Dick Donnelly of the Paratroops

In the blistering dawn over a desert airfield, a squad of American paratroopers slices through a thick veil of smoke, their parachutes blooming against a sky bruised by combat aircraft. Led by Lieutenant Jerry Scotti and with Sergeant Dick Donnelly at his side, they descend into an eerie silence, expecting fierce resistance from the French garrison they’re meant to dislodge. The first volley of sub‑machine‑gun fire quickly turns into a puzzling tableau as the enemy simply raises a white flag and begins tossing their weapons out the windows.

The uneasy calm masks the larger stakes of a campaign that will test loyalty, courage, and the thin line between bravado and folly. As Donnelly and his comrades navigate the surreal surrender, they discover that the battle is only beginning—both on the ground and within their own ranks. Listeners are drawn into the gritty realism of WWII airborne warfare, flavored with sharp dialogue and the unexpected humor of soldiers caught in a far‑codded moment of war.