Brothers in Arms

Lieutenant Turner Turnbull was a Native American, half Cherokee in fact, something that would have made him a second class citizen in mid 20th century America, but mattered not to his brothers in arms. On June 6th, his battalion, the 2nd of the 505th, made a remarkably good jump, concentrated, …

1944-06-06

HoN05

Lieutenant Turner Turnbull was a Native American, half Cherokee in fact, something that would have made him a second class citizen in mid 20th century America, but mattered not to his brothers in arms. On June 6th, his battalion, the 2nd of the 505th, made a remarkably good jump, concentrated, and prepared to take the fight to the Germans. Unfortunately the regimental commander, Lieutenant Edward Krause, didn't know which Germans he was supposed to take the fight to. Due to the confusion and poor communications, he initially ordered the 2nd Battalion to storm Ste-Mere-Eglise, then countermanded the order and then counter-countermanded it again. Finally the commander of the 2nd/505th Lieutenant-Colonel Benjamin Vandevoort sent an augmented platoon, led by Lt. Turner to occupy Neuville, and led the rest of his men to Ste-Mere-Eglise. No sooner did the Cherokee officer and his men arrive in Neuville than they were attacked by elements of the 1058th Grenadier Regiment. The Germans severely outnumbered the Americans, but due to the terrain never realized their superiority. - Mark H. Walker

Neuville, France

The U.S. airborne landings in Normandy were the first U.S. combat operations during Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy by the Western Allies on June 6, 1944, during World War II. Around 13,100 American paratroopers of the 82nd and 10ist Airborne Divisions made night parachute drops early on D-Day, June 6, followed by 3,937 glider troops flown in by day. As the opening maneuver of Operation Neptune the two American airborne divisions were delivered to the continent in two parachute and six glider missions.

Wikipedia: American airborne landings in Normandy

American

Germany