WRITING A BOOK such as this is akin to a military operation. There is a mission to be accomplished, a deadline to be faced, a host of experts whose wisdom and knowledge must be consulted, and seemingly insurmountable obstacles to be overcome before victory can be declared. Hopefully, the mission can be accomplished without incurring too many casualties, save for a few strands of hair.
There are so many people to be thanked for their contributions to this book that I hardly know where to begin. So let us just stand up, hook up, and go. I am indebted to many persons who gave unselfishly of their time and resources. First to be thanked, of course, are the veterans who shared with me aspects of their personal experiences. They have my, as well as the free world’s, gratitude for everything they accomplished more than six decades ago. There is no way to adequately express thanks except, perhaps, by continuing to bring their deeds to the attention of current and future generations who may not fully appreciate what it means to serve one’s country in time of war.
A number of outstanding authors who have chronicled their deeds and allowed me to liberally quote from portions of their work are also deserving of my appreciation. These include Gary Boegel and his fine book (Boys of the Clouds), full of oral histories from veterans of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion; Martin Morgan (Down to Earth: The 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment in Normandy); Neil Barber, author of the awesome The Day the Devils Dropped In; Max Arthur, author of Men of the Red Beret; Marcus Brotherton, who has written several excellent books about the U.S. airborne; Ivan Mehosky, who granted me permission to quote from his father’s memoir, The Story of a Soldier; the many other outstanding authors who have gone before and whose names are found in the Bibliography; and the hard-working staff at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. Others include L. David Brook, editor of The Eagle, the official newsletter of the Glider Pilot Regimental Association in Great Britain, for providing me with copies of the association’s newsletter, and Jim Wallwork, pilot of Glider No. 1 at Pegasus Bridge, for allowing me to quote from his memoirs.
There were several websites that contained a wealth of information which I found invaluable. These include Patrick Elie (webmaster of www.6juin1944.com) and Mark Hickman (www.pegasusarchive.com). I am deeply grateful to them for allowing me to quote extensively from their superb sites.
Others who deserve thanks include Dr. Richard Sommers, the Chief Historian at the U.S. Army Military History Institute at Carlisle Barracks, PA (with whom I have a friendship that goes back more than sixty years!); Tony Dudman, a good friend and also a hardcore airborne re-enactor in England; Rob Barnes, another friend of long standing and an airborne expert in Denver; Bob Burns, president of the 505th Regimental Combat Team Association, who invited me to attend the association’s 2009 reunion in Seattle, where I interviewed a number of 505th veterans; and the instructors at the Parachute School at Fort Benning in 1965 whose names I unfortunately do not remember but whose lessons about perseverance I have never forgotten.
Also invaluable to this project were Michel Wyczynski (the archivist at the Library and Archives of Canada in Ottawa) and Lt. Col. Bernd Horn, authors of Tip of the Spear and several other books about the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion. I also deeply appreciate the efforts of Pat Hartley, and 6th Airborne Division veteran Jan de Vries.
Marty Morgan, in addition to writing the Foreword, provided me with scores of photos and lots of constructive advice and criticism.
I thank Nan and Scott Wisherd of Brule, Wisconsin, for hooking me up with Scott’s father, Elmer, who provided his memories of his service as a crewman aboard a C-47 on D-Day. Then there are the good folks at the Silent Wings Museum in Lubbock, Texas, where I spent several wonderful days up to my eyeballs in research. Joe Hays, formerly the curator of that museum, and now the curator of the Hangar 25 Air Museum in Big Springs, Texas, has done much to fill my head with knowledge.
Colonel (ret.) Don Patton, my good friend and head of the Harold R. Deutsch World War II History Roundtable in Minnesota, went out of his way to help me meet with and interview a number of airborne veterans in the Twin Cities area—and also show me the progress that was being made in a ground-up restoration of a Waco CG-4A.
And I thank my agent, E. J. McCarthy, and Casemate editor, Steve Smith, for their belief in this project, and my wife, Dr. Mary Ann Watson, who allows me to live my fantasy of being an author.
If I have failed to name someone involved in this project, please accept my sincere apologies.
Of course, in any military operation, accidents and errors are inevitable. For these I take full responsibility.