First to Jump: How the Band of Brothers was Aided by the Brave Paratroopers of Pathfinders Company

When the invasion of Sicily almost ended in disaster, General Jim Gavin was determined to form a unit of special operations commandos who would jump ahead of the airborne forces--including the now legendary Easy Company--stealing across enemy terrain to scout and mark out drop zones with a unique array of homing equipment. The first into combat and the last out, their advance jumps were considered suicide missions by those who sent them into action.

Sporting Mohawk haircuts and war paint, they were the best of the best. Their heroic feats behind enemy lines were critical to nearly all of the Allies' major victories from Normandy to Bastogne--where they saved the day for thousands of American troops in an operation almost forgotten by history--to the attack on the Ruhr Valley in Germany.

This is the story of the U.S. Army Pathfinders--their training, bonding, and battlefield exploits--told from the perspectives of the men who jumped, and those who risked everything to fly them into action.