Red Hot Chilli Pipers Tribute to Bill Millin

Bill Millin, 88, a Scottish bagpiper who braved mortar shells, raking machine guns and sniper fire to play morale-pumping tunes for his fellow commandos from the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, died Aug. 17 at a hospital in the English county of Devon after a stroke.

Mr. Millin became part of Scottish folklore as soon as he jumped from the landing craft into the cold French waters off Sword Beach on June, 6, 1944, in Operation Overlord. He later came to be known as the "mad piper." His courageous actions were immortalized in the 1962 film adaptation of Cornelius Ryan's historical account of the invasion, "The Longest Day," which featured an ensemble cast including John Wayne and Sean Connery.

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