ReaL Book, Stage C: Workshop 4, Part 1

Their mission was to free Europe from the brutal German dictator, Adolf Hitler.

“I was numb with fear of what I was about to encounter,” Alvarado recalled.

Under a cloudy gray sky, more than 5,000 ships steamed toward France. They ranged in size from giant warships to small fishing boats.

The invasion plan called for warships to bombard the beach before the troops landed. And amphibious tanks—which could move through water—would land just ahead of the troops.

One of those parachute companies became the focus of a book by historian Stephen Ambrose. Eventually, that book was made into a television series by HBO called Band of Brothers.

When I look back on it now, I feel fortunate to have been able to do it, but at the time I was not aware of how historic it was.

A lot of paratroopers had difficulties as they jumped.

We started wandering around and headed toward what we believed was the coastline, guided partly by looking at the sky and maybe partly by instinct.

Did you and your fellow paratroopers understand the complexity of the invasion plan?

The US Army, however, was still segregated.

Corporal Waverly B. Woodson, Jr. enlisted out of love of country and a sense of duty.

Despite this, when Woodson and other African Americans put on their uniforms in the early 1940s, they still found themselves considered second-class citizens. This would certainly prove true when it came to recognizing Woodson’s valor.

Under continuous fire, corpsman Woodson ignored his own wounds and assisted in establishing an aid station on the beach.

He remained on continuous duty treating casualties for the next 18 hours.

Rob Aitchison wrote this poem to honor his grandfather, a Normandy veteran.

Aitchison said, “‘Longest Day’ is my thank you to a great generation.”