Ben's Story: Forgotten D-Day Veteran

On January 7th 1925 Benjamin Franklin Winn, named after his grandfather, was born to Russel Winn and Flora Neirman in McDowell County West Virginia. He was the second son of 9 children. Benjamin grew up in the coal mines of McDowell County. When he was 6 years old, his father died at the age of 38. In the 6th grade, Benjamin dropped out of school to help his Mother raise the family. Benjamin worked at the Pond Creek Pocahontas Coal Mine Company (Bartley’s Mine). Ben also volunteered with the Civilian Conservation Corp for a year, a government work relief program to restore forests and natural resources during the great depression.

On August 10th 1942 Benjamin made his way to Fort Thomas, Kentucky to enlist in the United States Army. Ben, Only 17 at the time, lied about his age for enlistment. Giving the date of birth July 8, 1923.Benjamin marked his residence as “one mile up Dry Fork”. Assigned US Army Serial Number 15116896, Benjamin was enlisted to 506th PIR Charlie Company. A company formed entirely of volunteers.

Ben’s training began almost immediately from August- November 1942. In the end of November, the 506th PIR was sent to Fort Benning Georgia for live training. In December of 1942, the men of the 506th completed a 118 mile March from Camp Toccoa to Atlanta, setting a 3 day record of 75 hours and 15 minutes. In 1943 Benjamin then was relocated to Camp Mckall, North Carolina. An Airborne school at the time located just outside Fort Bragg North Carolina. In 1943, The 506th was attached to the newly founded 101st Airborne Division. From June-August of 1943 Benjamin was taken to Tennessee for Army Maneuver training. Where they trained to be deployed. Setting road blocks and live fire training. Ben would return home prior to deployment to visit his family and assist with house duties.

In September of 1943, Ben was deployed to England on the SS Samaria with over 5000 soldiers onboard. They arrived in Liverpool on September 15th 1943. Benjamin was then tasked to train abroad. Benjamin made his home in England for about a year preparing for battle.

During this time, Benjamin would write to his Mother consistently. A testimony from Benjamin’s Brother CSM Preston Thompson recounted his Mother sitting at night and reading letters “crying her eyes out”. Thompson states “He wrote his mother every chance he got”. “He wrote once a week”. In April of 1944, Benjamin was sent to Slapton Sands, England to prepare for his D-Day mission. He would train from April to June 1944 for Operation Overlord.

On June 5th 1944, Benjamin, along with the rest of his regiment boarded C47s enroute to Upottery Field in England. Here, Benjamin boarded his Douglas C47 bearing Serial number 42-100819, on the night of June 5th 1944 and departed for Normandy around 10pm.

The C47, piloted by Lt. Sargeant, took Ben over the English Channel, arriving over land in the western end of Normandy with a direct path to the East. Ben’s drop zone was marked Drop Zone C, near Hiesville and was secured by pathfinders on the ground. Per testimony from a French citizen, she states she heard the planes overhead. The planes would descend from their flight altitude below the cloud ceiling due to poor visibility. At around 0114 Ben’s plane was struck by flak around St. Sauver le Vicomte where it veered left from course. A French citizen witnessed Ben’s plane crashing down. Noting she could hear the men screaming inside the burning carriage of the plane. She states the wing of the plane narrowly missed the steeple of Eglise Saint-Candide de Picauville (a church located in Picauville France). The plane came to rest in a field North East of Picauville. All 20 men onboard the aircraft perished, noted in a crash report.

Ben was originally placed in a battlefield burial near where he was found. On July 5th 1944, Ben’s remains were moved to the Battlefield Cemetery in Bloisville France where he laid to rest for 4 years.

In 1948 The United States Army contacted Flora about Ben’s Remains. She was given the option to have Ben buried in a large, protected cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach, or to be returned home at the government’s expense. Flora requested Ben’s remains to return to his home in West Virginia. Ben’s remains were exhumed from Bloisville and transported via specialized mortuary vessels across the Atlantic Ocean to New York. From which were transported by railway to West Virginia, where he was buried in Big Sandy Cemetery, outside of Welch.

Not well known, this cemetery lies in what used to be Big Sandy, West Virginia, across the Tug Fork River from Hensley, possibly known today as Hensley-Big Sandy Cemetery. This town has since been desecrated and moved to the west. Leaving behind graves and foundations of homes, theaters and stores that once stood. Ben lies to rest here, on a quiet West Virginia mountainside, secluded from the population. Where, many graves are abandoned and forgotten. Once a year, CSM Preston Thomspon has made his way across the Tug Fork River with his grandchildren (Hunter and Jordan Floridia) to visit and clean the site. Preston, now 84 years old, has gone to the cemetery many times. Carrying a small johnboat down a busy railway and down an embankment. Crossing the Tug Fork River, and scaling the side of a Mountain. Most Recently late September of 2025, 81 years after Benjamin's Death.

Ben was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, which is on display in Preston’s house.

Several years ago, in the time of COVID-19 running rampant, Preston was contacted by a French Citizen, Marie-Pascal-Legrand. She had told Preston stories of Benjamin’s impact on her small town. She had bought the land where the C47 skytrain had laid to rest and memorialized Benjamin and others on the flight (C47 Memorial Garden). Preston and his grandsons were invited to visit and attended this memorial of his brother in France for a D’DAY ceremony.

In the field where Ben perished, is a large outline of a Douglas C47 Skytrain with 20 trees planted around it. At the base of each tree lies a plaque commemorating each of the fallen soldiers in Ben's plane. Every year, Marie holds a ceremony around the 6th of June at this site commemorating Ben, as well as 15 other paratroopers and 4 airmen. These events feature large guest speakers as well as the French and German military officials, celebrating the beginning of the liberation of France and the sacrifice Ben and his Brother’s made.

Preston has attempted to contact various resources regarding the restoration of this hero's gravesite with no avail. Preston’s grandchildren are prepared to continue the tradition of maintaining this site. However, they wish to find a way for Preston to continue to visit the site. As well as, honor the Legacy of PFC Benjamin Winn and what he fought to achieve.