Every one of our MISSIONS tells a true story.

In this Mission, you are Turner Turnbull, an American Indian 82nd Airborne platoon commander.

You must also make decisions for Lieutenant Colonel Ben Vandervoort, Turnbull’s boss.

Finally, you play the role of Captain Bob Gwynn, a C-47 pilot flying paratroopers to Normandy.

You will also meet Sergeant Bob Niland, the senior enlisted man in Turnbull’s platoon.
Bob Niland and his brothers inspired the movie “Saving Private Ryan”.

These men were all great leaders and American heroes.

First Lieutenant Turner Turnbull

A member of the Choctaw nation, a Native American tribe with a strong military service tradition, Turner Turnbull was born in Oklahoma in 1921.

Orphaned at age 15, Turned joined the National Guard in 1939 and quickly earned a 2nd Lieutenant commission.

Turnbull volunteered for the 82nd Airborne in time for the Sicily invasion, where he narrowly escaped death when his C-47 was hit. Parachuting out of the flaming C-47,

Turnbull fought on the ground until shot in the stomach.

Captain Bob Gwynn

A veteran of previous combat flights, Gwynn has been flying since 1940. He is very experienced compared to many of the other pilots flying on D-Day.

Ben Vandervoort

One of the first men to join the new paratrooper units in 1940, Vandervoort fought in Sicily and Italy. 

He served on General Gavin’s staff, led a paratrooper company and then took command of the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR). 

Stern, with little patience for nonsense, Vandervoort commands huge respect.

Sergeant Bob Niland

Bob Niland’s father fought as a Rough Rider under Teddy Roosevelt in the Spanish-American War. 

Niland’s three brothers joined the Army either right before or right after Pearl Harbor. 

Niland has fought through Sicily and Italy and is sick of war. Nonetheless he is committed to his fellow paratroopers.