Editor’s note: Peter Semanoff submitted an article written by his grandfather, Joe Semanoff, who jumped into Normandy with the 101st Airborne on D-Day. Included are excerpts from the article, as told to reporter Terry Ahner.

Joe Semanoff, who was originally from Nesquehoning, served with Baker Company, 502nd parachute infantry regiment, 101st Airborne Division.

Semanoff later moved to Lehighton and married Kathryn Reabold from Hackle Bernie (Mauch Chunk), and they lived on Fifth Street and opened a corner grocery store (later Marshals).

Semanoff was a state representative from the late 1960s through the mid/late 1970s.

Semanoff also participated in Operation Market Garden (80th anniversary in September) and he was wounded at Bastogne on Dec. 25, 1944.

Baker lands in France 6 hours ahead of D-Day

How it feels to land behind the Nazi lines six hours before the official H-hour on D-Day and destroy the enemy line of communication is (vividly) told in this letter from an AFL baker.

Joe “Buck” Semanoff of Baker’s Local One was with the first unit to hit French soil.

Aug. 11, 1944,

Dear Brothers:

I was in on the Big Day - In fact was there six hours before the official H-hour. We jumped on France a little after midnight, just as D-Day was going on its first hour. Just before we entered our planes, the highest military dignitaries visited us and added to the importance and value of our mission.

I won’t mention our take-off on the trip across the Channel. We were calm and cool, equipped, trained and ready and glad that training was over. It was a beautiful night, full moon, still air - a perfect setting for us paratroopers.

As we approached the Coastline flak greeted our planes and soon we were over our zone. Here was the test, Brothers, would we accomplish our job and restore freedom to these enslaved peoples? Would we smash the yoke which made life Hell for millions of liberty-loving people? The eyes of the world were upon us and we (could) not fail. Failure meant years more of war, and more terror and blood for the enslaved. Failure never entered our minds.

Our unit was to have the honor of being the first to land in France and first we were. Upon command, we stood up, hooked up and checked each other for any faulty (webbing) or hookup. All this time, flak, 20 mm-machine guns and small-arms fire was giving us a red-hot reception.

Lands

The pilot gave us the green light and out we went. We heard the (chatter) of machine guns and other weapons. Tracers were going thru our chutes, some hitting the planes and some hitting the men. The tracers didn’t worry me; I was “ducking” them all right but what was in between each tracer was what worried me.

I was fortunate and made a good landing in a field which had a few cows. They scampered making much noise which I thought would surely attract the “Jerry”; machine-gun bullets were fired all around but I wasn’t seen. I met a few buddies and we went about as guerrilla bands causing destruction to all communications used by the enemy. As we went along our land became larger and more organized and our missions were becoming rapidly completed. I took part in a few minor sporadic battles and escaped unscathed.

My roughest time was at Carentan, which was taken by paratroopers although erroneous reports gave credit to other units. The battle here was Hell and we were divebombed, strafed and everything that goes with war. I got out of that in one chunk and am thankful for that.

Ducks, buzz bombs

After that battle we were in the front-line offensive for (some) time and then went north to defend Cherbourg against any huge-scale counter attack. Later we were relieved and returned to England. Upon our return here we received furloughs which I spent in London (ducking butt bombs), I had a fairly good time there, taking in sights, shows and by contact with the bombed-out, I learned of the English ways of life and gave them a word of comfort. I learned much but I couldn’t go into it in a letter - it deals with “government, politics, unions. All in all - a better way of life which they have been for so long denied.

After the furlough, I returned to camp and in my mail I was informed of the death of my brother George who was killed in action in Saipan. It was quite a blow and one which I’m not over as yet. You may know him as he was a member of our local and worked at Cottage.

That’s all for this evening, Dear Brothers, so in balling out, I add these words - Keep the union solid and keep a place in it for us. We’re coming! Best wishes to all.

U.S. Paratrooper,

Brother Joe “Buck” Semanoff