The year is 1944. On the eve of what will be known ever after as the D-day invasion, the Air Transport Corps initiated the largest drop of troops yet seen by the Allied Forces. The plan couldn’t have gone any worse: planes flew past their targets, those that came close were quickly shot down, and the inclement weather made it difficult to see where the pilots were heading. Yet in the midst of this colossal failure, a glimmer of hope emerged.
A 24-year-old Lieutenant by the name of Jimmy Patterson persevered through the chaos and made sure that his regiment reached its scheduled drop zone. At least until his C-47 transport plane was cut to shreds by enemy fire. Faced with a group of injured men and harrowing odds, Patterson took it upon himself to fend off repeated attacks from German patrols until help arrived. When all was said and done, the young Lieutenant killed six men and was nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery. He was a hero.
Patterson was then sent to an infirmary where he could heal his wounds suffered from protecting his crew. In a few days, Germany would be left behind, for a well-deserved return home to the States. While the soldier was scheduled to receive a War Bonds tour upon his arrival, it would apparently have to wait. The infirmary bed would be empty by the time the nurse made her rounds, and the story that follows is one of epic proportions. It is one that you create.
