When hundreds of paratroopers dropped into Normandy on D-Day, one of them landed in the most horrifying spot possible. 32-year-old John Steele ended up dangling from a church roof in the middle of a firefight. But he turned it into an impressive advantage.
Just after midnight on June 6, 1944, Private John Steele of the 82nd Airborne Division’s 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment jumped into Normandy as part of the Allied invasion. Due to strong winds, his pilot missed the landing zone and drifted over the small French town of Sainte-Mère-Église instead. Several paratroopers were killed even before they hit the ground.
