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What the heck is this?!?

BACK TO WORK – BILL MILLIN AND D-DAY

(Re-posted from WhidbeyIslandBaking.com)
Bill Millin plays bagpipes for soldiers, 1944
Bill Millin plays his pipes for fellow soldiers in 1944.

This past summer got BUSY … and interesting!  As many of you know I had a few adventures as a professional SCUBA diver, working at various locations around western Washington.  While it was great to get back in the water and blow bubbles, it also required me to shift my priorities.  Big among those priorities was the completion of my second bookAs many of you ALSO know this project is a Highland bagpipe sheet music & tune history book I am writing as a fundraiser for a veteran’s organization I am a member of.  There are a few chunky tasks remaining before publication.  The most challenging of these is writing about Bill Millin, a bagpiper who played on D-Day.

The legend of Bill Millin is well-known in the Highland bagpipe community.  The short story that everyone knows is that “Piper Bill” went ashore on Sword Beach* — he carried no firearm, wore a kilt, played bagpipes, and never got shot by German forces because they thought he had gone insane.  While all of this is true and I already knew from lore, I have been formally researching the whole story and it is far more detailed.
(*Queen Red, the furthest east section of the invasion)

Bill Millin, Highland bagpipes, landing, Queen Red, Sword Beach.
Bill Millin with his bagpipes landing on the Queen Red section of Sword Beach.

It is an honor to be writing about this man’s role in the June 6, 1944, Normandy invasion and it is important to me that I get it right.  I have reached out for every information source I can locate.  Presently I have a considerable stack of library books on D-Day, audiobooks and e-books, media on order, one film, along with articles and interviews I’ve found online.  Something I am particularly excited about is that I have made contact with Bill Millin’s son and grandson online and they have agreed to review my work once complete.  Also, it seems that each time I stop by the library to pick up another piece of media I’ve ordered, I find and buy a D-Day or WWII book from their used book rack.  Apparently I’m building my own D-Day/WWII library $3 at a time!

The bronze life-size statue of Piper Bill Millin unveiled on 8 June 2013 at Colleville-Montgomery, near Sword, in France.

As I review these history sources I have found some problems in the information.  Generally speaking I have books written by historians and articles written by journalists.  Some of the errors I have identified due to my Highland bagpipe playing career.  Some of the errors seem to be words and concepts the previous writers did not fully understand.  The biggest problem I have been finding is historical inconsistencies.  Generally the greater collection of errors come from the journalists — these individuals tend to work at a faster pace with less study than historians.  Usually I can sift through the historical inconsistencies by applying information from military documents along with identifying the details that are consistent in history books and interviews from Bill Millin himself.

As said it is an honor to be writing about this man.  It is an honor as a bagpiper and as the grandson of WWII veterans.  My aim is to help clean up some of the history mistakes that have developed and promote the greater story of Bill Millin’s role in D-Day among my piping peers along with my non-piping readers.  I am sure that you too will be impressed by this one aspect of The Greatest Generation and the greatest invasion in the history of the world.

Books and Other Media

  • The Longest Day: 6 June 1944 D-Day by Cornelius Ryan – This is the seminal D-Day history book behind the film.  I am presently about half way through it and it is nothing short of AMAZING!  The cast-of-thousands film by Darryl F. Zanuck is really only a brief representation of the book although still well worth viewing.
  • D-Day / June 6, 1944: The Climatic Battle of WWII by Stephen E. Ambrose – To his great credit Mr. Ambrose seems to be making a good portion of his career on D-Day/WWII books, and to our benefit!  I have listened to his Pegasus Bridge book, largely built using interviews, and found it invaluable.  I am looking forward to one of his Eisenhower books along with others.
  • D-Day / The Air and Sea Invasion of Normandy in Photos by Nicholas A. Veronico – This bran-new 2019 publication may well be the best recent work on the subject.  In addition to concise writing it is packed with photos and data — not to mention a bibliography that can’t be beat.
  • D-Day by Peter Benoit, D-Day / The Invasion of Normandy 1944 by Rick Atkinson, and D-Day by Charlie Samuels – D-Day books for various age youths.  Straightforward photos and facts to introduce the next generation to the history and significance of this important day to remember.
  • D-Day / The WWII Invasion That Changed History by Deborah Hopkinson – I’m frankly disappointed by this book.  Picking it up it appears to be on-par with the work of Cornelius Ryan and Stephen Ambrose (ETC) — the book is large and thick — but that is a first impression only.  Upon closer inspection, as an author I can tell you there are a few tricks that have been used to make the book appear more impressive.  The two main tricks is that the book is not single-spaced and it is loaded with pictures; take out the photos, make it single spaced, and it is half the length at best.  This 2018 publication does not appear to present anything new on the topic and is possibly written in such a manner as to not ‘offend’ the Politically Correct (ETC) crowd &/or to spoon-feed D-Day to the delicate middle-grade blue-ribbon crowd.  The good thing I can say about the book is that it is worth it for accessing the D-Day related pictures … other than that, other books are in my opinion better information sources whereas this one is comparatively watered-down.  And for my uses … no apparent mention of Bill Millin on Sword Beach or at Pegasus Bridge.

If you would like to support my writing endeavours today, please find my book “Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies” on Amazon, Smashwords and their affiliates4 Free Recipes are available if you would like to try before you buy.

Daichead a cúig / Ceathrad ‘sa Còig

Today is my birthday, and it’s a bit of a milestone — call it a half-milestone.  Most people are cool with their birthdays while some folks get weird — self-conscious about aging, resentful about past celebrations, attention seeking … whatever.  And then other people poo-poo the B-Day folks for wanting to acknowledge their birthday, passing judgment that it’s childish to observe or celebrate.  In the end it is what it is to the B-Day boy or girl, and if you can’t say something nice then keep your garbage to yourself … which is about the nicest way I can say that.

Oh … Dear Reader, please note…

If you’re thinking that this is some friendly-happy blog-post about my birthday, it’s NOT.  This is more of a hard-core truth and you might prefer to opt-out now.

Aww crap — did I just write a “trigger warning”?!?

This is how much a day-hike in Washington State sucks.  Forgive me for asking you to subject yourself to this horrific-ness with a drag like me.

Five, six, whatever years ago I gave up on trying to celebrate with my “friends“.  I’d make plans that I thought were interesting activities, doing something I like to do — which was usually going on an autumn day hike, which is BEAUTIFUL here.  I’d make invites a few months in advance, and as the date grew closer people had more important things to do and canceled — one time the last 2 people canceled on the day.  In many cases these were folks who maybe I’d only get to see once a year … birthday

So it became None.

Fine, I’ll take this elsewhere…

I gave up on trying to celebrate my birthday with any of my friends — the people who mattered to me and I understood it was mutual.  I’d make it to their celebrations, but when it came to mine … they were “busy”.  After enough years of this I found that it was healthier for me to detach — detach from whatever it was that was the difference between my understanding and theirs, detach from wanting to do something with people I thought I got to share some happiness with in this life, detach from thinking that someone might be interesting enough to stop and do something different with and essentially say “I’m glad you’re here with me.”  So I don’t know if I’m not cool enough, or not interesting enough, or because I don’t drink it doesn’t look like it’s going to be a fun enough time for you* to celebrate with me … FINE … if you can’t play with me for even part of one day then I’m not playing with you.  Which is about the nicest way I can say that, too.
(*I just thought of a term — “Drunktard”.)

Don’t get me wrong – I’m no longer angry at these “friends”, these humanish-people things, whatever they are — but I am angry.

I am angry that we grow up, we ‘become adults’, we have families, careers, and these develop into excuses.  And excuses for excuses — and licenses for excuses — but hear me when I say…

It is all BULLSHIT.
(Oops, I didn’t say that “nice“.)

I am angry that the best folks can do is leave a little Happy Birthday message on a social media* site.  I can barely give a single slice of (a turd) when I get a text saying “Hey — Happy Birthday!” but a person can’t pick up their same phone and call to say the same???  I am angry that the more technology connects us the more disconnected we become — but hey, the other person pushed a button, they did something to acknowledge their friend/loved-one, so they can move on to the next thing on Their All Important To-Do List.  I am angry at human conduct in my perception and opinion that appears to be inauthentic.
(*I’m so old I remember when “face time” meant actually spending time together FACE TO FACE without an “e-” in front of anything.)

Yeah — this Robert Palmer

Robert Palmer wrote in the New York Times (1980s?) about the singer of another band and what that person had to say in their lyrics — that…

… not feeling is the ultimate obscenity.

Palmer was pointing out that to this other singer experiencing life fully with all the good & bad parts is of upmost importance while we are here, while we have the opportunity, and that shutting down or disconnecting in any way is missing it.  I think it can similarly be said that being inauthentic is an ultimate obscenity to this beautiful experience we only get one chance at — just one! birthday

Every year now I tend to go silent for my birthday.

If someone does happen to call or (god help me) e-message me I’ll meet them where they’re at — I won’t shove them off, I’ll at least say “Thank you.” to a text, but I’m also not putting anything out for anyone to go do anything with me … I wouldn’t want to ask them to put themselves out — how inconsiderate of me!

More than anything I go silent online.
Am I isolating?  Maybe, but I’m also not allowing for the bullshit to come in either.

I don’t allow posts on my social media locations because on most days there are folks who cannot conduct themselves with adequate decorum  with their postings.  I guess because of their bullshit version of rugged individualism where anything flies — “And if you don’t like what I said, screw you, I gotta right to express myself — UNGH!”  This means I don’t receive the George Jetson happy birthday posts either — and GOOD.  …And now Facebook has started doing these charitable-birthday-cause things?!?  “Instead, for my birthday, I’m asking you to donate to some seemingly good cause that you don’t have to care about, just like me.”  I don’t ask for those — if how folks fail to connect with me is any indicator, then any good-cause I might select wouldn’t get anything. (*insert chortle*)

But here is The Good Cause I ask for my birthday…

  1. Get rid of your Excuses.
  2. Get rid of your Bullshit.
  3. Put down your Keyboard, let go of your Mouse, get away from the Computer and TV Screens. #disconnect
Like this but with a shorter pier…

Get your calendar and your pen and write the birthday of each person you care about on it and check it regularly (or set it up in your phone, it doesn’t matter as long as you do it).  Contact these people and ask them out to lunch or dinner for their birthday — your treat.  Get that same pen and some paper and write that someone an authentic note to add to a birthday card — fuck the card, it’s the note that matters.  Get together with that person for whatever it is that they want to do even if you don’t fully think you’d have fun, because it’s not about you.  Get real and acknowledge that this is really someone you care about or not — and if you can’t do that GET LOST.

When I think about this I’m lonely;
When I don’t think about it I’m just alone.

For years now I’ve liked the idea that if I had the money I’d take a trip  for my birthday — hell, I’d take myself out to dinner but I can hardly afford to do that.  I might tell people where I’m going & when I’ll be there — be it dinner or the trip — and if I see them there then good.  Sure, the trip asks more expense and I wouldn’t expect people to show up, but when you tell folks enough in advance that you’re going to be at this restaurant or that bar and they don’t show up, can’t show up, have some excuse … then are they real?  Are they really in your life?  Are you really a part of theirs, or are you just a cog who serves them in some way?

If any of those questions resonate with doubt for you — dear reader — then maybe it’s time to take your little red wagon elsewhere and play with some better kids.  Or is this just some bigger problem, that as a society our intimacy is dying?  Or maybe as my non-bagpipe-related-posts go I should just shut-up and stick to reviewing zombie films …. like that matters.  One of the nice things about playing Highland bagpipes is that while you’re playing you’re all alone — you can’t hear bullshit, you’re just in the music.birthday

 

 

“Be kind, be real, or get out of my face.”
~ Pete Townshend, 1992 in a writing about The Who ~
birthday

Further Reading

LTC (Ret) Robert D. Parrish, US Army

Today I attended the memorial of Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) Robert D. Parrish — a good man I only met a handful of times, and to me was simply Bob.

My first impression of Bob came a little over ten years ago while in Olympia, Washington.  A number of individuals from the local Scottish community held a gathering on the steps of the state capitol to observe National Tartan Day — my duty was to perform as a soloist, further bringing attention to the heritage with our distinct music.

Robert and Muriel
Robert and his wonderful wife Muriel – fifty-three years

After our ceremony we went to a local restaurant, and since we had a sizable group we were seated in the banquet room.  Among the people I sat with was a fellow and his wife.  This fellow proceeded to show off his sharp machine-gun wit, cracking jokes about anything and everything that came up — half of his jokes involved his wife — these left me agape, however she barely seemed to notice.  He was clearly a part of the Scottish-American military contingent, wearing a green shirt presenting a number of ribbons.  On the other side of his chest was a tag that read PARRISH — I was trying to figure out if it was his name or if he was military clergy … but if he was clergy how could he have all these ribbons, and how could he possibly be making such wild jokes?!?

When we finished with lunch our server came around with our individual bills — except I didn’t seem to have one.  I asked the server and I was told that my bill had been taken care of.  Everyone in the room noticed this, so I took the moment to say thank you and asked who did this so I may thank them directly.  I looked around the room and when I came around to Bob he looked me square in the eye and said, “I did.  I appreciate your playing today — thank you.”  He barley knew me and he bought me lunch; in content it was perhaps a small thing but in context he took it personally that I had been of service to the group and to the heritage, and in doing so he helped show me gratitude.

In the years that followed I saw Bob at various events.  Every time he saw me after that first time he’d greet me with a smile and energetically belt out “How ya doin’, young man?”  Bob could be highly serious, yet he always retained his smile and wicked sense of humor.

Scottish American Military Society
Bob and his giant fur sporran at the Mount Vernon Highland Games in Washington 2014

Four or five years ago I told a friend of mine in the Scottish community that I was considering joining the local chapter of the Scottish American Military Society (SAMS) to honor my WWII grandfathers.  She replied that it was a great organization that she thought I would fit in well with, and that it had quite a few good men and women “…like Bob Parrish, and … and … and …”  Each name that she gave was a reputable individual whom I recognized and respected, and the first person she thought to name was Bob.  He never knew, but I joined SAMS Post 1889 in part because Bob Parrish was a member.

I spoke on the phone with that same friend this past week.  When I found out that we were both planning to attend his memorial I reflected on my first impression of Bob.  She replied, “Yes, he could be a very generous man.”  — she was right, and posthumously Bob further taught me about generosity.

Viet Nam war
Combat Recon – My Year With The ARVN

I learned today that Bob was a twice published author.  From the family and friends who shared about him I learned that he pushed himself to be a better person and he pushed those around him to be better.  There was a long list of respected organizations that he was a part of represented by the people in attendance at the memorial spoke about him.  The Lakewood chief of police was in attendance.  There was a lot of laughter as people shared stories about him — they weren’t so much sad about his passing but happy that their lives were touched by him. These people affirmed what I already thought about Bob — the line about how a good man elevates himself, and a great man elevates those around him.

As a final connection, I was honored to be a pall bearer along side the good men and women of SAMS Post 1889.

Bob, thank you for you many gifts.  If I ever get the opportunity I will pipe at your graveside in Arlington National Cemetery, where some of the finest men I have known and have been an influence on me are laid to rest.

LTC (Ret) Robert D. Parrish, US Army
September 6, 1940 – February 16, 2018


Combat Recon – My Year With The ARVN

Schwartzkof – An Insider View Of The Commander And His Victory

Olympia, Washington and the Washington State capitol

National Tartan Day – April 6th

Scottish American Military Society (SAMS)

World War II (WWII)

Arlington National Cemetery