 The ferocious final briefing on the day before by Colonel Howard Skeets Johnson of the 501st Airborne, which he concluded by whipping out his jump knife, brandishing it above his head and screaming, I swear to you, I swear to you that before tomorrow night, this knife will be buried in the back of the blackest German in Normandy. I assume that means the evilest German in Normandy. Yeah, yeah, clearly. That's a way to fire up your troops.