I agree that the opening scene is almost certainly unnecessary. Also, the FUBAR scene is most amusing. :)

I visited Normandy in the early summer of 1989. We saw many key locations that I knew from The Longest Day, including Pegasus bridge. Extraordinarily, by sheer coincidence, the real Major Howard who captured and held that bridge was visiting the bridge that day, and agreed to give us all a talk on what took place. An amazing coincidence, and an extraordinary man.