Remembering D-Day and those who prepared for it.

Two years ago, the Oxford Historical Society commemorated the 75th anniversary of Oxford resident Adeline Gray's testing of the first nylon parachute. Gray was a sky diver who had made her reputation as a female dare devil jumper prior to the start of World War II. When the war came, civilian air shows were discontinued, and Adeline went to work at Pioneer Parachute in Manchester, Connecticut. The company was working to develop the first nylon parachute which was designed to replace the silk parachutes then in use. The majority of silk had previously been obtained from Japan and the war cut off that supply source. With American silk very scarce, the parachute company rushed to produce a nylon parachute. It was tested with dummies, but there had never been a live jump until June 6, 1942. On that day Adeline made her historic leap from an airplane above Bradley field in Hartford.

The leap and the landing were a success and a source of good news on the home front. Adeline was featured in patriotic radio programs, in comics and in cigarette advertisements promoting her jump and the war effort. The Historical Society honored her feat with a live parachute jump and program at the Oxford Grange Hall on the 75th Anniversary of Adeline Gray's historic leap.

This year Oxford was the locale for another 75th Anniversary observance - the recent D-Day Squadron at the Oxford airport. The squadron will commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day over Normandy.

While the Squadron was at Oxford Airport, two D-Day veterans attended the programs. Capt. Pete Goutiere, C-47 pilot who flew missions on the "Hump" and Lt. Col. David Hamilton, Pathfinder pilot who flew during D-Day 1944, joined with today's pilots and air crews for the Oxford events.

The Squadron has started on the original "Blue Spruce" route, after leaving Oxford on Sunday. They are now in Goose Bay Airport in Newfoundland, Canada. From there they will fly to Narsarsuaq Airport Greenland, then to Reykjavik Airport in Iceland, and a final refueling at Prestwick Airport on the Western coast of Scotland before making the final leg to Duxford Airfield north of London.

On June 5, the D-Day Squadron will join its European counterpart, DAKS over Normandy, to create an aerial fleet to cross the English Channel into Normandy, France to commemorate D-Day and honor those whose sacrifice should never be forgotten. The largest contingent of parachute jumpers at Normany since the historic D-Day will be part of the observance.

Oxford residents were thrilled with the presence of the historic aircraft at our local airport, making this year's anniversary of D-Day especially memorable.