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 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 The 508th Connection written by Zig Boroughs and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2013 with total page 539 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Summary of The 508th Connection by Zig Boroughs When I arrived home after my army discharge in 1945, the challenges of adult civilian life excited me tremendously. I passionately anticipated living as a husband and father, no longer separated by the Atlantic Ocean and a dangerous war from my wife and child. I eagerly plunged into active civilian employment, impatient to establish a career of peaceful service to humanity. Although the experiences and feelings of World War II affected by attitudes and ideals, my energies were so devoted to other interests, the memories of the war years were pushed into an inactive part of my brain. For many years I thought very little about the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and I lost contact with all but one of my paratrooper buddies. Then at 11:00 PM, Christmas Eve 1983, a memory of Christmas Eve 1944 forced its way to the surface. My wife and I were visiting with our daughter, Gini, and her family. We were waiting for our grandchildren to go to bed so that Santa Claus could prepare for Christmas morning. Noticing that it was 11:00 PM, I announced, "Let me tell you what I was doing at this hour thirty-nine years ago!" I told the story "Burial and Birth," which you may read in this volume. When I finished the story, Gini told me, "Dad, you should write this story and send it to all our family members." Once I wrote one story, the dam burst and a floodgate of stories awoke in my memory, which resulted in the book, A Private's Eye View of World War II. Many details had faded with time, and I needed to check with my paratrooper buddies to get my stories straight. Senator Strom Thurman's staff helped me locate Jim Allardyce, secretary of the 508th Parachute Infantry Association. Allardyce provided a roster of the association membership with their addresses. This enabled me to verify or correct my stories, A Private's Eye View of World War II. Other veterans of the 508th began to tell me their stories. Some suggested that I write another book and tell their experiences, which resulted in The Devil's Tale. For over twenty years, I have collected information from others. The most important source of information has come from the 508th veterans. Since I have been associated with the 508th Parachute Infantry Association, I have met hundreds of fellow veterans of the regiment and have listened to their stories. Through the association, I have also met friends of the 508th from England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, and Israel. These friends have also given me valuable information. I have chosen the title The 508th Connection to give credit to all those who have so generously helped as friends and as sources of information. The "connections" are much more than sources for writing a book. They are friends whom I treasure. They are closer than friends. We are family. The 508th Connection tells the stories of the lives of men of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Eighty-second Airborne Division. As you read the stories in The 508th Connection, you will become connected with their lives in the barracks, in the pubs, and on the battlefield. The stories are both entertaining and educational. They will capture your heart, your imagination, and your understanding of what it was like for the paratroopers to live through the horrors of war while keeping their sanity and humor. There are humorous stories, romantic stories, and battle stories, stories about being captured by the enemy. There are stories of men who killed to survive, who lived in foxholes, who helped and were helped by local people. Throughout the book, we connect with the paratroopers who relied on each other for survival. This is their story.
Download or read book The 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment written by Dominique François and published by Editions Heimdal. This book was released on 2003 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following the successof the 507th, here is the story of the airborne 508th PIR packed with color illustrations.This new work is outstanding, with numerous photos of veterans in action and eye-witness accounts covering such areas as training and also key events such as the death of General Falley. This publication follows the paras through Normandy [as far as La Haye du Puits], Holland [Nijmegen] and the Ardennes.
Download or read book History of the 508th Parachute Infantry written by United States. Army. 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment and published by . This book was released on 1948 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Jump Commander written by Mark J. Alexander and published by Casemate. This book was released on 2010-04-19 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The thrilling memoir of the legendary army colonel and paratrooper—the only airborne officer to lead three different battalions into combat during WWII. In his distinguished service during World War II, Col. Mark James Alexander took command of three separate battalions of parachute infantrymen within the 82nd Airborne Division. A legend in his own time, he fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and France. Even after sustaining serious wounds in Normandy, he insisted on playing a role in the Battle of the Bulge. Alexander’s exploits in Italy, from capturing hundreds of prisoners in Sicily to holding ground against German counterattacks in Salerno, won him a reputation known from the lowest private to Airborne generals Gavin and Ridgway. At Normandy, Lt. John “Red Dog” Dolan called him “the finest battalion commander I ever served under,” after witnessing his leadership through the bloody battle for La Fière Bridge and Causeway. This memoir is based on the transcription of hundreds of hours of recorded interviews made by Alexander’s grandson, John Sparry, over a period of years late in his life. Providing valuable insight into the beloved commander who led three of the most storied battalions in the US Army, Jump Commander also contains a wealth of new detail on 82nd Airborne operations and unique insight into some of the most crucial battles in the European Theater.
Download or read book History of the 508th Parachute Infantry written by William G. Lord (II.) and published by . This book was released on 1977 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book All American All the Way written by Phil Nordyke and published by Zenith Press. This book was released on 2010-11-10 with total page 498 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 82nd Airborne Division parachuted into history on 9 July 1943 when they led Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. Less than a year from their formation in August 1942, the All Americans (the name of the division in World War I when Sgt. Alvin York was one its soldiers) found themselves in the thick of the action, something that would become familiar to them for the rest of the war. Heavy combat followed on the Italian mainland. Then came the main event of the war: D-Day!
Download or read book History of the 508th Parachute Infantry written by William G. Lord and published by . This book was released on 1948 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Søgeord: Normandiet ; Holland ; Ardennerne ; Besættelsesstyrke ; Fortjenester ; Æresliste ; Faldskærmssoldater, luftlandetropper.
Download or read book The Battle of the Bridges written by Frank van Lunteren and published by Casemate. This book was released on 2014-06-19 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Operation Market Garden has been recorded as a complete Allied failure in World War II, an overreach that resulted in an entire airborne division being destroyed at its apex. However, within that operation were episodes of heroism that still remain unsung. On September, 17, 1944, the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, floated down across the Dutch countryside, in the midst of German forces, and proceeded to fight their way to vital bridges to enable the Allied offensive to go forward. The 101st Airborne was behind them; the British 1st Airbourne was far advanced. In the 82ndÕs sector the crucial conduits needed to be seized. The Germans knew the importance of the bridge over the Waal River at Nijmegen as well as James Gavin and his 82nd troopers did. Thus began a desperate fight for the Americans to seize it, no matter what the cost. The Germans would not give, however, and fought tenaciously in the town and fortified the bridge. On September 20 Gavin turned his paratroopers into sailors and conducted a deadly daylight amphibious assault in small plywood and canvas craft across the Waal River to secure the north end of the highway bridge in Nijmegen. German machine guns and mortars boiled the water on the crossing, but somehow a number of paratroopers made it to the far bank. Their ferocity thence rolled up the German defenses, and by the end of day the bridge had fallen. This book draws on a plethora of previously unpublished sources to shed new light on the exploits of the ÒDevils in Baggy PantsÓ by Dutch author and historian Frank van Lunteren. A native of ArnhemÑthe site of ÒThe Bridge too FarÓÑthe author draws on nearly 130 interviews he personally conducted with veterans of the 504th, plus Dutch civilians and British and German soldiers, who here tell their story for the first time.
Download or read book Jump Commander written by Mark Alexander and published by Casemate Pub & Book Dist Llc. This book was released on 2012-03-15 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Col. Mark James Alexander was the only airborne officer to lead three different battalions into combat in World War II, successively commanding the 2d and 1st Battalions, 505 Parachute Infantry Regiment, and the 2nd Battalion, 508 PIR, of the 82nd Airborne Division. A legend in his own time, he fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and France, and even after being seriously wounded in Normandy, insisted on playing a role in the Battle of the Bulge. Airborne Generals Gavin and Ridgway recognized Alexander's superior battle skills and were more than happy to use him to plug holes in the ranks. His reputation excelled among the rank and file, right down to the lowest private. He led from the front, pressing the attack while simultaneously looking out for his men. In Sicily, Alexander's battalion landed 25 miles from its drop zone, into a network of Italian pillboxes, upon which the Colonel personally directed fire, thence captured hundreds of prisoners. Dropped into the desperate inferno at Salerno, he refused to give ground against German counterattacks, forming his paratroopers against enemy efforts to push Allied forces back into the sea. At Normandy one seasoned lieutenant, John "Red Dog" Dolan, 505 PIR, called him "the finest battalion commander I ever served under," after Alexander had led the 1/505 for ten days through the bloody battle for La Fière Bridge and Causeway. Alexander's passion and truest talent was leading men in the field, and he insisted on sharing their risks. On one occasion in Normandy he and his runner (he went through several) were caught behind German lines and encountered a platoon of SS. Opening fire, the Colonel killed or wounded several and brought the rest in as prisoners. An 88mm shell finally got the best of him, shrapnel tearing through his lungs, and while the 82nd was engaged in the Bulge, Alexander was only allowed to run its base camps in France— despite his protests—as General Gavin noted that he was still coughing up blood. This memoir is based on the transcription of hundreds of hours of recorded interviews made by Alexander's grandson, John Sparry, over a period of years late in his life. Providing valuable insight into the beloved commander who led three of the most storied battalions in the US Army, Jump Commander also contains a wealth of new detail on 82nd Airborne operations, and casts insight on some of the most crucial battles in the ETO. This highly readable and action-packed narrative may well be the last remaining memoir to be written in the voice of a major airborne officer of the Greatest Generation.
Download or read book The Sword of St Michael written by Guy LoFaro and published by Da Capo Press. This book was released on 2011-08-30 with total page 786 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From decorated veteran, acclaimed West Point lecturer, and inspirational military speaker Guy LoFaro, the first complete history of America's legendary World War II airborne division.
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 I Wouldn t Want to Do it Again written by Jöel Baret and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on the written testimonies and personal archives of two veterans of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment attached to the famous US 82nd Airborne Division, this book tells the story of two young Americans who unwittingly became actors in one of the greatest crusades against tyranny the world has ever known. In order to better understand the motivations of those young men, the author describes their family upbringing, taking us through the youth and adolescence of these heroes in an America directly hit by the crisis of the 1930s. He shows us the similarity in the education received in the family, at school and in church, and belief in the same values which constituted the foundation of rural society in the American Heartland. He then vividly describes -almost on a day-to-day basis - the rigorous training undertaken by a trainee parachutist in different camps throughout the USA, before finally pinning the much-sought-after Wings on his chest. Finally the big day arrived -D-Day. We follow the emotions, fear, but also the feat of arms of our heroes. Together, we jump from a C-47 rocked by the explosions of shells and machine-gun fire, and find ourselves in the hostile Normandy woodland crawling with the enemy, and at times far from the planned Drop Zone. With the help of original plans and unpublished photos, the author discovers unknown details and specifies precisely the movements between June 6th and 10th 1944 of small elements of the 82nd Airborne Division, principally between the two bridges over the flooded valley of the Merderet at La Fière and Chef-du-Pont. The capture of just these two passages was necessary for the American troops whose objective was to cut off the Cotentin peninsula thus isolating Cherbourg and preventing enemy reinforcements to move north. The epilogue tells how these fierce warriors, still alive after three years of war and innumerable battles, returned to their homeland, readapted - at times with difficulty- to civilian life, married and in time had children. This is a worthy addition to the available literature concerning the 82nd Airborne Division and its key role in the Normandy invasion of 1944.
Download or read book All American All the Way written by Phil Nordyke and published by Zenith Press. This book was released on 2010-03-11 with total page 468 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Through the words of its veterans, details the regimental history of the 82nd Airborne Division 'All Americans' from Operation Husky in July of 1943 through D-Day and Operation Market Garden to the Battle of the Bulge, and finally ending in Berlin as part of the occupying forces.
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 Descending from the Clouds written by Spencer F. Wurst and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2016-02-16 with total page 397 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wearing the remnants of a WWI uniform and pulling a water-cooled 30-caliber machine-gun, Spencer Wurst marched through his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1940 as a member of the National Guard. He was 15 years old. Five years later he was a hardened platoon sergeant leading his troopers through the frozen killing fields of “Death Valley” in Germany’s Heurtgen Forest. A squad leader in Company F, 505 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne, for most of the war, Wurst jumped into Italy in September 1943, and received his baptism of fire at Arnone. Jumping into Normandy on D-Day, he received his first Purple Heart in the liberation of Ste. Mère-Eglise, and a second Purple Heart in grueling combat through the hedgerows. On his third jump, Wurst’s bravery under fire earned him the coveted Silver Star when he and his fellow paratroopers were swept up in the ferocious battle with the SS for the Highway Bridge at Nijmegen, Holland, in Operation Market Garden. A few months later, the dawn of his twentieth birthday found him serving on point in the long, freezing march to the shoulder of the Bulge. A unique view of combat from pre-war training and mobilization to First Army maneuvers, parachute school at Fort Benning, and Europe’s killing fields, Wurst’s poignantly written and carefully researched memoir has been hailed as an outstanding addition to the literature of WWII.
