I don't have much info on the unit prior to the invasion of France. I have one funny story but it is not with me so I will tell that later.
For those that do not know the 3rd Battalion of the 506th landed on Drop Zone D South of Angoville-au-Plain and East of Ste. Come-du-Mont (NE of Carentan) near the Douve River. Their objective was to capture the two bridges and a ferry crossing over the River here is a description of the DZ in my own words but taken from the official history:
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3rd Battalion was to jump along with the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 501st on DZ “D” located to the south of DZ “C” south of Vierville and east of Angoville-au-Plain. From there they would move to seize two bridges over the Douve River to the northeast of Carentan...The assembly point for 3rd Battalion jumping on DZ “D” was a large field, approximately 1 kilometer wide and 2 kilometer long, divided almost down the center by a canal running east to west. As the largest of the four drop zones “D” was to be the back up drop zone for any plane carrying other men of the 101st Airborne that strayed from their own drop zones....The main objective of the Third Battalion was two bridges over the Douve River were wooden footbridges along with a ferry crossing that was located almost 4 kilometers up the river from Carentan. The first of the two bridges was a German built footbridge on the seaward side of the Douve River 250 meters down river from the ferry landing. The second bridge was a road bridge built between August and December of 1943 when the Germans realized that the footbridge was not enough to deal with all the traffic. The road bridge spanned the river 750 meters in land from the ferry landing. Two berms ran parallel to the river from a farm to the north of the footbridge all the way back to the road bridge.
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As everyone knows things didn't turn out as planned. Needless to say the company was spread over a large front. Two of its men clinbed the cliffs of Pointe-du-Hoc, two more were part of Col. Cole's Cabbage Patch charge, three overs fought with "Legs" Johnson at the Lockes further up river, and half a dozen were security for Pathfinders.
To be continued...