayAuthor, Historian, Public Speaker, and Preserver of Life Stories
Ron holds a Masters’ Degree in World War II Studies from Arizona State University. He is the author of four published books: three of them feature stories of World War II veterans and his most recent book highlights World War II Landmarks in Indiana.
Ron May is a native of Erie, Pennsylvania and lives in Westfield, Indiana with his wife, Glenda. He was a Lutheran Pastor for 25 years and a Navy Reserve Chaplain for 22 of those years. Ron currently serves as the Chaplain at Hoosier Village Retirement Center Community in Zionsville, Indiana. He is also a personal historian specializing in helping veterans preserve their military service stories. Ron does public speaking engagements focused on World War II history and veteran stories. He also portrays himself as America’s most beloved war correspondent, Indiana native Ernie Pyle, reflecting on his wartime experiences through a dramatic first-person presentation.