“We Were Always Surrounded”: Glider Infantry in Europe

Joe Pisano was born in Brooklyn but grew up in Queens. He was inducted into the Army on December 7, 1942, a year after Pearl Harbor. After basic training at Ft. Jackson, he volunteered to be a paratrooper, but was instead assigned to glider training. In October, 1943, he deployed to England to begin preparations for D-Day. Due to German obstacles emplaced on the landing zones in France, his regiment, the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, was assigned to make an amphibious landing during the D-Day assault. After D-Day, Joe Pisano also participated in operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge. In this interview, he describes his training for making glider landings. He also discusses his experiences on D-Day, in Holland during Market Garden, and at the Battle of the Bulge. Finally, he talks about being at Hitler’s “Eagle’s Nest,” and liberating a concentration camp.