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SANTARSIERO? (Check)

LIEUTENANT CHARLES J. SANTIORSIERD
COMPANY I - 506th PARACHUTE REGIMENT
101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION

Statement was taken by Lieutenant Stockton at the 111th General Hospital. Statement
begins:
"We were stationed at Exeter prior to D-Day and studied maps and tables to
France. We had been given a practice jump on Exeter 'eagle' on which conditions
of battle were simulated. Preparation was quite thorough -- we were well briefed.
"Our mission was to drop near Carentan, secure the bridges across the Douve
River, knock out enemy artillery fire on the beach, contact the seaborne forces,
and hold the area until relieved by them. We knew that the 4th Infantry Division
was the ground force which would land on the Utah Beach on D-Day at H-hour.

"We took off from Exeter about 2300 hours on D-Minus 1 and became part of the
2000-plane armada of C-47s heading for France. As we went across the Channel we
saw Jersey Island and flew near Cherbourg where we received some flak. My plane
received a direct hit as we approached the drop zone at about 400 feet. We were
then on a bearing of 125°. We jumped when we got the light. I wasn't sure we were
over the correct area but the plane was having some trouble after being hit. Our
jump was very successful and we found ourselves safely on the ground in a field.
It was full of anti-glider [inserted]obstacles?[end inserted] I was aware of heavy small arms fire and knew
it was from the Germans’ 6th Airborne Division. (Presumably he is talking about
the German 6th Parachute Regiment.)

"We were unable to use our lights for assemblying due to the heavy fire of
the enemy. But we started gathering together small groups or our men and finally
collected four officers and one hundred seventy men. The rest was still fighting
in the drop zone. We waded in irrigation ditches and arrived at the Douve River
before daylight. Our bridge objectives were bridges 36 and 37. It was still before
H-hour. Bridge 37 was about three miles away across the river. We tried to cross
it to get to it but were fired on and could not make it. We still had about 170
men. Some had been lost but others had joined us. Our naval artillery observer