A paratrooper or military parachutist is a soldier trained to conduct military operations by parachuting directly into an area of operations, usually as part of a large airborne forces unit. Traditionally paratroopers fight only as light infantry armed with small arms and light weapons, although some paratroopers can also function as artillerymen or mechanized infantry by utilizing field guns, infantry fighting vehicles and light tanks that are often used in surprise attacks to seize strategic positions behind enemy lines such as airfields, bridges and major roads.
Airborne forces are ground combat units carried by aircraft and airdropped into battle zones, typically by parachute drop. Parachute-qualified infantry and support personnel serving in airborne units are also known as paratroopers.
The 82nd Airborne Division is an airborne infantry division of the United States Army specializing in parachute assault operations into hostile areas with a U.S. Department of Defense mandate to be "on-call to fight any time, anywhere" at "the knife's edge of technology and readiness." Primarily based at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, the 82nd Airborne Division is part of the XVIII Airborne Corps. The 82nd Airborne Division is the U.S. Army's most strategically mobile division.
The Parachute Regiment, colloquially known as the Paras, is the airborne and elite infantry regiment of the British Army. The first battalion is part of the Special Forces Support Group under the operational command of the Director Special Forces. The other battalions are the parachute infantry component of the British Army's rapid response formation, 16 Air Assault Brigade. Alongside the five regiments of Foot Guards, the Parachute Regiment is the only infantry regiment of the British Army that has not been amalgamated with another unit since the end of the Second World War.
Hugh Winder Nibley was an American scholar and member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who was a professor at Brigham Young University (BYU) for nearly 50 years. He was a prolific author, and wrote apologetic works supporting the archaeological, linguistic, and historical claims of Joseph Smith. He was a member of the LDS Church, and wrote and lectured on LDS scripture and doctrinal topics, publishing many articles in the LDS Church magazines.
To Hell and Back is a Technicolor and CinemaScope war film released in 1955. It was directed by Jesse Hibbs and stars Audie Murphy as himself. It is based on the 1949 autobiography of the same name and is an account of Murphy's World War II experiences as a soldier in the U.S. Army. The book was ghostwritten by his friend, David "Spec" McClure, who served in the U.S. Army's Signal Corps during World War II.
Deseret Book is an American publishing company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, that also operates a chain of bookstores throughout the western United States. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation (DMC), the holding company for business firms owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Deseret Book is a for-profit corporation registered in Utah. Deseret Book publishes under four imprints with media ranging from works explaining the Latter-day Saint's theology and doctrine, Latter-day Saint-related fiction, electronic resources, and sound recordings such as The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square albums.
Sheri Linn Dew is an American author, publisher, the executive vice president of Deseret Management Corporation, and chief executive officer of the Deseret Book Company, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dew has also been a religious leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and an inspirational speaker. In 2003, she was described as "the most prominent single [unmarried] LDS woman right now."
Saints and Soldiers is a 2003 war drama film directed by Ryan Little and produced by Little and Adam Abel. It is loosely based on events that took place after the Malmedy massacre during the Battle of the Bulge. The film stars Corbin Allred, Alexander Niver, Lawrence Bagby, and Peter Asle Holden as four American soldiers trying to return a British airman with vital intelligence to the Allied lines.
Corbin Michael Allred is an American actor. He starred in the 2003 award-winning motion picture Saints and Soldiers and the 1997–1998 television series Teen Angel.
The 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team was an airborne, specifically a parachute infantry, regiment of the United States Army that was formed in March 1943 during World War II, training at Camp Toccoa in the mountains of Northeast Georgia.
The 1st Airborne Task Force was a short-lived Allied airborne unit that was active during World War II created for Operation Dragoon–the invasion of Southern France. Formed in July 1944, under the command of Major General Robert T. Frederick, it took part in the "Dragoon" landings on 15 August 1944, securing the area north-west of the landing beaches, before moving towards the French–Italian border as part of the United States Seventh Army. The unit was disbanded in November 1944.
Ryan Little is a Canadian film director, cinematographer and producer. He is perhaps best known for his 2003 film Saints and Soldiers. His work has a broad range of genres. Little was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He has produced over a dozen films and directed 13.
Lieutenant General Richard Joe Seitz was a United States Army officer and paratrooper who, during a 35-year career, commanded the 2nd Battalion, 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment during World War II, the 82nd Airborne Division and the XVIII Airborne Corps.
Francis Leon Sampson was a Catholic priest and American Army officer who served as the 12th Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army from 1967 to 1971. A World War II paratrooper chaplain who participated in the D-Day landings and the Battle of the Bulge, Sampson was captured during both engagements and spent time in prisoner-of-war camps. He also served in the Korean War. A decorated war hero, he received the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Distinguished Service Cross and was nominated for the Medal of Honor.
Reserved to Fight is a documentary film that follows four Marine Reservists of Fox Company 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines for four years. It documents their deployment, their return home from Iraq combat in May 2003, and their reintegration into civilian life. Their battalion was the first reserve unit activated for Operation Iraqi Freedom. They were also the first to return home. The film deals with the lives of the friends as they come to grips with the harsh reality of reassuming civilian life. Each has a different experience, some dealing with varying degrees of posttraumatic stress disorder. The film is notable for following the first reservists deployed in the Iraq War, and therefore the first of these Marines to begin the reintegration process.
Saints and Soldiers: The Void, is a 2014 war drama film directed and written by Ryan Little. It serves as the third installment in the Saints and Soldiers film series, and is a standalone sequel to Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed. The film stars K. Danor Gerald, Adam Gregory, and Matt Meese. The Void was the most expensive of the Saints and Soldiers films due to its use of tanks. It was filmed in Alpine, Utah. The film received mixed reviews with some critics calling it a "riveting drama" and some critics stating that more focus on writing and execution would have improved the film.
Overlord is a 2018 American alternate history action horror film directed by Julius Avery and written by Billy Ray and Mark L. Smith. It stars Jovan Adepo, Wyatt Russell, Mathilde Ollivier, John Magaro, Gianny Taufer, Pilou Asbæk, Bokeem Woodbine and Iain De Caestecker. The film was produced by J. J. Abrams, through his Bad Robot banner, and Lindsey Weber. The plot follows several American soldiers who are dropped behind enemy lines the day before D-Day and discover terrifying Nazi experiments.
Out of Liberty is a 2019 film directed by Garrett Batty, starring Jasen Wade as deputy jailer Samuel Tillery. The film tells the story of Joseph Smith, his brother Hyrum Smith, and four other men being held in Liberty Jail while they await trial for treason. The film's main character, played by Jasen Wade, is the jail's deputy jailer, Samuel Tillery. The film was produced out of a movie producing industry in Utah the New York Times called a "Mini-Hollywood". Descendants of Joseph Smith were included in an early screening.
The Saints and Soldiers film series consists of American war dramas, based loosely on true events. The plot overall explores various battles of World War II through the use of historical fiction, and uses an overarching message that people with unjustified predispositions over someone else can work together to overcome insurmountable odds; as well as the reality that they can learn to appreciate each other. Directed by Ryan Little from a concept he developed while in college, the movies depict the power of virtue, decency, and humanity of men, during the evils of war. Starring an ensemble cast, each installment is standalone in storytelling, but all set within historical reality.
