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US 101st Airborne Division paratrooper Corporal Louis E. Laird boarded a C-47 transport during dress rehersals for the Normandy invasion, spring 1944 [Colorized by WW2DB]

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Caption     US 101st Airborne Division paratrooper Corporal Louis E. Laird boarded a C-47 transport during dress rehersals for the Normandy invasion, spring 1944 [Colorized by WW2DB] ww2dbase
Colorization Note   This photograph was originally a black and white photograph; the colorized version presented here was a derivative work by WW2DB. The colors used in this version were speculative, and could be significantly different from the real colors.

Processed using Adobe Photoshop Image Processor, with default neural filter, selecting "None" as the profile.

View the original black and white photograph at its own permanent page.
Photographer    Unknown
Source    ww2dbaseUnited States National Archives
Identification Code   USA C-1050
More on...   
C-47 Skytrain   Main article  Photos  
Normandy Campaign, Phase 1   Main article  Photos  Maps  
M1/M9 'Bazooka'   Main article  Photos  
Photo Size 515 x 743 pixels
Added By C. Peter Chen
Colorized Date 24 Feb 2023
Licensing  Public Domain. According to the US National Archives, as of 21 Jul 2010:
The vast majority of the digital images in the Archival Research Catalog (ARC) are in the public domain. Therefore, no written permission is required to use them. We would appreciate your crediting the National Archives and Records Administration as the original source. For the few images that remain copyrighted, please read the instructions noted in the "Access Restrictions" field of each ARC record.... In general, all government records are in the public domain and may be freely used.... Additionally, according to the United States copyright law (United States Code, Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105), in part, "[c]opyright protection under this title is not available for any work of the United States Government".

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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Commenter identity confirmed Bill says:
25 Sep 2011 04:48:12 PM

UNIFORM OF THE DAY: AIRBORNE ALL THE WAY!
WHAT THE WELL DRESSED PARATROOPER WORE ON
D-DAY JUNE 6,1944.

EQUIPMENT:

CORPORAL LOUIS E. LAIRD HAS BEEN ISSUED HIS
M1942 JUMP JACKET AND TROUSERS. NOTE THE
SCREAMING EAGLE PATCH ON HIS LEFT SLEEVE.

THE YELLOW ITEM AROUND HIS NECK IS THE
INFLATEABLE MAE WEST LIFE JACKET, PARATROOP
M1 HELMET NOTE THE CHIN CUP W/HELMET STRAP THE M1, WAS MODIFIED, TO GIVE SUPPORT TO HEAD AND NECK DURING JUMPS.

HE HAS HIS RESERVE PARACHUTE ON CHEST, MAIN CHUTE ON HIS BACK, THE PLASTIC BAG UNDER HIS LEFT ARM IS HIS TRAINING GAS MASK.

WEAPONS AND WEB EQUIPMENT:

LOOKS LIKE THE M1 BAZOOKA TO ME, BUT ITS A GUESS. HE COULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED ONE OF THE FOLLOWING WEAPONS.
M1 GARAND RIFLE, .30 CALIBER M1 CARBINE W/FOLDING STOCK FOR AIRBORNE FORCES, OR EVEN A .45 CALIBER THOMPSON SUBMACHINE GUN.
PLUS HIS MK.2 HAND GERNADES, M1926 WEB BELT, FOR AMMO, CANTEEN AND OTHER ITEMS. ON HIS LOWER LEFT LEG, IS HIS M3 FIGHTING KNIFE W/M8 SCABBARD PARA'S ALSO CARRIED A SMALL POCKET KNIFE AND CRICKET.
HIS SPECIAL SUPPORT JUMP BOOTS. POCKETS WERE FILLED W/EXTRA AMMO, FOOD, MEDICAL PACKS AND MORE MK.2 HAND GRENADES.

DID YOU KNOW...

THAT AMERICAN PARATROOPERS WERE THE ONLY
AIRBORNE FORCES ISSUED A RESERVE CHUTE.
THEY WERE ALL VOLUNTEERS, MANY MEN WHO COULD HAVE BEEN NCOs IN OTHER UNITS VOLUNTEERED AS PRIVATES IN THE AIRBORNE.
ALL OFFICERS, NCOs AND RANKS SHARED THE SAME TRAINING TOGETHER. THEY WON THEIR JUMP WINGS AFTER FIVE TRAINING JUMPS. MANY WERE KILLED OR INJURED DURING TRAINING, BEFORE THEY EVER FACED THE ENEMY.

I'M NO EXPERT SO ANY COMMENTS, CORRECTIONS ARE WELCOMED. THE WWII GENERATION, IS ONE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF...

EVERY GENERATION OF AMERICANS HAS SERVED THE
NATION IN PEACE AND WAR. MY PERSONAL WARTIME
US ARMY EXPERIENCE WAS FROM 1966 TO 1970 W/ ONE TOUR IN GERMANY, AND VOLUNTEERED FOR TWO TOURS IN VIETNAM.

I THANK THE EDITOR/WW2DB FOR ALLOWING ME TO LEAVE MY COMMENTS.
BILL

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