I watched "A Bridge Too Far" with a British airborne soldier who was there. He was captured in Arnhem because he was wounded just before they escaped. He's still alive, but I don't think he would add much to the discussion. It's not the way he lives. His job is to jump out of a plane and the generals job is to tell him when to do it.
He was at Dunkirk and saw the dive bomber that destroyed the ship his father was on. After that he joined the Airborne and jumped in every major battle. At Sicily he was on a towed glider and when the flack started the tow pilots just cut them loose and they landed in the water. They just climbed out on the wing and were watching the show on shore until someone lit up a cigarette. That brought all the attention to them.
When he was captured, he was scheduled to be executed for stealing potatoes from the German garden, but the war ended the morning of the execution.
What I learned from him is an attitude about life. He lived through and saw unimaginable horrors, but was the most positive, happy person I've ever met. A joy to be around. BTW he always said that he wished his part was played by Robert Redford.
