The American 101st Airborne Division was dropped early in the morning of June 6th, 1944 to cover the western flanks of the invasion area. They were dropped close to Sainte-Mère-Église. Unfortunately, several soldiers came down in the middle of Sainte-Mère-Église. Many were shot from the ground before the reached the ground. One paratrooper got hung up on the bell-tower of the 11th century church. Although he survived, his hearing was damaged because of the tolling bell. He basically played 'dead' in order to survive.
In the well-known movie, The Longest Day (1962) this event is one of the many scenes. Nowadays visitors of Sainte-Mère-Église are still reminded of this by a dummy-paratrooper, hanging down from the church-tower.
It was realistic and a shock to see the replication of the event of 1944 on the church tower. It really made me realize how high up the paratrooper was trapped on the church tower and how terrifying the ordeal had to have been for him.
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