La 101st Airborne en France. 1944-1945, le crépuscule des aigles

The 101st Airborne Division, established in August 1942, received its baptism of fire in Normandy on the night of June 6, 1944. It played a decisive role in linking the beachheads at Omaha and Utah Beach. The division would go on to distinguish itself brilliantly in every subsequent engagement—in the Netherlands in September 1944, then in Bastogne and Alsace during the winter of 1944–1945—before concluding its campaigns at Hitler’s "Eagle’s Nest" in May 1945. In the interim, and again during the summer of 1945, the division spent two periods in France—first in Champagne, then in Burgundy—for rest, reorganization, and training. During these intervals, the 101st evolved, underwent re-equipment, and integrated new personnel.

These periods are not well documented and often lead to confusion regarding specific locations and dates. Yet, they remain an integral and vibrant part of the division’s history—a history rich in both dramatic events and, at times, humorous episodes. The purpose of this book is to situate these little-known, yet crucial, phases within their proper time and place.

Following the end of the war in Europe and, subsequently, in the Pacific, the U.S. Army faced the immense task of repatriating and demobilizing millions of soldiers. On November 30, 1945, with little prior warning, the 101st was disbanded in Auxerre. Having been born as a combat unit in France, it was also in France that the division ultimately came to an end.