Historian Ed Ruggero to discuss invasion of Sicily July 11 in Lewes

Author and historian Ed Ruggero will speak at 6 p.m., Wednesday, July 11, at Lewes Public Library.

July 10, 2018 marks the 75th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Sicily, code-named Operation Husky. In the early morning hours of that long-ago day, 36-year-old Col. Jim Gavin and his 3,400 paratroopers – the spearhead of the American effort – launched the U.S. Army’s first large-scale airborne assault behind enemy lines.

Nearly everything that could go wrong did, yet they accomplished their missions. They succeeded because their young commander had created a combat unit for which there were no precedents and had imbued his citizen soldiers with a keen dedication to their difficult mission. 

Ruggero conducted personal interviews with 150 of these veterans and told their incredible story in his book “Combat Jump: The Young Men Who Led the Assault Into Fortress Europe, July 1943.” Attendees will relive those hours through the veterans’ personal stories as told by Ruggero.

For more information or to register, call 302-645-2733 or go to www.lewes.lib.de.us.