DEATH FROM ABOVE: EVERYTHING TO KNOW ABOUT THE 82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION
November 16, 2022 ·Mac Caltrider
Drifting through the sky toward the French village of Sainte-Mère-Église, suspended beneath the silk canopy of his parachute, Pvt. John Marvin Steele of the 82nd Airborne Division realized he had a problem. It was a problem that went beyond the expected challenges of landing in German-occupied Normandy. Not only was Steele wounded, he was headed straight toward a medieval church in the middle of town, rather than the open fields within his target drop zone.
Steele realized that his training on how to tuck and roll to avoid injury would not help him now as he prepared to land on the church. His jump boots smacked against the stone roof, and he tumbled over the edge of the building. Luckily, his chute snagged on the steeple, leaving him suspended high above the ground. He remained there for several hours before German soldiers realized he was alive and took him prisoner.
Despite having been wounded in the foot by flak, Steele managed to escape his captors and rejoin his unit as they prepared to resume their assault on Sainte-Mère-Église. Ultimately, the paratroopers succeeded in defeating the German forces entrenched in the town, making it the first town to be liberated by the Allies during Operation Overlord.
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