D-DAY DROP – “STICK 21”  By Robert Taylor

At 23.45 on the night of 5 June 1944, the 101st Airborne’s most legendary unit of combat paratroopers – the notorious “Filthy Thirteen” – jumped into France near the village of Sainte Mère Église, in the final hours before the D-Day landings.

They were the Screaming Eagles’ most notorious unit, a small bunch of raw, tough, ruthless young men. Hard drinking and savage fighting – and that was only in training -with scant regard for authority. And if the reputation of this unique bunch of renegades within the ranks of the 101st was formidable, for the Germans it became one of sheer terror.

Officially they were the First Demolition Squadron, HQ Company, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne. Unofficially they were the “Filthy Thirteen.”

Superbly crafted in his unique blend of pencil and paint on tinted paper, Robert Taylor’s classic Masterwork Drawing captures the moment on the night of 5 June 1944 when the 101st Airborne’s legendary squad of elite paratroopers jump into battle in the vital hours before the D-Day landings commence. The pilots of the 440th Troop Carrier Group struggle to keep their Dakotas level as deadly flak pummels the formation.

THE US AIRBORNE EDITION - THE SIGNATURES
This graphite print is personally signed by the artist and TEN veterans who served with the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions during the Allied Invasion. These distinguished signatories have signed in tribute to all the men who fought in 1944 with the US Airborne Divisions on D-Day and the Normandy invasion:

Sergeant JAKE “MCNASTY” MCNIECE
Private First Class JACK “HAWKEYE” WOMER
Lieutenant Colonel JAMES “MAGGIE” MEGELLAS
Sergeant BOB BEARDEN
Sergeant MILTON SCHLESENER
Private 1st Class BILL MAYNARD
Sergeant ED TIPPER
Sergeant BILL TRUE
First Sergeant FRANK SOBOLESKI
Corporal HERB SUERTH

This historic print was published in 2011 and is personally signed by some of the most iconic US Airborne veterans of WWII, making it essential for collectors of military art and autograph hunters alike.

Please note: The prints in my store are hand-signed by the veterans involved in the painting so the signatures are original autographs and not reproductions.

The certificate of authenticity is always included.

CONDITION: My listings are guaranteed to be in perfect condition unless it is clearly specified otherwise in the description.

SHIPPING: As an Aviation and Military art retailer I have shipped countless prints over the years. My prints are rolled in acid free tissue and shipped in heavy duty tubes, and the shipping is insured and guaranteed.

If you are interested in more than one item I will always do my best to combine the shipping – please just ask.