The iconic Greek - American paratrooper that died on Normandy
- Written by E.Tsiliopoulos
Edie Lambros was serving the US Army, with the 82nd Airborne Division. On dawn, 6 June 1944, they were instructed to join battle at Omaha beach.
At Omaha the toughest battles with the Germans were fought. Lambros' unit lost many men in the first hours of combat. But they managed to capture many key points defended by the Germans, with the paratroopers falling behind the enemy lines. In one of these battles in which Edie and his comrades, they found themselves celebrating their success by posing for the photographer holding a Nazi flag as a trophy. This photo became famous after being featured on the front-page of the New York Times on July 10th. That is, the day after it was taken.
But for Edie Lambros' unit, the war was not over. After receiving friendly fire from allied bombers, the Nazis launched a counterattack. In one of these counter-attacks, Edie Lampros was killed... It was June 11, just one day after the publication of the photo on the front page of the NYT.
Edith Lambros was posthumously awarded three medals, including the Medal of Valor awarded to those who served in the US army and who distinguished themselves for their heroic acts ...
