Captain Harold Sperber served in World War II as a Pathfinder co-pilot. Pathfinders were small paratrooper groups that were sent to mark landing zones ahead of major paratrooper missions. Their work helped insure the success of the drop, but it was incredibly dangerous because they flew in very small numbers, very low to the ground (to avoid radar), and had no backup chutes.
In this episode, Sperber describes the mission he had on the night of June 5th, 1944, the day before the D-Day. Sperber and the rest of the pathfinders flew over Normandy and were hit, forcing them to retreat back to the English channel. They narrowly avoided crash landing and freezing to death in the cold waters.
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Reflecting on Vietnam Part I: Col. John Anthony Cash
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Infantryman in Vietnam: SGT Jim Purvis
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“Not Ready to Quit”: SSG Beth King
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Pearl Harbor, Northern Italy, and the Medal of Honor: Capt. Daniel Inouye
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The Battle of Merville Gun Battery: Lieutenant-Colonel Terence Otway DSO
PREVIEW: The Battle of Merville Gun Battery
Battalion Surgeon in the Bulge: CPT Loran B. Morgan M.D.
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B-17 Crewmember in WWII: LtC. James Wirth
PREVIEW: B-17 Crewmember in WWII
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