[Annotator's Note: The video is out of focus.] Leslie Cruise was born in Philadelphia [Annotator's Note: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania] in May 1924. His family broke up because his father lost his job during the Great Depression, so when Cruise was seven years old, he was put in an orphanage. He stayed there for ten years. As he got older, he enjoyed going to the library and reading about World War 1. He did not enjoy high school and was a bit of a rebel, so he decided to go to trade school in Lancaster [Annotator's Note: Lancaster, Pennsylvania] in fall of 1941. Everything changed, however, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. As he saw all the men in his class leave and join the service, he felt that he wanted to be part of the fight as well. In the summer of 1942, he attempted to enlist in the Army Air Corps because he wanted to fly. During the testing he found out he was color blind and was denied entry. He later tried to enlist in the Navy and Marines, but also was denied because he was color blind. He decided to go to work for the summer, but when Fall rolled around he went to the draft board and was again denied. He went back to school where he wrestled and played football. Finally, in January 1943, he went back to the draft board and they relented. They signed him up and he was sworn into the Army.

Leslie Cruise and 200 new soldiers were shipped out to New Cumberland [Annotator's Note: New Cumberland, Pennsylvania]. While there, he wanted to volunteer for the paratroopers, but he was denied and was, instead, shipped to Paris, Tennessee for basic training. Once he completed his basic training, he was sent to a communication school. He learned how to set up a telephone, run switch boards, and climb poles. After completing communication school, he went to visit his father, who was a World War 1 veteran, in Dallas, Texas. When he returned to base, he saw an announcement on the bulletin board asking for paratroopers. He signed up. He and some other soldiers were sent to Fort Benning, Georgia in July [Annotator's Note: 1943]. He received further training in infantry which included combat and marksmanship. When he graduated, he was assigned to the 541st Parachute Infantry Regiment [Annotator's Note: 541st Parachute Infantry Regiment (separate)]. He was then sent to jump school where he jumped out of mockup planes and off a 34 foot tower. He ran all over the base, running up and down the hills. He thought the training was rough when they had to jump out of the towers. When he first jumped out of an airplane, he recalled he had to pack up his chute [Annotator's Note: parachute]. He was loaded as the last person on the plane and realized that he would be the first to jump. As the plane took off, he looked through the open door and could see the ground below him. He heard "Stand up and hook on!" He did that, waited for the signal, and then jumped out. Everything went like he trained; the parachute opened and he landed without a problem. He continued to practice jumping out of planes and became comfortable with the routine. He passed all his tests and was sent to Camp Mackall [Annotator's Note: Camp Mackall, North Carolina] in January [Annotator's Note: January 1944] and performed maneuver training. The weather was bad. Cruise remarked that it was cold and snowy; and it was a mess. Once he completed training at Camp Mackall, the Army broke up the regiment and sent him to Camp Shanks [Annotator's Note: in Orangetown, New York] and then overseas. He landed in Belfast [Annotator's Note: Belfast, Ireland]. Cruise thought the countryside was beautiful. He continued to train while in Ireland, but did no jumps. He was then assigned to the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment [Annotator's Note: Company H, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division].

[Annotator's Note: The video is out of focus and Leslie Cruise continuously refers to a book that he has off camera.] After Leslie Cruise joined the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division [Annotator's Note: Company H, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division], the unit was shipped to Ireland and then to England. They lived in Quonset huts [Annotator's Note: prefabricated metal building]. Cruise continuously missed chances for jump training, which eventually caught up to him. He finally went out for a jump after his commanding officer realized he had not had enough practice. Cruise remained friends with many of the men that he trained with and respected the veteran soldiers and the wisdom they gave him along the way. One of his closest friends, and who saved his life during one point in the war, was a Catholic Mexican. Cruise said that he always prayed his rosary every night, and no one made fun of him for doing it. Cruise remembers that some of the soldiers were heavy drinkers and were always at the bar on their time off. Just before Memorial Day 1944 [Annotator's Note: 29 May 1944], Cruise and his company were given maps and shown where their drop zones were located on the beaches of Normandy [Annotator's Note: Normandy, France]. They finally got word that they were going to go on their mission on the morning of 5 June 1944. Then they heard that the mission was called off due to the weather. The next day, the mission was on. Cruise reads out what the chaplain said to his company before they departed for the Normandy mission. [Annotator's Note: Cruise begins to cry as he reads the prayer.] Cruise took this prayer to heart because he grew up as a Christian and learned the books of the Bible. It was also a wake up call for him. He knew that what he had to do in this war had to be done.

[Annotator's Note: The video is out of focus and Leslie Cruise continuously refers to a book that he has off camera.] Cruise and his unit [Annotator's Note: Company H, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division] were assigned to take Sainte-Mere-Eglise [Annotator's Note: Sainte-Mère Église, France] to block the main road from Paris [Annotator's Note: Paris, France]. As his plane neared the coast of France, he could see fire bursts in the air. The plane was rocking back and forth. As soon as they received the jump signal, everyone is yelling "lets go" because everyone wants to get out of the plane. There were about 20 guys that jumped from the plane in full gear. Along with his equipment and rations, Cruise carried his new testament [Annotator's Note: New Testament, Holy Bible] that his mother had given him. As he landed in France, guys landed on top of each other. As soon as he made it to the ground, he put his rifle together. It did not take long for his company to assemble and to advance down the road. They found a shortcut into the town after talking to a Frenchmen. Cruise and his company were given orders to begin blocking the road, while other companies went into town to move the Germans out. After the war, Cruise learned that some of the men in his regiment were taken prisoner after they were dropped 30 miles away from their target area. He explains that those soldiers had a horrible experience in camp and the Russians liberated them. They were on their own and somehow managed to get home. After Cruise's unit secured Sainte-Mere-Eglise, they were ordered to meet up with the beach force 12 hours after landing. Cruise had no idea what was going on at Omaha Beach [Annotator's Note: Omaha Beach, Normandy, France]. Finally, on 8 June 1944, the 4th Infantry Division arrived to meet them. Cruise was put on patrol to look for stragglers. On this mission he found many dead bodies, both Americans and Germans. He also met some other men from various regiments holding bridges and roads. When he reported back to headquarters, he was given a night to sleep before returning to his company.

[Annotator's Note: Leslie Cruise continuously refers to a book that he has on his lap.] Leslie Cruise remarks that during the invasion of Normandy [Annotator's Note: D-Day; the Allied invasion of Normandy, France on 6 June 1944] they received a lot of artillery and mortar fire which killed one of his friends on 7 June 1944. After his friend was hit by a shell, Cruise stayed with him until a medic arrived. He then went to a roadblock he was ordered to keep secured. He learned later that his friend did not make it. While he was guarding the roadblock, shells were landing all around him. He covered himself in a small trench. Sleep was hard to come by. He would roll up in his parachute and sleep for a couple of hours at a time. The weather was bad making the missions more difficult to accomplish. Cruise and his unit [Annotator's Note: Company H, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division] moved westward toward Cherbourg [Annotator's Note: Cherbourg, France] to secure the port. His company then advanced to take several towns and met artillery fire. Cruise wrote a letter to his mother telling her that when he returns home, he wants to pursue architecture, which he did. He believes fully that the Lord guided him through combat and that is why he survived. After 10 June, Cruise's unit was pulled off the line as the 8th Infantry Division advanced forward. They were transported back to the beach and were given the opportunity to take showers and receive new uniforms. Cruise boarded an LST [Annotator's Note: Landing Ship, Tank] which took him back to England. After resting for a few days at camp, he could visit the town. Cruise recalls that the British civilians treated the Americans well. He would go to church sometimes and a family would invite him over for a meal. [Annotator's Note: The interviewer asks Cruise if he would like to take a quick break. He agrees and shows the interviewer some photographs.]

[Annotator's Note: Leslie Cruise continuously refers to a book that he has on his lap.] After the invasion of Normandy [Annotator's Note: D-Day; the Allied invasion of Normandy, France on 6 June 1944], Cruise returned to England and took a furlough [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time] by himself. He traveled to Birmingham, England and stayed in a Flak House [Annotator's Note: a designated rest home for American airmen who required downtime after flying a number of combat missions]. He decided to buy a pocket watch from a jewelry store. He then traveled to Coventry [Annotators Note: Coventry, England] because he wanted to see how badly the town had been bombed. When he arrived, he saw rows of houses completely leveled. He continued to wander around the countryside of England for the rest of his furlough. When he returned to base in late July 1944, he began training for his next mission. Once a week they would go out to the airport with all their gear and do a practice jump at night. One practice jump was a disaster for a couple of men. They jumped in foggy weather and hit the propeller of the plane killing them. One day, he and his unit [Annotator's Note: Company H, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division] were told that they were dropping in Belgium, but the mission was abruptly cancelled because the enemy had a stronghold in that area.

[Annotator's Note: Leslie Cruise continuously refers to a book that he has on his lap.] Sometime in September 1944, Leslie Cruise, and his unit [Annotator's Note: Company H, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division] received a combat mission in Holland. This was short notice, so they prepared as fast as they could, gathering all their equipment. Cruise drove in a British bus to the airport where they were given the details of their mission. The regiment's objective was to secure the bridges in Nijmegen [Annotator's Note: Nijmegen, Netherlands]. Cruise did not like the idea of jumping in a combat zone in the middle of the day, but these were the orders. He remembers seeing all these planes take off and the noise was loud. He could see the rough North Sea below him after they moved out of the English fog. He was the second man to jump and was assigned to carry the telephone. After his unit was given the green light, Cruise jumped out of the plane. As he neared the ground, he saw people running around. He realized it was Dutch citizens coming out to greet them. Cruise landed in a field with great ease and got his gear together. As the unit reformed, they marched into town. The townspeople cheered for them. Cruise realized these people felt liberated. [Annotator's Note: Cruise tears up.] Although his regiment was successful in their mission to secure the bridges, other regiments failed. The Germans overran the Americans and broke the Allies' lines. The Allies had no communication. Cruise went out to find the wire so he could fix it. Once he repaired the line, he hooked a telephone on the wire so he could communicate with his superiors. Cruise was discontent with the action of his commanding officer. He refused to go out to the front and check on the troops. Instead, he would send Cruise or other soldiers to do it. After the Nijmegen Bridge was taken, Cruise fought with his commanding officer who ordered Cruise to dig a foxhole for him. Cruise refused and the lieutenant reported him to their captain. The captain already had plans to dismiss the lieutenant because he heard that most of the troops did not like him. Cruise transferred to the 2nd Platoon sometime in October 1944 and was assigned to the mortar squad. He was also assigned to guard an outpost every night. Their objective was to fire mortar rounds in the direction of the Germans during the night. Cruise wrote a letter to him mother telling her that he would like to pursue architecture when he returned home. His regiment was relieved from their mission by the Canadian Army at the end of November 1944. Cruise and his unit moved back in from the front lines and camped outside of town for a couple of nights while they waited for transportation. A couple of Dutch teenagers asked them to come back to their family's home to meet their parents. They had a good time-sharing stories and food with them. Cruise and his friends returned to camp and the next day loaded onto trucks to go to France.

[Annotator's Note: Leslie Cruise continually refers to a book that he has off camera.] During Operation Market Garden [Annotator's Note: Operation Market Garden, Netherlands, 17 to 25 September 1944], Leslie Cruise, and his unit [Annotator's Note: Company H, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division] sometimes camped in the wooded area off the line. One night, he warmed a can of corn over a fire. He waited too long to remove the can and the contents blew up all over him. Another time he lost his pocket watch. Cruise's unit was transported to Reims, France when they were relieved from their mission in the Netherlands. They rested there for a short period, but were ordered to go to the front in Belgium when the Germans broke through the line. At one o'clock in the morning of 18 of December 1944, Cruise recalls grabbing all the equipment and clothing he had. No new equipment or clothing were issued to him or his unit. They were transported by truck, moving through old battle grounds, taking detours, and crossing water on pontoon bridges. They made their way to the front late in the day. [Annotator's Note: Cruise explains the position of the Allies and the Germans using a book off camera.] Cruise's unit got into excellent positions but then was ordered to move back. The troops were not happy about that and when they had to advance forward it took them a week to get to their original position, losing plenty of men. Cruise lost several friends during the Battle of the Bulge [Annotator's Note: Battle of the Bulge or German Ardennes Counter Offensive, 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945], and he wounded his hand during an artillery fight. Because there were so many wounded men, the medical professionals told Cruise he had to wait. He was loaded on a train the next morning and taken to a hospital in Paris [Annotator's Note: Paris, France]. He was assigned to a bed and went to sleep, but no one had looked at his hand. The next morning, he was put on another train and sent to a General Field Hospital in Le Mans, France. A nurse removed all the old bandages from the combat field. [Annotator's Note: Cruise gets emotional.] The nurse and a doctor examined his hand and put a cast on it, leaving the shrapnel in his hand. He was eventually sent back to England and assigned to another hospital.

[Annotator's Note: Leslie Cruise continually refers to a book that he has off camera.] During the Battle of the Bulge [Annotator's Note: Battle of the Bulge or German Ardennes Counter Offensive, 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945], Leslie Cruise's hand was injured from artillery fire. His friend, Roy Bond, was killed. He remembers a time when he and Bond were fashioned a shower with hot water in a cellar of a house. Cruise was sent to a hospital in England. He learned that his regiment [Annotator's Note: Cruise was a member of Company H, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division] crossed the Elbe River [Annotator's Note: near Bleckede, Germany on 2 May 1945] and hundreds of German soldiers surrendered to them. Cruise went back to the United States and was stationed at Camp Shanks [Annotator's Note: in Orangetown, New York]. He and two other buddies went out to town, met a few girls, and treated them to dinner. Cruise went to a hospital in West Virginia where they operated on his hand. He met several other men with appendage wounds. He was discharged and received several awards for his service. On the 60th anniversary of D-Day [Annotator's Note: D-Day; the Allied invasion of Normandy, France on 6 June 1944], he returned with his family, which was a very emotional experience. In the winter of 1946, his division was honored in a Victory parade in New York [Annotator's Note: New York, New York]. [Annotator's Note: Cruise explains various pictures in a book he is holding off camera.]