Ernest R. Blanchard was a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division in World War II. He survived four combat parachute jumps, as well as combat duty in North Africa and the Battle of the Bulge.

This is a blog dedicated to him, and the ongoing work of writing a book about him: Where Dad Dropped In.

He participated in what is perhaps the most famous parachute jump, ever, the planeload of troops that dropped directly into the village of Ste. Mere Eglise, Normandy, France on June 6th, 1944; D-Day.

Here is a list of the men that jumped from the plane that night:

Company F 2nd Platoon Mortar Squad 6 June 1944
1. Lt. Cadish asn 0-1321274  KIA  6 June 1944 (shot on pole)
2. Sgt. John Ray  asn 34005401  DOW 7 June 1944 (shot in square)
3. Sgt. Edward White  asn  38086247  KIA 6 June 1944
4. Corp. Vernon Francisco  asn 12172603  KIA 3 Jan. 1945  The Bulge
5. Pfc. Charles Blankenship  asn 14021124 KIA  6 June 1944 (shot in same tree as Dad)
6. Pfc. Clifford Maughan  asn 31979546  survived WWII (landed in garden, taken prisoner)
7. Pfc. Penrose Shearer  asn  13067200  KIA  6 June 1944
8. Pfc. Alfred Van Holsbeck asn 15098699 KIA 8 June 1944 (Fell into burning house?)
9. Pfc. Ernest Blanchard  asn 31196873  survived WWII
10. Pvt. H.T. Bryant  asn 38476694  KIA 6 June 1944 (shot on pole)
11. Pvt. Phillip Lynch  asn 393121178  KIA 13 Jan. 1945  The Bulge
12. Pvt. Kenneth Russell  asn 34375469  survived WWII  landed on the 
church roof-escaped
13. Pvt. John Steele  asn 16054501 survived WWII landed of roof wounded 
but escaped
14. Pvt. Ladishaw Tlapa  asn 36636766  KIA 6 June 1944 (shot on pole)
15. Pvt Steven Epps  asn 14201815 survived WWII