S/SGT Harrison G Summers Thompson Gunner Extraordinaire

[jim c 351]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6AN1Im5lxM&feature=related

[emmagee1917]

Very good . Thanks for posting.

Chris

[jim c 351]

Because of the recent influx of new Thompson owners I decided to bring this video forward.

This is a re-enactment of an action that took place behind Utah beach on D-Day , probably saving many lives on the beach.

This situation was tailor made for using a TSMG.

If you can speak Spanish or read English you've got it made.

Enjoy.

Jim C

Edited July 27, 2012 by jim c 351

[videoguy]

One of the programs covering D-Day on the military channel did a reenactment of this that was excellent.

[Brian06]

Good find! That guy sounds like he deserves the Medal of Honor, at least with the way the show presented it. I never trust television, but that guy's body count and prisoner count was amazing considering he only had one guy with him :hail:

[jim c 351]

Good find! That guy sounds like he deserves the Medal of Honor, at least with the way the show presented it. I never trust television, but that guy's body count and prisoner count was amazing considering he only had one guy with him :hail:

 

Brian,

You are absolutely correct. If you happened to have read the pinned section, Medal of Honor ,-Hall of Valor, you will see I mentioned this very fact.

More important than the body and prisoner count was the fact that WXYZ was a field artillery battery zeroed in on Normandy beach. Because of SGT Summers the artillery remained silent.

Jim C

[jim c 351]

I brought this video back to the top to honor S/Sgt Summers and all those who fought on D-Day June 6, 1944.

Tomorrow June 6, 2015 will be 71st anniversary of D-Day and Sgt Summers is my favorite hero on that date.

Jim C

[gunhistorian]

Nifty! But did you notice: no spent cases ejected and the belt on the MG-34 didn't move? GADS! I hate to be so "technically" picky. One of the really stupid things that bothered me about SAVING PVT. RYAN was the sudden change of the sniper rifle from a Springfield to a Moisin-Nagant!

[jim c 351]

GH,

Yes, I noticed that but there was a good reason for it. In an effort to save the lives of the actors they didn't use live machineguns and live ammo. They also didn't have access to a Hollywood budget.

A pity you missed the point of the video.

I don't recall seeing a Moisin Nagant in saving Private Ryan. What I do recall seeing was a Ranger with a M1903A3 Springfield that had a M82 or similar scope that was later switched to a Unertl 8X scope. Something that would not work. Thankfully it didn't spoil the movie for me.

Jim C

[gunhistorian]

No, Jim. I DID get the point. There were a lot of brave men on D-Day . . . and before and after. Maybe I'm jaded in my old age, but to me bravery is perservering for one more minute. It is, as said a better writer than I, a father suffering terminal cancer and going to his menial job everyday to keep food on the table for his family. It is climbing a ladder when you are afraid of height to rescue a kitten in a tree. In many cases, unfortunately, it is being a leader instead of a manager. I appreciated your posting and the video, don't get me wrong. And the failure to use Hollywood-style blanks didn't spoil the piece for me, it is just that when so much effort is made to do a tribute I think that it should be as realistic as possible. And I have to wonder why it appears that he left his squad behind. . .