He had shot some footage of a group of American soldiers–inmates at a military prison who were under death sentence for such crimes as murder, rape and mutiny–who were training at a secret location for the D-Day invasion, for which they would be parachuted behind German lines to commit acts of sabotage and assassinations.
Another idea source for Nathanson’s book may have come from future director Russ Meyer, who was at the time a combat cameraman. Members of The Filthy Thirteen can be seen in famous vintage film footage and still photos, their faces painted with Indian “war paint,” before boarding their planes for the D-Day jump.
Nathanson may have gotten the idea for the title (if not the plot) of his best-selling novel from a real-life group of World War II 101st Airborne Division paratroopers nicknamed “The Filthy Thirteen.” These men, demolitionists in Headquarters Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st, supposedly earned their nickname by not bathing or shaving for a long period of time during training prior to the Normandy invasion.
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