6.14.2004
Story of 2 Jumps, 60 Years Apart
Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
5 June 04
SAINTE-MERE-EGLISE, FR The combat controllers, aircrews and paratroopers made the drop of almost 700 paratroopers into the historic drop zone outside this French town look easy today. But don't use that to measure the accomplishment of 60 years ago this day in 1944.
Soldiers jump from an Air Force C-130 near Sainte-Mere-Eglise, France, June 5 during a tribute to airborne soldiers who died in the liberation of France in 1944. Equipment and conditions in the 2004 commemoration jump stand in stark contrast to that of 60 years ago Photo by Jim Garamone
"We can do the same thing day or night," said a combat controller, "But look what we have to work with."
Today's combat controllers have state-of-the art communications equipment and the global-positioning system. The aircraft can hold twice as many paratroopers, in the case of the Air Force C-130s, and four times as many in the case of the Air Force C-17s.
Now, imagine the night of June 5, 1944.
Portions of two U.S. airborne divisions and one British division jumped into Normandy. It was dark, the weather was rotten, and there was an unexpected wind that sent the C-47s (the military version of the DC-3) all over the skies. Some pathfinders jumped in early, but their communications gear was primitive and in many cases wouldn't work. They did have lights that signaled to planes overhead where to drop and they set those up.
Now add to that: Someone is shooting at you.
Read more here
American Forces Press Service
5 June 04
SAINTE-MERE-EGLISE, FR The combat controllers, aircrews and paratroopers made the drop of almost 700 paratroopers into the historic drop zone outside this French town look easy today. But don't use that to measure the accomplishment of 60 years ago this day in 1944.
Soldiers jump from an Air Force C-130 near Sainte-Mere-Eglise, France, June 5 during a tribute to airborne soldiers who died in the liberation of France in 1944. Equipment and conditions in the 2004 commemoration jump stand in stark contrast to that of 60 years ago Photo by Jim Garamone
"We can do the same thing day or night," said a combat controller, "But look what we have to work with."
Today's combat controllers have state-of-the art communications equipment and the global-positioning system. The aircraft can hold twice as many paratroopers, in the case of the Air Force C-130s, and four times as many in the case of the Air Force C-17s.
Now, imagine the night of June 5, 1944.
Portions of two U.S. airborne divisions and one British division jumped into Normandy. It was dark, the weather was rotten, and there was an unexpected wind that sent the C-47s (the military version of the DC-3) all over the skies. Some pathfinders jumped in early, but their communications gear was primitive and in many cases wouldn't work. They did have lights that signaled to planes overhead where to drop and they set those up.
Now add to that: Someone is shooting at you.
Read more here
# posted by Frank_D @ 12:35 
