Pannel and description contribution of Mr Craig Lentz
The painted panel depicts the early morning June 6th, 1944, airborne assault inland of the
Normandy coast in support of the D-Day landings later that morning, and near the French
town of Ste. Mere-Eglise. This panel was a working “sketch” submitted by Linzee Prescott to
the Memorialization Board at West Point for its approval of his commission to paint a 10 ft. x 18
ft. mural commerating airborne operation in WWII. The mural was a gift to the Military
Academy by Charles J. Simon in honor of Lt. Gen. James M. Gavin (Ret.) who commanded the
505th PIR of the 82nd Airborne Division that night. The mural was dedicated in May, 1978, and
hangs in the West Point Museum. It is a companion piece of another mural dedicated ten years
earlier by the artist of the amphibious landings at Omaha Beach on D-Day.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Linzee Prescott (1917-1981) was himself a WWII veteran of the 82nd Airborne, and participated
in the action depicted, as well as two prior combat jumps in Sicily and Italy. An enlisted man,
Prescott was captured two weeks after D-Day while on reconnaissance mission behind German
lines. He spent the remainder of the war in a POW camp in Poland, where due to his multi-
lingual abilities he was assigned to the hospital. This gave him access to certain supplies which
he used to augment his use of charcoal and chalk to “paint” during his internment.
Following the war, Prescott turned to commercial art and has done several mural-type paintings
including some for the National Swimming Hall of Fame. He was the first civilian painter sent
to cover the Vietnam War as part of the Army Combat Artist Program.
Mr. Prescott’s family has a long tradition of military service. He is a direct descendant of Col.
William Prescott, commander of the Revolutionary forces at the Battle of Bunker Hill.
