Warriors in their Own Words

Remarkable stories of war told by the men who fought for a proud nation. Their words. Their voices. Our first episodes tell riveting stories from World War II, then we move on to the Vietnam War and other dramatic conflicts.

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2nd LT Harry Loftis: Gliding Over the Beaches of Normandy

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2nd LT Loftis was a glider pilot during WW2, and participated in the D-Day invasion.

During WW2, glider planes were used to carry ground troops, and sometimes a jeep, into enemy territory. Regular planes dragged these gliders via a rope, which was cut over enemy territory at the release point. The glider kept flying, to hopefully find a clear landing zone behind enemy lines. Since the gliders were flimsy, designed for a single flight, and always sent into enemy territory, flying them was a notoriously dangerous job.

2nd Lieutenant Harry Loftis was one of these brave pilots. He flew many missions, and fought in the Normandy Invasion, Operation Market Garden, and Operation Plunder.

To learn more about glider pilots during World War Two, visit ww2gp.org.


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