12-212 Garand Picture of the Day - Normandy 1954

[Mark in Rochester]

D-Day Celebrations In Normandy Date taken: 1954
Photographer: Thomas Mcavoy



At Carentan on June 20, the 300th built their first permanent bridge. It was a fixed, Class 70, 80-foot wooden bridge constructed under heavy enemy fire. At times during its construction, the bridge was under heavy and accurate enemy artillery firs requiring numerous reconstructions of sections of the bridge. While encouraging and working along side his men, the commanding officer of the 300th, Major John Tucker was killed by enemy shell fire and 15 others were wounded including Sevando Varela of Co. B. The bridge was named The Tucker Bridge and remained in service for more than 50 years. (It was replaced in 1996 by a stone and concrete structure but it remains the Major John Tucker Bridge.) Major Tucker was replaced with an interim commanding officer, Colonel Daniel Spengler, Commander of the 1110th Combat Engineers, until a replacement could be named.

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