World War II Database

1.  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