10 MAXIMUMPC november 2007
reviews Tes Ted. Reviewed. veRdic Tized
Dear Mom and Dad,
I signed on with the 82nd Airborne
because it promised that its new approach
to fighting the war would be the best way
to serve my country in this terrible crisis.
It’s been a tough three years over here in
Europe, but the Airborne has proved that it
can take the good fight for freedom to new
heights. Over the last six operations in my
tour, I’ve really done my part to stop Jerry!
Before I jumped out of a C-47 for the
first time over Italy, I had some serious
doubts about being a paratrooper. I had
heard the horror stories from the battle-
field—this seemingly never-ending war has
worn down many good soldiers who are
now just sick of the constant stress of battle.
Thankfully, from the moment I jumped out
of that plane, I was engaged in one of the
most intense adventures of my life. Dropping
onto a rooftop in the village of Adanti, I was
overzealous and botched my first landing.
Luckily, none of the Italian Blackshirts saw
me, and I quickly took out several enemy
defensive positions.
After meeting up with some fellow para-
troopers, we stormed the mayor’s residence
from the rear to seize control of the build-
ing and demolish some antiaircraft guns. I
then led the way to other objectives, facing
stiff resistance from Ratzi soldiers along theway. Even though I chose this sequence of
attack, I had the freedom to carry out my
directives in any order. It’s also reassuring to
know that if I am ever taken out of commis-
sion in battle, another eager soldier will be
ready to parachute down and take my place
to continue the fight.
Some of the more difficult skirmishes
came in later missions, such as Operation
Neptune. By then, we had moved up
through Italy to France, where we sup-
ported the invasion of Normandy with an
inland assault. The Nazis we faced were
smarter here, working together to flank
our sides and falling back to new cover
positions whenever we pushed too close.
They’d jump through windows and blind-
fire over sandbags to counter our attack,
often with such fluidity and gritty determi-
nation that I couldn’t help but admire their
resolve. That isn’t to
say all the foot sol-
diers we fought were
well trained. Looks
like Hitler recruited
some numbskulls
as well—idiots who
would repeatedly
run to stationary
MG42 machine guns
while I sniped them
from afar.
I also want to let
you know that the
military has recog-
nized our efforts,
rewarding us with
a steady flow ofweapon upgrades. My trusty Thompson
submachine gun is now outfitted with
three improvements, decreased recoil, a
larger magazine drum, and a pistol grip for
increased accuracy. Earning these improve-
ments through proficient use of my weapons
felt gratifying, and the extra boost definitely
helped when I was sent to assault a mon-
strous flak tower. We lost a lot of men in this
brutal mission, many of whom died at the
hands of the MG42-wielding Nazi elites.
But now that my tour of duty is com-
plete, I feel I could’ve done more. My six
missions were challenging, but they flew by.
Of course, I can always practice airdrops
with other members of the Airborne in simu-
lated war games, but the 12-person par-
ticipant limit is a little disappointing. I know
this is a terrible thing to say, but sometimes,
I wish the war wasn’t over. Being a part of
the Airborne has brought an exciting new
dimension to combat, making me often wish
I was back on the front lines.
Your loving son,
Boyd Travers
—NormaN chaNMedal of
Honor:
Airborne
It’s raining soldiers
Getting the drop on enemies isn’t always easy. Troops evaluate their situation and fall
back to new positions if necessary.Taking out pillboxes overlooking the beaches of Normandy was
one of our favorite missions. $50, http://www.ea.com/moh, ESRB: Tmedal of honor: airborneGreased laNdi NG
Parachuting into battles
grants more freedom and
adds verticality to combat.boTched laNdi NG9
The six missions are over too
quickly, and the AI is inconsistent.