Download or read book Parachute Infantry written by David Kenyon Webster and published by LSU Press. This book was released on 1994-04-01 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An English literature major at Harvard with a talent for writing, twenty-one-year-old David Kenyon Webster volunteered for duty in the U.S. Army’s parachute infantry in 1943 with the aim of seeing combat first-hand and then describing his experiences. His introduction to warfare came at the invasion of Normandy on D-Day in 1944. Webster went on to see considerable action in the next two years, serving as a combat infantryman in the campaign through northwest Europe, during which he was twice wounded. He wrote Parachute Infantry a short time after the war, relying on his letters home and recollections he penned right after his discharge, making his memoir much closer to the war than most such works. With its abundant dialogue, charged descriptions of places and events, and skillful evocation of emotions, Webster’s narrative resonates with the immediacy of a gripping novel. The memoir is divided into several episodes. The first takes place in May and June of 1944 and provides a detailed, suspenseful account of Webster’s participation in the events of D-Day. The next covers several days in September, 1944, when Webster parachuted into Holland and then as part of a group of soldiers advanced through small towns, freeing them as the Germans retreated, until he was shot in the leg and forced to leave his unit. The narrative then picks up in February, 1945, after Webster has returned to his unit, and describes several weeks near the end of the war in Europe, when German resistance was still strong but weakening. Then comes the Allied victory in 1945. We see Webster’s platoon arriving at Berchtes gaden (Hilter’s vacation retreat in the Alps) right before V-E Day and the celebrations and lax discipline that followed the final collapse of the Third Reich. In the last section of the book, Webster recalls the monotonous routine of occupation duty, concluding with his return to the States in early 1946 to be discharged. Stephen E. Ambrose introduces Parachute Infantry, pointing out as two important strengths Webster’s honesty and his ability to describe so well his fellow soldiers—men he never would have known or associated with in civilian life but with whom he developed the strongest bonds during his wartime experience. Parachute Infantry proves to be a riveting account of a young soldier’s experience of war.
Download or read book Parachute Infantry written by David Webster and published by Random House. This book was released on 2014-05-08 with total page 480 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Paratrooper David Kenyon Webster jumped into the chaos of occupied Europe on D-Day, fighting his way through Holland and finally capturing Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. He was the only member of Easy Company to write down his experiences as soon as he came home from war. Webster records with visceral and sometimes brutal detail what it is like to take a bullet in the leg, to fight pitched battles capturing enemy towns, and to endure long periods of boredom punctuated by sudden moments of terror. But most of all, Parachute Infantry shows how a group of comrades entered the furnace of war and came out brothers.
Download or read book US World War II Parachute Infantry Regiments written by Gordon L. Rottman and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2014-01-20 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The parachute infantry regiments were among the most highly decorated US Army units of World War II, and between them they saw action right across the world. The elite nature of these units led to them being committed to action not only in the way that had been intended; their quality tempted commanders to keep them in the line longer than their light armament justified, and they were tested to the limit. This engaging study traces the story of each of the 17 regiments, from their creation and training in the USA, through their deployments overseas, to their combat jumps and all their battles. The book is illustrated with wartime photographs, many previously unpublished, and eight full-colour plates detailing the specifics of their uniforms, insignia, and equipment practices, which often differed from unit to unit.
Download or read book Myth and Maneater written by David Kenyon Webster and published by . This book was released on 1963 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Parachute Infantry written by David Webster and published by Dell. This book was released on 2011-10-12 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: David Kenyon Webster’s memoir is a clear-eyed, emotionally charged chronicle of youth, camaraderie, and the chaos of war. Relying on his own letters home and recollections he penned just after his discharge, Webster gives a first hand account of life in E Company, 101st Airborne Division, crafting a memoir that resonates with the immediacy of a gripping novel. From the beaches of Normandy to the blood-dimmed battlefields of Holland, here are acts of courage and cowardice, moments of irritating boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror, and pitched urban warfare. Offering a remarkable snapshot of what it was like to enter Germany in the last days of World War II, Webster presents a vivid, varied cast of young paratroopers from all walks of life, and unforgettable glimpses of enemy soldiers and hapless civilians caught up in the melee. Parachute Infantry is at once harsh and moving, boisterous and tragic, and stands today as an unsurpassed chronicle of war—how men fight it, survive it, and remember it. NOTE: This edition does not include photos.
Download or read book Four Stars of Valor written by Phil Nordyke and published by Quarto Publishing Group USA. This book was released on 2010-11-12 with total page 495 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hailing from the big cities and small towns of America, these young men came together to serve their country and the greater good. They were the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division (the All Americans). Phil Nordyke, their official historian, draws on interviews with surviving veterans and oral history recordings as well as official archives and unpublished written accounts from more than three hundred veterans of the 505th PIR and their supporting units. This is history as it was lived by the men of the 505th, from their prewar coming of age in the regiment, through the end of World War II, when they marched in the Victory Parade up Fifth Avenue in New York, to the postwar legacy of having been part of an elite parachute regiment with a record unsurpassed in the annals of combat.
Download or read book To D Day and Back written by Bob Bearden and published by Zenith Press. This book was released on 2007-10-15 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the predawn hours of D-Day, June 6, 1944, which would become immortalized as the Longest Day, Bob Bearden and his comrades in the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment jumped into the inky skies over Normandy. Their mission: defend the west bank of the Merderet River against German counterattack. After long months of training they were finally taking the war to the Germans. Beardens time in combat proved shortlived, however, when he was captured on D+2, June 8. This was only the beginning of a new war for his very survival through multiple German POW camps and ultimately on an epic journey that would take him largely on foot all the way to Moscow on his journey home, all of which makes for exciting reading in this remarkable memoir.
Download or read book Deliver Us From Darkness written by Ian Gardner and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-04-20 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This follow-up to Tonight We Die As Men continues the story of the 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division as they dropped into Holland as part of Operation Market Garden. The following 72-day campaign saw the 506PIR constantly on the move, defending various transport hubs around Eindhoven, desperately trying to keep open 'Hell's Highway'. From there, the airborne troopers moved north to near Arnhem where they took a new position around Betuwe. For two months, the Americans battled against German tanks, constant artillery barrages and driving rain and they grimly held their ground, until the Germans finally abandoned the effort. Written with the help and input from numerous veterans, this book tells the complete story of many of America's best soldiers as they fought and died in Holland.
Download or read book Spearhead of the Fifth Army written by Frank van Lunteren and published by Casemate. This book was released on 2016-08-19 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “An excellent read for anyone interested in men at war, as well as for students of the airborne operations, the Italian Campaign, and the war in Europe” (The NYMAS Review). Upon the completion of the Sicily and Salerno Campaigns in 1943, the paratroopers of Col. Reuben Tucker’s 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment were among the first Allied troops to enter Naples—a ghost town at first sight. The residents soon expressed their joy at being liberated. Four weeks later, the 504th—upon the special request of Gen. Mark Clark—spearheaded Fifth Army’s drive through the notorious Volturno Valley—the Germans’ next stand. January 1944 seemed to promise a period of rest, but the landing at Anzio meant deployment for the paratroopers again, this time by ship. A bombing raid during their beach landing was a forecast of eight weeks of bitter fighting. Holding the right flank of the beachhead along the Mussolini Canal, the paratroopers earned their nickname “Devils in Baggy Pants” for their frontline incursions into enemy lines, as well as their stubborn defense of the Allied salient. In this work, H Company’s attachment to the British 5th Grenadier Guards—and the Victoria Cross action of Maj. William Sidney—are painted in comprehensive light for the first time. The story of honorary member of the 504th PIR, Italian veteran Antonio Taurelli, is also included. Using war diaries, personal journals, letters, and interviews with nearly eighty veterans, an up-close view of the 504th PIR in the Fifth Army’s Italy Campaign is here in unsurpassed detail. From the author of two previous works on the 504th PIR, The Battle of the Bridges and Blocking Kampfgruppe Peiper, this book shows that the Italian theater was second to none in terms of grueling combat, courage against formidable odds, and an extremely expert enemy.
Download or read book Fighting Fox Company written by Terry Poyser and published by Casemate. This book was released on 2014-01-19 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Intense . . . anyone familiar with the Band of Brothers story will want to read this book” (Military Review). Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division has become one of the most famous small units in US history. But fewer people are aware of Fox Company of that same regiment—the men who fought alongside Easy Company through every step of the war in Europe, and who had their own stories to tell. WWII vet Bill Brown decided to research the fate of a childhood friend who had served in Fox Company. Along the way, he met Terry Poyser, who was on a similar mission to research the combat death of a Fox Company man from his hometown. Together, the two authors proceeded to locate and interview every surviving Fox Company vet they could find. The ultimate result was this book, a decade in the making, offering a wealth of fascinating firsthand accounts of WWII combat as well as new perspectives on Dick Winters and others of the “Band.” Told primarily through the words of participants, Fighting Fox Company takes us through some of the most horrific close-in fighting of the war, beginning with the chaotic nocturnal paratrooper drop on D-Day. After fighting through Normandy, the drop into Holland saw prolonged, ferocious combat and even more casualties; and then during the Battle of the Bulge, Fox Company took its place in line at Bastogne during one of the most heroic against-all-odds stands in US history. As always in combat, each man’s experience is different, and the nature of the German enemy is seen here in its equally various aspects. From ruthless SS fighters to meek Volkssturm to simply expert modern fighters, the Screaming Eagles encountered the full gamut of the Wehrmacht. The work is also accompanied by rare photos and useful appendices, including rosters and lists of casualties, to give the full look at Fox Company that has long been overdue.
Download or read book History of the 508th Parachute Infantry written by William G. Lord II and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2018-12-01 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment was an airborne infantry regiment of the United States Army, first formed in October 1942 during World War II at Camp Blanding, Florida by Lieutenant-Colonel Roy E. Lindquist, who would remain its commander throughout the war. The 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment participated in Operation Overlord, jumping into Normandy at 2:15 a.m. on 6 June 1944, and was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for its gallantry and combat action during the first three days of fighting. The Regiment also saw active service in Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands, jumping on 17 September 1944, and continued fighting the Germans in the longest-running battle on German soil ever fought by the U.S. Army, before crossing the border into Belgium. They played a major part in the Battle of the Bulge in late December 1944, during which they screened the withdrawal of some 20,000 troops from St. Vith, defended their positions against the German Panzer divisions, and participated in the assault led by the 2nd Ranger Battalion to capture (successfully) Hill 400. U.S. D-Day paratrooper William G. Lord II’s History of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which was originally published in 1948, provides an extensive and fascinating chronicle for the period from October 20, 1942 to January 1, 1946, and will appeal to discerning World War II historians and scholars alike. Richly illustrated throughout with photographs and maps, this volume also includes in its appendix a list of combat awards, unit citations, and battle casualties.
Download or read book Tonight We Die As Men written by Ian Gardner and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2011-07-20 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The gripping story of the men of 3rd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, the comrades of the Band of Brothers, from their formation through the D-Day landings and beyond, in their own words. The exploits of the 3rd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment have long been overshadowed by those of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion. Yet the actions of the 3rd Battalion during the D-Day landings were every bit as incredible. This is the astounding story of how, after suffering many immediate casualties on landing, the surviving paratroopers fought on towards their objective against horrendous odds. Using fascinating first-hand accounts of the soldiers and the French civilians who witnessed the Normandy campaign, and illustrated with black and white photographs and maps throughout, the authors offer a unique and comprehensive account of the experiences of the 3rd Battalion from training through to D-Day and beyond.
Download or read book 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment written by Dominique Francois and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2010-08-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Part of the 82nd Airborne Division, the 507 Parachute Infantry Regiment was tasked with seizing bridges over the River Merderet on D Day.This large format colorfully illustrated new book gives a detailed history of 507 PIR for the first time. It draws particularly on the recollections of veterans of the regiment, together with many photographs published here for the first time. The 507 PIR's heroic engagements from Normandy, to the Ardennes and finally to the battle of the Ruhr Pocket are all covered in great detail.
Download or read book Down to Earth written by Martin K. A. Morgan and published by Schiffer Publishing. This book was released on 2004-06-22 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the early morning hours of D-Day, 2,004 paratroopers of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment jumped into Normandy as a part of the famous 82nd Airborne Division. After a widely scattered drop, the regiment then struggled in the marshes and hedgerows of the Cotentin Peninsula in battles at places with names like Chef-du-Pont, Cauquigny, La Fière and Graignes. During the regiment's time in Normandy, the hardships were many and the casualties were high. Out of the 2,004 men that jumped on June 6th, only 700 returned to England thirty-five days later. Down To Earth tells the story of those thirty-five days. Drawing on extensive oral history interviews with veterans of the regiment, Down To Earth focuses on the experiences of those who fought for the 507th during its baptism of fire. Complimenting the text, Down To Earth also features over 350 black and white and 100 color photographs, as well as detailed maps.
Download or read book Put Us Down in Hell written by Phil Nordyke and published by . This book was released on 2012-08-29 with total page 588 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents a comprehensive history of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, an elite regiment attached to the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II.
Download or read book Easy Company written by Jake Powers and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Paratrooper My Life with the 101st Airborne Division written by Michael B. Kitz-Miller and published by Page Publishing Inc. This book was released on 2015-08-17 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Paratrooper is the autobiography of a young man’s time with the famed 101st Airborne Division “Screaming Eagles.” With not the finances to finish his senior year in college and a looming draft, it leads to his enlisting in the U.S. Army. With thoughts of Officer’s Candidate School, Private Michael B. Kitz-Miller heads for a newly designed Basic Training course for soldiers planning to attend Airborne School. High performance results in Leadership School and Acting Sergeant in Advanced Infantry School. At Airborne School he is a runner-up for Honor Graduate from his original class of 1,000 soldiers. Finally, the new paratrooper boards a bus for Ft. Campbell and the 101st. His first job is as an M-60 machine gunner, scoring expert his first time on the weapons range. Numerous operations follow – Cold Eagle, Swift Strike II, Desert Strike and the surprise Operation Delawar, jumping into Iran in 1964 as part of the U.S. STRIKE Command. All produce commendations and after winning the Division Soldier-of-the-Month competition a promotion to Sergeant. He soon becomes part of the Battalion Mountaineering cadre. The rigors of Recondo School and its incredible 35 percent graduation rate follow, offering a shot at Honor Graduate. Having won Battalion and Brigade competitions, the young paratrooper enters and finds himself a finalist in the Division’s Soldier-of-the-Year competition. Tough career decisions follow. The story ends with Sergeant Kitz-Miller’s opportunity, 50 years later to compare key issues that confronted him as a soldier with those of today. The evaluation of Officers and NCOs, leadership and mentoring are but a few. His final chapters on Just War Theory and current Rules of Engagement provide provocative ideas about how to address our current policies on terrorist states. Above all, it is the story of a very successful Paratrooper that loved the Airborne Infantry.
