JANUARY 1944, FLEW THE SOUTHERN ROUTE TO ENGLAND, VIA SOUTH AMERICA TO ASCENSION ISLAND, LIBERIA, DAKAR, MOROCCO AND PAST THE BAY OF BISCAY TO ENGLAND. ON D-DAY, JUNE 6, 1944, AS A PILOT FLIGHT LEADER OF THE 85TH TROOP CARRIER SQUADRON, 437TH TROOP CARRIER GROUP, HE LED A FORMATION OF 9 C-47 AIRCRAFT LOADED WITH 101ST AIRBORNE PARATROOPERS THROUGH THE DARKNESS, FOG AND HEAVY GROUND FIRE TO THE DROP ZONE AT ST. MERE EGLISE IN NORMANDY, FRANCE. THIS WAS FOLLOWED, A FEW HOURS LATER, BY LEADING HIS FORMATION, WHICH WAS TOWING GLIDERS CARRYING SOLDIERS FROM THE 82ND AIRBORNE TO THE LANDING ZONE AT ST. MERE EGLISE. HE FLEW NUMEROUS SUPPLY RUNS TO NORMANDY, INCLUDING ONE WHERE HE AND HIS CREW LANDED ON OMAHA BEACH WITH A LOAD OF 155 MILLIMETER SHELLS, DESPERATELY NEEDED BY OUR TROOPS AND CARRIED SERIOUSLY WOUNDED SOLDIERS BACK TO ENGLAND ON HIS AIRPLANE. AFTER NORMANDY, HE LED AIRBORNE COMBAT MISSIONS TO SOUTHERN FRANCE DURING OPERATION DRAGOON, TO HOLLAND DURING OPERATION MARKET GARDEN, TO BASTOGNE, BELGIUM IN DECEMBER 1944, WITH EMERGENCY SUPPLIES WHICH WERE PARACHUTED TO THE BESIEGED 101ST AIRBORNE DURING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE AND THE DAYLIGHT DOUBLE GLIDER TOW CARRYING THE 17TH AIRBORNE ACROSS THE RHINE RIVER INTO GERMANY AT WESEL. HE WAS A SKILLED PILOT AND WAS DEDICATED TO DELIVERING THE AIRBORNE FORCES TO THEIR PLANNED DESTINATION.