They are paratroopers getting ready for the invasion of Normandy.
Thanks for sharing this awesome story.ms gamboolgals father, Mr. Beam, was in the 101st.
He was in the original group at Toccoa, Georgia and made both Normandy and Market Garden jumps. At Normandy before they jumped, he said the sky was bright as day from all the gunfire and that all he wanted to do was to get out of the plane.
He was in every battle and was never wounded. Although he did say that he had a pencil shot out from his hand and had his web gear shot off of him.
He was in Eisenhower's Honor Guard at Nuremberg - he walked many of the Nazi's to/from the trial and some of them to the gallows.
We lost Mr. Beam in 2008. Mr. Beam was a father to me and we miss him dearly.
Mr. Beam is the lower right picture