Thomas Meehan III

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Thomas Meehan III
July 8, 1921(1921-07-08) – June 6, 1944 (aged 22)
Place of death	Normandy, France
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1942-1944
Rank	First Lieutenant
Unit	Company E, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
Awards	World War II Victory Medal Purple Heart

Thomas Meehan III was an officer in the United States Army during World War II who commanded Company "E" of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. After serving in Company "B" of that regiment after arriving in the United Kingdom, First Lieutenant Meehan transferred to Company "E" (Easy Company) to replace Captain Herbert Sobel, who had been transferred to command a parachute training school for non-combat officers.

On June 6, 1944, Meehan was killed when the C-47 Skytrain transport aircraft he was a passenger in was hit by German anti-aircraft fire during the Normandy invasion. The plane crashed near the village of Beuzeville-au-Plain (approximately 2 miles northeast of the town of Sainte-Mère-Église), killing the crew and the paratroopers aboard, including the entire company headquarters group of Company "E".

Before takeoff on D-Day, Meehan wrote a letter and handed it out the door of the C-47 to be sent to his wife:

Dearest Anne:

In a few hours I'm going to take the best company of men in the world into France. We'll give the bastards hell. Strangely, I'm not particularly scared. But in my heart is a terrific longing to hold you in my arms. I love you Sweetheart - forever. Tom

Meehan's remains are buried in the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery (Plot 84 0 25-31), located just south of St. Louis, Missouri, along with those of the C-47 aircrew and his fellow paratroopers. [1]

On June 6, 2000, a memorial was dedicated in the Beuzeville-au-Plain church to Meehan and the other men that were killed when the plane was shot down. [2]

Thomas Meehan is portrayed by actor Jason O'Mara in the TV series Band of Brothers.