I know one of those pilots who flew the paratroopers over that night (also involved in invasions of Sicily and Italy). The stories he recounts are both heartening and gut-wrenching.
At Sicily, German planes had attacked our ships minutes before his squadron flew the paratroopers in to invade the inland. Allied ships thought his squadron were more German planes, so a bunch of his buddies got blasted out of the sky by our own ships.
During the practices for Normandie (nighttime, of course), there were some horrific mid-air accidents that almost cost him his life.
Yet they all did their duty at tremendous cost. I’m just glad my kids have had a chance to learn from him.
That is a real privilege. Before my son entered the Marine Corps he had the chance to know a family friend who landed the first day on Tarawa.