This was the unit who landed behind German lines on D-Day and fought in Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge. Eisenhower knew exactly what he was doing and wanted to ensure that everyone around the world saw his actions. In the memoir “Little Rock Nine: Struggle for Integration”, Melba Patillo Beals says that “seing that soldier there with that 101st patch, made all the feelings of hatred disappear. That soldier was my guardian angel…”. The soldiers were able to serve as physical protection for the students and even provided a sign of mental relief with the slew of incidents that they faced. The 101st enabled the studetns to safely enter the school where the school principal and teachers were believed to be intimidated enough by the soldiers to protect the students, fearing government retaliation if anything happened to them after the soldiers were to leave (Grey