No more so than being in the first waves to hit Omaha Beach.
I highly recommend this book: http://www.amazon.com/Knight-Medieval-Warriors-Unofficial-Manuals/dp/0500251606/ref=pd_sim_b_4. Quite a bit in it on siege warfare.
It is said that at San Juan Hill, Teddy Roosevelt did not order, “Charge!” but said, “Follow me!”
I believe that is the required reference to the film The Princess Bride. 
Forlorn Hope, for an example of how assualts were seen.
I think Louis XIV personally led one such assualt at Maastrict.
The only achievement I want is a long life.
The key point being, I think, that the first men over the wall are almost always volunteers. Very few smart commanders *force *their men into near-certain death.
More accuratly no successful commanders.
Human psychology is funny. Order a man to sacrifice his life, and he’ll tell you to go pound sand. Stand up in front of a group of men and ask for a volunteer to sacrifice his life, and the same guy might very well step forward with a smile on his face. Say “I’m going to sacrifice my life - who’s with me?” and they’ll all come.
Incidentally, at Omaha beach you had one experienced division the 1st and one green one, the 29th, the later made a nice meal of the whole thing. So not really an example Alessen, 