Tomorrow, in the north of France, the mayor of Saint-Thierry will place a memorial plaque near the entrance to the village’s church.
The plaque commemorates Major Don Beerbower who 70 years ago on Aug. 9, 1944 was killed while leading his fighter squadron in a strafing attack against 30 German aircraft at a former French airbase near Reims. Beerbower’s P-51 Mustang was hit by ground fire and crashed into a nearby vineyard.
The vineyard’s owner, M. Lemaire was first to the crash site.
Lemaire’s grandson Antione Lemaire is now the mayor of Saint-Thierry and fittingly, it will be he who recognizes Beerbower’s sacrifice to help liberate France from German occupation.
Besides military dignitaries, mayors from nearby towns, also on hand for the plaque’s unveiling will be Paul Sailer, author of “The Oranges are Sweet: Major Don M. Beerbower and the 353rd Fighter Squadron”.
The book tells the story of Beerbower from November 1942 to August 1944. The book is a result of Sailer’s father’s friendship with Beerbower and the stories his father would tell about his friend.
Sailer recalled that when he as a boy, he looked forward to winter nights when his dad would get out his World War II scrapbook.
“He had letters from Don and news clippings about Don. Dad would talk about his friend, that he lost his life,” Sailer said.
“I remember I caught a fever. I got quite fascinated with airplanes and fighter pilots,” Sailer said. This passion eventually had Sailer joining the U.S. Army . He became a pilot and flew helicopters in Vietnam.
To read more, please see the Sept. 8 edition of The Davidson Leader.