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Fred Bahlau

WWII | 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division

In the run up to D-Day, Fred Bahlau lived with four other paratroopers above a pub. It turns out he was the only lucky one. One of them perished due to a highly improbable mishap when he jumped over Normandy. (This interview made possible with the support of FRANK LEYENDEKKER.) (2:38)
It was an unbelievable sight, the English channel full of Allied ships. Paratrooper Fred Bahlau was on one of the hundreds of planes carrying the 101st Airborne to the D-Day drop zone. The men were scattered after the jump and had to form up in small groups and try to find their targets. Part 1 of 3. (This interview made possible with the support of FRANK LEYENDEKKER.) (8:01)
Making his way to the bridge that was his unit's responsibility to secure, Sgt. Fred Bahlau gathered up around 30 men who had been scattered through the Normandy drop zone. Once there, he had to make his way to the other side under fire. One of his team was missing, and when he found out why, he dressed him down. Part 2 of 3. (This interview made possible with the support of FRANK LEYENDEKKER.) (4:27)
The first German soldier that Fred Bahlau killed during the Normandy invasion had a camera around his neck, so he had his first souvenir. There were 80 men holding the bridge where he was, but there was one problem. Headquarters had no idea that they had taken the bridge. This led to deadly consequences. Part 3 of 3. (This interview made possible with the support of FRANK LEYENDEKKER.) (2:50)
Fred Bahlau remembers the ceremony where he and ten others were awarded for their actions in Normandy. At the end, there was a French woman with nine little girls holding flowers for the honorees. So they were two short. What to do? (Caution: strong language. May be offensive to some viewers.) (This interview made possible with the support of FRANK LEYENDEKKER.) (2:40)
The fighting around Carentan was fierce. Paratrooper Fred Bahlau recalls how several casualties occurred, including the company's 1st Sergeant. The Captain said, "Bahlau, you're 1st Sergeant now!" Then he directed the men to move back to a higher position. Wait a minute, isn't that a retreat? (This interview made possible with the support of FRANK LEYENDEKKER.) (5:28)
The fallout from Normandy was felt in different ways. Paratrooper Fred Bahlau remembers how tough it was integrating new men into the unit after it suffered a 40% casualty rate. They were preparing a drop into Holland and he didn't know who was dependable. (This interview made possible with the support of FRANK LEYENDEKKER.) (2:30)
During Operation Market Garden, a formation of troops approached the building where paratrooper Fred Bahlau was on watch. In the dim early dawn, he watched as they approached and then he realized what uniforms they were wearing. Later on, the Captain tasked him with retrieving some important papers from the site of a firefight. (This interview made possible with the support of FRANK LEYENDEKKER.) (5:49)
The men got a couple of days off the front line in Holland and were relaxing in a house they appropriated. Fred Bahlau was preparing his reports when one of the privates came out of a bedroom fully dressed as a woman. Immediately, he had a great idea. (Caution: strong language. May be inappropriate for some viewers.) (This interview made possible with the support of FRANK LEYENDEKKER.) (1:54)
Fred Bahlau recalls the house to house fighting in Holland, as the men of the 101st tried to drive the Germans out of Eindhoven. In one home, a civilian woman helped him while he was firing his weapon at the time. Then there was the improbable reunion with a buddy right in the middle of combat. (This interview made possible with the support of FRANK LEYENDEKKER.) (3:47)