On August 15, 1944, a vast Allied fleet stood off the coast of France. In the dark hours of the morning, thousands of American and British airborne troops landed inland in the Argens river valley around the town of La Motte, to secure the main road leading towards the north, link up with the French Resistance, and prevent German reinforcements from going to the landing beaches.
Preceded by a massive naval bombardment and commando raids on specific enemy batteries and coastal defenses, three American in …