American paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division pause at a field bivouac to prepare a hot meal during operations in Western Europe, 1944. Equipped with M1 helmets and M-1942 jump uniforms, the men used simple field expedients — an open cooking fire, an entrenching tool, and captured or requisitioned supplies — to sustain themselves between combat actions. Scenes like this, informal and unposed, reflect the day-to-day realities of airborne soldiers operating far from established supply lines. Project: 218672