In the hours before D-Day, the brave men of the Airborne prepare for likely death. One infamous unit takes the time to apply war paint and cut their hair into mohawks, ready to leap into the fray.

The paratroopers were one of the most important groups during the Normandy invasion and World War II in general. Parachuting down behind enemy lines was a dangerous task, but one the Filthy Thirteen were up for. Led by Sergeant Jake McNiece, this iconic unit was known for disobeying orders but always accomplishing their missions. Through first-hand retellings, we’ll delve into the unit’s war story, one that loosely inspired both the Dirty Dozen and the Inglourious Basterds.

*Correction: In the video, I said that 50% of paratroopers would suffer casualties and that there were around 2,500 casualties overall. This was false and poorly worded on my part. The American Airborne as a whole would suffer around 2,500 casualties during the invasion, but despite the heavy initial projections, this was not 50%.

Sources & Further Reading:

McNiece, Jake, and Killblane, Richard. The Filthy Thirteen: From the Dustbowl to Hitler's Eagle's Nest—The True Story of the 101st Airborne's Most Legendary Squad of Combat Paratroopers. United Kingdom, Casemate Publishers (Ignition), 2003.

Womer, Jack, and DeVito, Stephen C.. Fighting with the Filthy Thirteen: The World War II Story of Jack Womer—Ranger and Paratrooper. United Kingdom, Casemate Publishers (Ignition), 2012.

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