The Longest Night, American Airborne in Normandy, 1944
The second release of Valor Studio’s WWII 65th Anniversary series, “Brothers in Arms” depicts the early morning events just before the ground forces launch the cross-channel attack into France. The legend on the bottom of the print reads: “June 6, 1944, 2:10 am . . . From the darkened heavens, C-47s of 9th Troop Carrier Command deliver the paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions into the hellfire of Normandy’s drop zones. The Screaming Eagles, already on the ground for an hour, link up with the All American troopers near French towns like Ste. Mere Eglise. Together, they will fight in small, ad-hoc bands, sowing chaos behind the German lines. To survive the longest night of D-Day, they would become: Brothers in Arms.”
The Story
The artwork depicts the chaos surrounding the iconic church of Sainte-Mère-Église in the early morning hours of June 6, 1944. An objective of the 82nd Airborne Division, the small village became a symbol of the invasion as one of the first villages liberated by the Allies. Spearheaded by elements of two airborne divisions, the American sector on the Cotentin Peninsula was soon carpeted by misdropped sticks of paratroopers who in some cases were dropped dozens of miles from their intended targets.
Portrayed in the center of the print is Pvt. Earl “One Lung” McClung of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Landing just outside the village, McClung found himself under fire from two German who made the mistake of silhouetting themselves against a barn fire. Having jumped with his M-1 Garand already assembled, McClung quickly dispatched the enemy soldiers.
Private David Webster, would later write in his WWII autobiography: “McClung could smell Kraut; he hunted them; he pursued them in dawn attacks and on night patrols; he went out of his way to kill them; he took more chances and volunteered for more dangerous jobs than any other man in E-Company.” — Parachute Infantry, by David Webster.
Behind the Art
Pvt. Earl “One Lung” McClung
Private Earl “One Lung” McClung was born in 1923 on Washington state’s Colville Indian Reservation. Drafted in early 1943, he joined the 506th PIR at Fort Bragg after volunteering and completing jump school. Known as a poor garrison soldier, McClung had an outstanding reputation when on the frontline, and one of his peers, Herb Suerth Jr., later said “… you have to realize Earl McClung was one hell of a combat soldier, one of the best that ever was.” — We Who Are Alive and Remain, by Marcus Brotherton.
02:08 am
The time on the clock reads 2:08 am. The troopers of the 101st have been on the ground for an hour and John Steel, a member of Fox Company, 505th PIR’s mortar squad, had his chute get entangled on the steeple of the church. Hanging helplessly he watched the chaos unfold below him as the American paratroopers and German soldiers engaged each other in point-blank shoot-outs throughout the village.
The Rule of LGOPs
With sticks of paratroopers dropped all over the Normandy coast, men from the different divisions banded together into what General ‘Jump Jim’ Gavin described as LGOPs (Little Groups of Paratroopers). LGOPs in its purest form consist of “small groups of pissed-off 19 year old American paratroopers. They are well trained. They are armed to the teeth and lack serious adult supervision. They collectively remember the Commander’s intent as ‘March to the sound of the guns and kill anyone who is not dressed like you.’”
Project Details
Faithfully reproduced from the original artwork, Brother in Arms by Matt Hall, depicts the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions in Normandy. In addition to the description, the bottom margin of the print includes the insignia of the 9th Troop Carrier Command.
Editions
- Originally printed by Valor Studios:
- 500 Victory Editions
- 150 Artist Proofs
- 140 Publisher’s Proofs
- Each print is hand-signed by the artist
- Each print includes a Certificate of Authenticity
Lithograph
- This limited edition lithograph is printed on acid-free, archival quality, 100 lb. stock
- Print size: 32″ x 22.5″
- All prints are sold unframed
- Print color may vary from screen color
Purchase
Matt has a limited number of Victory Editions of this print. Please contact us for availability.