In this oral history, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Erwin Bigger traces his military career from his basic training to combat in World War II and Korea. His discussion of World War II provides the researcher with an account of the life of a member one of the first parachute regiments in the United States military. Bigger focuses specifically on jumps he made in the Italian theater (including Sicily), which he considers comparable to if not more dangerous than the Invasion of Normandy. Bigger's discussion of the Korean War includes an account of the capture of Hill 1221 and the landing at Inchon. Bigger suffered several injuries while serving in Korea, but they seem minor compared to the wounds he describes avoiding through luck or skill during his combat service.