The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy. A Story of Resistance, Courage, and Solidarity in a French Village by Stephen G. Rabe (review)

Reviewed by: The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy. A Story of Resistance, Courage, and Solidarity in a French Village by Stephen G. Rabe Sharon L. Fairchild Rabe, Stephen G. The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy. A Story of Resistance, Courage, and Solidarity in a French Village. Cambridge UP, 2022. ISBN 978-1-009-20637-2. Pp 262. Stephen G. Rabe relies on a collection of primary sources including letters, interviews, oral histories, and German and American military documents to create a nearly minute-by-minute account of the experiences of American paratroopers who participated in the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France in World War II. The introductory chapter provides a historical account of the events of that day, June 6, 1944, as they pertained to a specific group of paratroopers of the 507th Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. Having landed off target, a contingent of those who survived the jump took refuge in the town of Graignes, where the villagers offered them shelter, food, and intelligence information. A few days later the Americans were forced to engage a large force of German soldiers and, as they were outnumbered and out of ammunition, fled from Graignes with disastrous consequences for many. Despite these events, Rabe contends that this battle stalled the German unit heading toward the city of Carentan, thus supporting American forces fighting there. Rabe's principal goal in publishing this work is to reveal the personal stories of these paratroopers and the French people who helped them. Contending that this fight has not been recognized in history, he sets out not only to tell the story of the event, but also to portray the courage of those involved through accounts of the soldiers themselves. The narrative begins with the military history of airborne divisions and a depiction of their training. Here Rabe introduces a select group of individuals who were among the paratroopers who fought in Graignes, including his own father, Staff Sargent Rene Emil Rabe. Rabe gives detailed descriptions of the backgrounds of the young recruits who were comrades of Rabe's father. Subsequent chapters evoke the dramatic process of preparation, transport, and landing in Normandy with detailed precision. After a riveting portrayal of the horrifically flawed landing, the story turns to the events in Graignes. Based on eyewitness accounts, Rabe traces the encounter between the paratroopers, the villagers, and the German forces with realism and drama. After this battle, these same troops were to continue fighting even worse battles, such as the Battle of the Bulge. Rabe ends this saga with an account of individual soldiers' lives after the war. He condemns the fact that German soldiers who committed war crimes at Graignes were never prosecuted. On a happy note, he also describes how the Americans and the residents of Graignes, who had become friends during the war, re-connected in later years. Despite Rabe's goal of providing a personal view of war, his text is at times replete with military terminology and jargon that can be confusing to the lay reader. The book could have benefited from closer editing as there are frequent repetitions. Still a valuable historic contribution, this work is of interest especially to World War II buffs and to Francophiles interested in the war experiences of provincial French citizens. [End Page 118] Sharon L. Fairchild Texas Christian University, emerita Copyright © 2024 American Association of Teachers of French