May 31, 1944

We were moved to Uppottery England for final preparations for the invasion. I was starting to get nervous. In six days, we were going to drop under the cover of darkness deep into the German occupied territory of Normandy. It was something I had only ever read about, maybe seen a movie or two about. But now I was on the eve of one of the greatest military movements ever recorded in history...

And I was terrified.

I knew what was going to happen on the night of June 5th. I knew what was going to happen on June 6th. What I didn't know was if I was going to live to see D plus 1.

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June 4th 1944

We were dressed for the jump. I knew it wasn't going to happen that night, but kept up the farce that I was as ignorant to the future as the rest of the men.

"Why are they springing these things on us now?" Malarkey complained as he tried to figure out the new bag.

"It's just an extra 80 pounds strapped to your leg." Luz deadpanned. He lifted up one of the straps to the new bag. "Does anybody have, any idea, how the hell this thing works?" He asked looking at me. I scrunched my eyebrows together and shrugged.

"Colonel Sink." Vest said as he handed out fliers to each of the men.

"Soldiers of the regiment." George began, imitating Colonel Sink. "Tonight, is the night," He realized the depth of what he was reading and turned serious. "Of nights. Today, as you read this, you are in route to the greatest adventure to which you have trained for, for over two years."

"So that's why they gave us ice cream." Bill said as handed the letter off.

"EASY COMPANY!" Lt. Meehan yelled. "LISTEN UP!" We gathered around the jeep he was using as a platform. "The channel coast is socked in with rain and fog. No. Jump. Tonight. The invasion has been postponed. We are on a 24 hour stand down."

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June 5th, 1944.

"So, this is really happening." George said to me. We were headed from our tents to the airfield where in just a few short hours we would be dropped into Normandy. "No stand downs this time."

"Yeah, this is happening." I had told Luz when the invasion was actually going to happen, as someone I trusted so much I saw him as my brother, I knew I had to tell him the truth. We stopped as Lt. Welsh called 1st platoon, Luz's platoon, over to one plane, and Lt. Winters called second, my platoon, over to another.

We stood there, two still figures in the middle of a flurry of activity, and stared at each other for a moment. A sick feeling started creeping through my stomach. George lifted his hand and I grasped it.

"See ya on the other side." He told me as he firmly shook it. I nodded.

"You better." The truth was, I didn't know what was going to happen. I feared for my life, but even more so, I feared for Luz and all the men of Easy. I knew that the loss of paratroopers was great, but when I was studying this moment in history, I'm ashamed to admit, these men were just statistics. They were brave soldiers, who gave their life for the freedom of others, and I had learned to respect that.

But most of them didn't have a name, just a number. They would be written in history books as just that, a number, a statistic, a nameless face in a photograph of a Times magazine. I looked around me and wondered who was going to make it, which of these men were going to see D plus 1. I hoped with my whole heart that George would be one of those men. That Nixon would be one of those men. That Lipton, Martin, Toye, Guarnere, Perconte, Roe, Talbert, Popeye, Bull, Cobb, Web, all of them, all of Easy would make it to see D plus 1. I know it was a fool's errand to hope that they would all make it, but I did nonetheless.

Luz looked me in the eye before bringing me into a brief, but needed, hug.

"Love you kid." He told me. I smiled.

"Love you too, Luz." He nodded at me and squeezed my hand before letting go. We both turned away, refusing to look back at each other as we made our way to our platoons.

"Gentlemen, Doc Roe is handing these out for airsickness. Orders are every man takes one now, another thirty minutes in the air." Meehan said to us as Doc handed us the packets of pills. Meehan shook Winters' hand and left for his own plane.

"Second Platoon, listen up." Winters began. "Good luck. God bless you. I'll see you in the assembly area." He nodded and then helped us stand, one by one, shaking our hand as he went. I was next to Doc Roe, in the line and Winters grabbed my hand and pulled me up as he did with the others. I knew right then that what we did, that going to Sink at the risk of our own lives, was worth everything. He was always destined to be a great leader of men. He was worth risking my life for, as he would risk his life for any of the men here. I nodded and gave his hand a firm shake.

"Sir." He nodded back. I smiled slightly and took my place in line. We had to shoved each other up the ladder because the cumbersome leg bags made it awkward to walk, let alone climb, but we finally pushed our way in and I briefly wondered how Luz was fairing, climbing into the plane with a child sized radio stuck to him.

Winters was the last person on and Doc Roe and I reached out our hands and helped him into the plane. He gave us a grateful smile and we settled in for the too short ride to the DZ, my airsickness pills forgotten in the depths of one of my numerous pockets.

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The ear shattering roar of the engines sent shock waves through my body. I could feel it as it reverted in my chest and made breathing difficult... or was that because of the adrenalin that was coursing through me? I looked at each man, studied their face, saw the fear in their eyes, but also saw the adrenalin, the excitement. They had been training for the last two years for this... they were ready.

00:00 my watch read as I glanced at it, using the red light to see the hands as they ticked out a rhythm that seemed to match the beating of my heart. I looked out the open door as night settled in around us. Black shapes were outlined in the star stained water below us. The fleet, carrying thousands of soldiers to the single greatest invasion in US Military history.

And I was not only going to be witness to D-Day, but I was going to be smack dab in the middle of it.

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June 6th 1944

1 oh 1st went to war

From the skies of Normandy

Rendezvous with destiny

- "World War II" Running Cadence

Edited 8/11/17