Reliving "The Longest Day" Trivia Quiz

Answer: LTC Benjamin Vandervoort

All four of these individuals took part in the Normandy landing. Vandervoort was the Commander of the 2nd Battalion, 505 PIR of the 82nd Airborne. General Ridgeway described LTC Vandervoort "as one of the bravest and toughest battle commanders I ever knew".

Charlton Heston wanted to play the role of Vandervoort, but Wayne decided to take the role at the last minute.

Answer: 29th Division

Gen. Cota was the Assistant Division Commander of the 29th Division. He landed on Omaha Beach on the second wave with the 116th Infantry Regiment, approximately one hour after H-Hour.

During the confusion on Omaha Beach, Gen Cota asked what outfit it was that was huddled around where he was. The reply was "5th Rangers". Gen. Cota replied, "Rangers lead the way!" Those words became the Ranger's motto.

Answer: Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr.

Roosevelt Jr., was Assistant Division Commander of the 4th Division. His troops landed at the wrong location on D-Day; however he told his staff "We'll start the war from right here."

Gen Roosevelt Jr. died of a heart attack a little more than a month into the invasion.

Answer: He had his personal piper playing the bagpipes.

Lord Lovat's commandos were engaged in the battle at Dieppe. Lord Lovat came ashore with his troops on Sword Beach, being piped ashore by his personal bagpiper Bill Millin.

He did carry his personal Winchester rifle and not a standard issue Enfield .303.

Answer: He got hung up by his parachute on a church spire next to some ringing bells.

In the movie, Pvt Steele was left hanging for several hours before being rescued. In the actual jump he was taken prisoner by the Germans for a little while and later escaped to join his unit.

In the movie, Steele's hanging by the constantly ringing bells, made him deaf, at least temporarily.

The other three events also were presented in the movie. They did actually happen.

Answer: He broke his ankle.

In the movie LTC Vandervoort said that the troops were dropped five miles from their drop zone on the edge of a swamp. He did break his ankle on the jump.

Answer: A toy cricket.

The troops were issued a toy cricket. The sign and countersign was one click of the cricket, to be answered by two clicks of the cricket.

In the movie, a US paratrooper heard a noise. He dropped and gave the one click of cricket sign. He heard two clicks. He jumped up and was shot by a German soldier. As he was dying, he said "I heard two clicks". The German soldier then chambered another round into his rifle and the bolt, loading and locking procedure made two clicking noises.

Answer: Eddie Albert

Eddie Albert played a lot of US army officers during his acting career. He is best known as playing Oliver Douglas on "Green Acres" along side Eva Gabor.

Eddie Albert was a Lieutenant in the US Navy and won the Bronze Star for his actions during the invasion of Tarawa.

Answer: He had his boots on the wrong feet.

This was just about the last scene in the movie. Campbell was wounded in the leg, ripped open from crotch to knee. A medic had come by and given him a shot of morphine and then closed the wound with safety pins.

Burton's character was talking to a lost US paratrooper and said, "He 's dead, I 'm crippled, and you 're lost. I guess it is always like that in war."

Answer: Utah Beach

Roosevelt Jr., was the only general officer going ashore on a Normandy beach on the first wave.

Roosevelt Jr. had to ask by written request to be allowed to go ashore on the first wave on Utah Beach. His request was reluctantly approved by Gen. Barton, who thought Roosevelt would be dead by the end of the day.