Yvette Herrell: “In 1942, Dan McBride enlisted as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army. Sergeant Dan McBride is an American hero from New…”

“In 1942, Dan McBride enlisted as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army. Sergeant Dan McBride is an American hero from New Mexico. Assigned to Fox Company, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne, Dan's job was a new modernization in military tactics. Paratroopers jumped out of perfectly good airplanes to parachute behind enemy lines. On June 6, 1944, Dan jumped into Normandy on D-day as part of Operation Overlord. There he earned his first Purple Heart. On September 17, 1944, Dan jumped into Holland as part of Operation Market Garden. There he earned his second Purple Heart. In December of 1944, Dan and the 101st Airborne made their way to Bastogne, Belgium, where they held off a desperate push by the Germans in temperatures well below zero, with no winter clothes. The Battle of the Bulge is where Dan earned his third Purple Heart. His actions did not go overlooked. Amongst the multitude of medals he was awarded, Dan and his fellow paratroopers, Dick Kline and James Martin, were featured in the book ``Three of the Last Screaming Eagles.'' That book has now been made into a documentary film called ``A Rendezvous with Destiny,'' which premieres on May 29 in Columbus, Ohio, at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum. We owe so much to our World War II veterans, of whom we have fewer every day. I am so proud of Sergeant McBride. I can't think of a better way to honor his legacy than by immortalizing his story on film. ____________________”