Paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division make final adjustments to their parachute harnesses beside a C-47 transport aircraft, its fuselage marked with black-and-white invasion stripes for aerial identification. Moments like this preceded every major airborne assault of 1944, from the Normandy landings to Operation Market Garden, as troopers methodically checked gear before boarding for combat jumps behind enemy lines. Project: 218668