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D-Day was the greatest sea-born invasion in history, but airborne forces played a crucial role in the invasion.<ref> Keegan, p. 13</ref> The Allied High Command ordered that British, American and other allied Allied paratroopers be dropped behind the German positions to capture territory and . They also wanted the paratroopers to disrupt the German supply lines and even to cut-off their units on the beaches in Normandy. The film accurately portrays the paratroopers who landed in Normandy by gliders or by parachuting into the area. These men played a crucial role in the success of the Allied landings and displayed incredible bravery.

Many paratroopers were among the first into occupied France and the first to engage the Germans. The film shows correctly how in the early morning of June 6, 1944, the airborne troops of the United States 82nd and 101st US divisions were dropped into Normandy and were parachuted into the wrong place. They ended up miles from their intended target. Many of these airborne troops were killed by German fire before they even landed. The movie shows showed the confusion of units of the 101st Airborne Division when they landed in Sainte-Mère-Eglise. One paratrooper is shown becoming entangled on the church steeple of the Normandy town , and this happened. While others are shown landing directly in the town. This did not happen and most of the paratroopers actually landed outside the towns villages or in gardens.

The movie does over-dramatize the landings in Sainte-Mère-Eglise. The film also shows how dummies made to appear as paratroopers were dropped as part of an elaborate decoy strategy by the allies. This is historically correct , and there was indeed a decoy parachute drop when dummies dressed in American jumpsuits were dropped to fool the Germans.<ref> Ryan, p. 325</ref>.