“The intrepid pilots who flew the gliders were as unique as their motorless flying machines. Never before in history had any nation produced aviators whose duty it was deliberately to crash land and then go on to fight as combat infantrymen. They were no ordinary fighters. Their battlefields were behind enemy lines.”

“Every landing was a genuine do-or-die situation for the glider pilots. It was their awesome responsibility to repeatedly risk their lives by landing heavily laden aircraft containing combat soldiers and equipment in unfamiliar fields deep within enemy-held territory, often in total darkness. They were the only aviators during World War II who had no motors, no parachutes, and no second chances.–General William C. Westmoreland, U.S. Army, Retired 

Robert Novell

October 25, 2024