Photo By Maj. Matthew Blubaugh | U.S. Army Staff Sgt. William D. Owens, circa 1944, served as a paratrooper with the...... read more read more
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SAINTE-MÈRE-ÉGLISE, France — In the predawn darkness of June 6, 1944, Staff Sgt. William D. Owens leapt into history—and then disappeared from it.
That morning, Owens and his fellow paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division’s 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment jumped into Nazi-occupied Normandy as part of Operation Overlord, often referred to as D-Day. Their objective: seize and hold the La Fière causeway, a narrow stone bridge spanning flooded fields just west of Sainte-Mère-Église. The causeway was critical. Without it, American forces landing at Utah Beach could not push inland.
As German tanks and infantry counterattacked more than two harrowing days, Owens—initially a squad leader—assumed command after his company’s leadership were killed or wounded. Under relentless fire, he led the defense, manned machine guns himself, redistributed ammunition from the dead and wounded, and inspired the remnants of his company to hold.
Their successful stand at La Fière preserved the Allied breakout and helped secure the American beachhead. However, while others received decorations for the battle, Owens' actions went largely unrecognized.
Until now…
Eighty-one years after his heroic stand at the stone bridge at La Fière, the U.S. Army returned to the ground he defended to posthumously award Staff Sgt. William Owens the Distinguished Service Cross. United States Army Europe and Africa Commander Gen. Christopher Donahue, who sponsored the award’s submission in 2024 when he commanded the XVIII Airborne Corps, presented the medal during a June 5 ceremony in Sainte-Mère-Église, part of the commemorations for the 81st anniversary of D-Day. Owens’ great-grandson, Harrison Morales, accepted the award on behalf of the family.
The award marked the culmination of a years-long effort by retired Col. Keith Nightingale, a former commander of the 505th PIR and military historian who has led anniversary staff rides at La Fière for decades.
Owens’ actions didn’t just echo among his fellow paratroopers—they caught the attention of Lt. Gen. James Gavin, the legendary commander of the 82nd Airborne Division who fought at La Fière alongside his men and personally witnessed the battle unfold.
“Bob Murphy, who was in the foxhole with Owens, told me the full story,” Nightingale said. “Owens went from squad leader to company commander in a matter of hours. Lt. Gen. Gavin put him in for the Distinguished Service Cross, but the paperwork was lost. Gavin later said Owens deserved the Medal of Honor.”
Alongside fellow 505th veteran and researcher Ed Harm, Nightingale spent five years digging through archival records, letters, unit histories, and books—including Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway’s 1993 book, Ridgway’s Paratroopers and Murphy’s 1990 book, No Better Place to Die—all of which cited Owens' courage and valorous actions during the battle. The turning point came when Harm discovered that Owens had received a Bronze Star as part of a mass issuance, opening the door for an upgrade rather than a new, original award submission.
“We were blown off—twice,” Harm said about his initial attempts to gain traction for the award submission. “It wasn’t until 2018 when Gen. Donahue got involved that anything moved. He understood the weight of this story and pushed it straight to the top. Without him, this never would’ve happened.”
Donahue elevated the recommendation to the Army’s highest awards review board. After extensive review, then-Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth approved the award in late June 2024—just weeks too late for D-Day 80 commemoration activities. The ceremony was rescheduled to coincide with the D-Day 81 anniversary.
Legacy Beyond Medals
The Owens family, many of whom were unaware of the full scope of his legacy until recently, traveled to Normandy to witness the long-awaited moment.
“Nobody told me growing up. My mum didn’t talk about it—it hurt too much,” said Su Marrow, Owens’ daughter. “After she passed, I found a letter I wrote as a little girl to my dad. I sent it up the chimney, thinking it would reach heaven. And now, somehow, it has.”
Owens’ great grandson, Harrison Morales, stood pensively at the ceremony as he accepted the award on Owens’ behalf.
“I’ve struggled with self-esteem most of my life, but now… I know I carry the blood of an American war hero,” he said. “I want to stand a little taller now.”
One Man, One Bridge, One Legacy
Military historians now agree that Owens’ stand at La Fière was decisive in the broader Overlord campaign. Retired Brig. Gen. Samuel L. Marshall, a U.S. Army combat historian, called the battle “the bloodiest small unit struggle in American military history.” Lt. Gen. James Gavin, who personally witnessed the action, never forgot Owens’ performance. Neither did his fellow soldiers—many of whom credited Owens with saving their lives.
“He was just an ordinary man who did something extraordinary,” Nightingale said. “Had he not stepped up at that moment, the entire operation could have been compromised. He wasn’t just Sergeant Owens—he was every soldier who rises in the moment when it matters most.”
For the Army, the ceremony was more than symbolic—it was a correction. For Owens’ family, it was healing. For the soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division, it was a reminder of what it means to lead under fire.
And for a nation, it was a chance to finally say, thank you.
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| Date Taken: | 06.12.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.12.2025 11:03 |
| Story ID: | 500417 |
| Location: | SAINTE-MèRE-ÉGLISE, FR |
| Web Views: | 103 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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