Bill Coleman recounts his experience as a member of the U. The WWII Army Airborne Sergeant tells the amazing story of his D-Day jump over Normandy, and the days that followed. The interview discusses American entry into the war in 1944. The interview begins by stating that "in order to get a foothold on Europe the U.S military would employ innovative, brave tactics, which had never before been seen or tested before ". World War II was one of the bloodiest wars. It took brave man like Sgt. Coleman to execute some of the attacks that allowed the United States to gain an advantage over their counterpart, the Axis powers. .
Bill Coleman was one of the brave ones that became part of the airborne division. The 101st Airborne Division, otherwise known as the "Screaming Eagles" is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault. This division was activated 16 August 1942. Sgt. Coleman was admitted into the division in 1943. For over a year, he fought for his life in the European theater of operations. He was captured by the Nazis and held as a Prisoner Of War until he escaped and made his way home at the end of the war. After leaping from a plane over northern France in June 1944, Bill Coleman spent almost a year as a prisoner of war during World War II.
From Coleman's Point of View .
Bill Coleman provides a very detailed account of the D-Day jump. He recalls the entire day; from the time they were preparing the combat airplanes to the time he was captured by the Allies troops. Coleman mentions that prior to take off all the soldiers were given some type of tranquilizers that were intended to keep them calm during the mission. He vividly describes how his plane was hit during the mission, which forced him to parachute out of the plane. He describes the experience as being unforgettable. He recalls how he saw his plane "crash at a speed of over 200 Miles per hour "while he was on his parachute.
