Discover the untold story of 101st Airborne paratrooper Michael Camasso who fought under the constant threat of death during the D-Day invasion in WWII. When he parachuted into France at 18, his life changed forever. Now, at 94 years old, he is sharing his story for the first time.
Camasso served in Headquarters Company, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, during the war. He entered service in May of 1943, and after basic training, attended jump school at Fort Benning, Georgia. On D-Day, June 6, 1944, Camasso jumped into France with the 502nd PIR. He vividly remembers the experience of parachuting out of the C-47 as flak and machine-gun fire erupted around him. All alone when he landed in a field in Normandy, Michael hid his parachute and began to search for other members of his unit. He was soon able to come across his company and take part in the battle of Carentan. During this fierce battle, one of his comrades was killed by an explosion directly beside him. Throughout the Normandy campaign, enemy fire killed most of the soldiers he knew.
In September of 1944, Michael Camasso jumped into Holland during Operation Market Garden and saw combat during that campaign. During the Battle of the Bulge, the 502nd and the entire 101st Airborne Division were surrounded by the Germans in Bastogne. Camasso and his unit held positions on the north and northwest portion of the besieged city. As the war in Europe drew to an end, the 502nd moved to the Ruhr Pocket on April 2, 1945, to help in mop-up operations. In May, Camasso participated in securing Hitler's private residence in the town of Berchtesgaden and spent several months in Austria after the war ended.
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