Picture Story Continued - Click Here!

A Soldiers story

"Soliders, Sailors & Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!
You are about to embark upon a Great Crusade... The eyes  of the 
World are upon you. The Hopes & Prayers of liberty loving people 
everywhere march with you... Good luck! And let us all beseech the 
blessing of Almight God upon this great and noble undertaking.......
General Dwight D. Eisenhower - D-Day"

Sir Winston Churchill comments, while addressing 
the House of Commons following the Battle of the Bulge:

"This is undoubtedly the greatest American battle 
of the war and will, I believe, be regarded as an ever 
famous American Victory."

"The object of war is not to 
die for your country but make
""the other bastard die for his."
..................................................General George S. Patton

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

507th Parachute Infantry Soldiers

18,000 Airborne began jumping late night June 5th, into
the morning of June 6th, 1944 as part of Operation Neptune
behind the beaches of Normandy... D-Day had begun...

Sgt. Benjamin Augustus White

Regiment:  507th Parachute Infantry

Battalion:   2nd Battalion, 2nd Platoon.

Company:  D - Troop 82nd Airborne 

Units assigned:  1944 - 1945  

      82nd Airborne Division
      French Under Ground
      Roving Combat Team
      17th Airborne Division
      101st Airborne Radar       

adding: 17th Airborne Division
             (507th added after D-Day)

                507th Detached to XIX Army Corp 
                for several Days, then back to 17th.

Picture on right at Camp Roberts, 
California. 1942

507th Patch

507th Pin

Campaigns:  

       Normandy ( D Day): Was dropped behind the lines on top the the rear guard of the Germans the day before the actual beach landing at Omaha/Utah Beach.  835 soldiers of the 507th were killed or wounded, in the Normandy Campaign.

  D-Day - (82nd Airborne)       Jun 6, 1944
      Normandy France -(Operation Neptune)

  Ardennes -                        Dec 26, 1944 
      Battle of the Bulge 
      (507th Attached to 17th Airborne Division)

   Bastogne -                        Jan 2, 1945
      Chenet Belgium
      Rescue of 101st Airborne

  Our River - Luxembourg Jan/Feb 1945

  River Rhine -                   Mar 24, 1945  
     Evasion of Germany - (Operation Varsity)  

Elbe River -                       Apr 25, 1945
     Americans & Russians meet 

  Other Battles not listed here...
  Mop-up and Stabilization duties.

Picture taken France 1945.

In Ben White's own words:

"There were many other battles on the way to Berlin, though the Battle of the Bulge was the largest. More than a million men in this battle, the greatest battle in World War II.  Biggest battle ever fought buy American's, in any war.  It was mostly Americans, there were a lot more Battles, Normandy (D-Day),  The Jump over the Rhine River, all the way to Berlin.  Then, we met the Russians a few miles from Berlin. They and our Tanks came together, we all shook hands, hugged each other, our officers had a toast of Vodka, was the happiest day of all... The war was over May 8th 1945.  June 6th 1944 to May 8th 1945.  Just about a year of solid fighting with very little rest or breaks.  Oh hell! we were ragged and torn, bloody, and ready for a break and some sleep..." 

81,000 Total American Casualties
19,000 Killed - Battle of the Bulge

There were other metals awarded the Unit and Individuals
from the French and Russian's, others yet to be determined

Combat Infantry Badge
Awarded Aug 7th, 1944
 

"507 - Company D - Parachute Infantry 82nd Airborne - It took us six weeks to fight our way into, rescue the 101st Airborne and get them out of that mess!  We came in with General George S. Patton's tanks to rescue them, then that's when the Battle of the Bulge started for six weeks, after that on to the Rhine River, then Germany, then Berlin and finally it was over". 

Benjamin White

Ben Served with the 101st Airborne

[697 soldiers of the 507th died in this Battle.]

The Battle of the Bulge, was one of American's greatest hours in the field of battle.  And helped turn the tide of war.

    Three powerful German armies plunged headlong into the rugged mountains and dense forests of the Ardennes determined to break the American line of defense, and trap the Allied Forces in Belgium and Luxembourg.  

     They met fierce opposition the minute they engaged the thinly spread American line.  And paid a heavy price for every inch of ground they gained.  

    The fighting raged for three consecutive days until powerful Allied reinforcements arrived to join the fighting, and keep the Germans from breaking through.

    The fighting then continued for four weeks in bitter cold and snow, and all the Germans could accomplish was to put a small 'bulge' in the line.  And at the end, the line held firm and the Germans suffered a terrible loss of men, tanks and planes.

    Fifty-six years ago, 600,000 Americans fought together in the snowy, windswept hills and forests of the Ardennes.  From December 16, 1944, until January 25, 1945, the bitter fighting raged, claiming 19,000 American lives.  When, at last, the guns fell silent, the German drive to reach the sea, trap four allied armies and impel a negotiated peace on the Western Front had been thwarted.  Thanks to the uncommon valor of the American GI and the heroic efforts of individual units in this decisive battle--the greatest ever fought by the U.S. Army--the end of World War II in Europe was hastened.

Ardennes:
BATTLE OF THE BULGE FACTS

Where:
The heavily-forested Ardennes region of eastern Belgium and northern Luxembourg.

When:
December 16, 1944 - January 25, 1945

Who: 
More than one million men:
600,000 American (more than the combined Union/Confederate forces at Gettysburg)

3 American Armies and 6 Corps (Equivalent to 31 Divisions)

500,000 Germans
3 German Armies and 10 Corps (Equivalent of 29 Divisions)

55,000 British
3 British divisions plus contingents of Belgian Canadian and French troops.

Casualties:
German -  100,000 
American - 81,000 including 19,000 killed
British -        1,400 including 200 killed

Equipment:
800 tanks lost on each side, 1,000 German aircraft

Massacre of American Soldiers:
By Who:      1st SS Panzer Division 
Where:         Belgium
How many:   80 US Soldiers, shot and left
                     in the snow for over a week.
The Malmedy Massacre was  the worst atrocity committed against American Troops in Europe during the war.

     This is my fathers story, it has taken many years to get him to talk about this... The War doesn't end just because the guns go silent, the effects on human kind last for many years beyond the ends of these conflicts, for many the effects may last forever, though Ben will talk about the War in general, it is still to difficult to talk about the loss of life and friends. Ben commented once, "of the original platoon he landed with at Normandy, he was one of several who survived", many were killed before their feet ever touched the earth, they were dropped virtually on top of the German rear guard, at Normandy, many of those Germans crack SS troops.  This was before the beach landing at Omaha ever took place.  Once they landed, it took almost 2 weeks for the Americans to get to them from the beach.  They survived as roving combat teams. 

     They went days without food or water, they ate anything they could get their hands on, dead farm animals was mentioned.  He related, on his descent from the plane at Normandy, he could see German tracer bullets coming at him, they also used flame throwers, Ben's chute caught fire, he lost his grip on his machine gun and it plunge hard against the ground, he also hit pretty hard, Germans troops charged out the the tree line, throwing grenades, shooting, throwing any and everything at them, Ben recovered his machine gun, took aim and began firing, to his utter horror, it would only fire one round at a time, but they were able to push the Germans back, and lived to fight another day.  Though this was a fierce battle, little did he know, at that time, the worst was yet to come, "The Battle of the Bulge".   Ben emphasizes, that there were many battles, all the way to Berlin, many died in these other battles, some small others large, but to them they were all Battle of the Bulges...  this campaign to get to Berlin lasted almost a year, and there was no let up, they got little sleep and few breaks. 

     Ben also says he wondered at times how he could have survived, his helmet had bullet dents and shrapnel dings, when some battles finished their cloths were torn to shreds they were bloody, and even today he still carries some shrapnel in his body.   

     After the War in Europe was won, Ben's unit was told they were going home, but orders came and their ships were directed toward Japan, many felt this unfair, they believed they had earned the right to go home, and were severely demoralized.  They all realized, that they were lucky to have survived the War in Europe, most believed they would be killed in Japan.  However, the atomic bombs were dropped over Japan and the Japanese surrendered, the War was over, and they went home.

     Ben's unit was transferred to the 'Queen Mary' and were ferried into New York Harbor, the sight of the 'Status of Liberty' must have have silenced our hero's for a moment, and reaffirmed the price of Freedom, God had Blessed them all... 

The 82nd Airborne during World War II
Campaigns - Rhineland

380 Soldiers of the 507th died in this Campaign

FM Bernard L Montgomery

After a foothold was gained in France, the Allies reorganized their airborne divisions. In August, 1944 the First Allied Airborne Army (FAAA) was formed under the command of Lt General Lewis H Brereton. It was composed of the U.S. XVIII Airborne Corps, the IX Troop Carrier Command, and the British I Airborne Corps. The U.S. XVIII Airborne Corps consisted of the 82nd, 101st and 17th Airborne Divisions. It was commanded by General Ridgeway while General Gavin now assumed command of the 82nd Airborne Division. The new airborne army's first operation would be Operation Market Garden.

Operation Market Garden
This was a plan concocted by British Field Marshal Montgomery that would be the first major daylight air assault attempted by a military power since Germany's attack on Crete. Similar to the Germans assault of four years earlier, the Allies initial plan for September 17,1944 was to use the paratroopers and glidermen of the 82nd and 101st U.S. Airborne Divisions and England's First Airborne Division in a daring daylight drop into Holland. The airborne Allied troops were to seize roads, bridges and the key communication cities of Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem, thus cutting Holland in half and clearing a corridor for British armoured and motorized columns all the way to the German border.

This would be the fourth and final World War II combat drop for the All-Americans of the 82nd Airborne. The word came on 15 September for the 82nd to jump in ahead of the Second British Army, 57 miles behind enemy lines in the vicinity of Grave, Holland with the objective of capturing and holding the key bridges at Grave and Nijmegen as well as some subsidiary bridges over a canal to the east of Grave.

The 504th was given the objective of seizing the longest bridge in Europe over the Maas River and several other bridges over the Maas-Waal Canal. Because of previous cancellations the men of the 82nd were doubtful that the mission would go especially when told that the planned flight was through the Scheldt Estuary (nicknamed "Flak Alley" by Allied bomber pilots) and that they were reportedly outnumbered by 4,000 of Hitler’s Schutzstaffel (SS) troops and an unknown number of German tanks.

No cancellation was received, however, and on 17 September at 1231 hours, the pathfinders landed on the drop zone, followed thirty minutes later by the rest of the Regiment and C Company, 307th Engineers, to become the first Allied troops to land in Holland as part of Operation Market Garden - the largest airborne operation in history. By 1800 hours, the 504th had accomplished its assigned mission (although the enemy had managed to destroy one of the bridges). In just four hours, the Regiment had jumped, assembled, engaged the enemy, and seized its objectives.

Meanwhile, the 508th was under heavy enemy fire from the German paratroopers of the 3rd Fallschirmjager Division. The enemy continually counter attacked. The fight was intense at times but the 508th held the high ground on a place that earned the nickname "Devil's Hill."

For two days, the 82nd held its ground and conducted aggressive combat and reconnaissance patrols until the Irish Guards made the ground link-up, spearheading the advance of the 30th Corps of the Second British Army. However, the Nijmegen road and rail bridges, which were the last remaining link to British Airborne forces in Arnhem, remained in enemy hands.

While the 508th maintained the eastern flank, the 2nd Battalion of the 505th and tanks from XXX Corps attacked the south end of Nijmegen and the railroad bridges on September 20th. Again the 82nd encountered stiff resistance from the Germans as the fighting moved from house to house. At the same time a German Panzer-Grenadier division was being dispatched to Nijmegen to bolster the vital span. An assault crossing of the river was necessary but it was a seemingly impossible task because it required moving in boats across the 400-yard wide river against German 88’s, flak wagons, 20mm cannons, machine guns and riflemen. Nonetheless, the crossing was ordered.

On September 20, in order to support the 505th attack and secure the bridge at Nijmegen, Major Julian Cook was ordered to cross the rushing Waal River in daylight with his 3rd Battalion and the support of Company C, 307th Engineer Battalion. In 26 canvas boats Major Cook and his battalion performed the death-defying feat of securing the north side of the bridges. Casualties were high and only thirteen boats returned to carry the second wave of the assault. But the 504th found the intestinal fortitude to perservere and triumph.

The British General, Sir Miles Dempsey, after witnessing the 504th crossing the Waal, characterized the attack with a single word as he shook his head and said, "Unbelievable."

On the following day near Oosterhut, Holland, Pvt.John Towle of Cleveland, Ohio, Company C, 504th PIR earned the Congressional Medal of Honor. Armed with a rocket launcher, he single- handedly - and without orders - moved into an exposed position and broke up a German counter attack of 100 infantrymen, two tanks and a half-track. He was finally mortally wounded by a barrage of German mortar shells.

Finally, on November 11 the 82nd was relieved by Canadian troops after 56 days of combat. The division moved to camps near Rheims, France and placed in reserve along with other airborne units.

The 82nd Airborne during World War II
Campaigns - Ardennes-Alsace

General James M Gavin

The 82nd Airborne during World War II
Campaigns - Central Europe

Gen George S Patton

Operation Eclipse was an audacious plan for a parachute assault by more than two airborne divisions in an effort to capture Berlin ahead of the Russians. The plan called for the 82nd to seize the airfields at Tempelhof and Rangdor while the 101st would capture two others. The plan was the brainchild of Lewis Brereton's First Allied Army Airborne staff. Winston Churchill and Field Marshall Montogomery were avid supporters of the plan while General Eisenhower didn't see it's "military" significance. Irregardless, the 82nd conducted dress rehearsals.

Meanwhile, an totally unexpected event occurred on March 7th. In a stunning move the 9th Armored Division seized the railroad bridge over the Rhine at Remagen. Then on March 22nd General George Patton in a similar audacious action propelled the 5th Infantry Division over the Rhine near Mainz. Consequently, Operation Eclipse was scrubbed.

On March 30, 1945, the 82nd already regrouped in Sissone, France in preparation for the cancelled operation, received orders to to move to the area of Bonn, Germany and the Rhine River.

Colonel Tucker and an advance detail of the 504th PIR left Laon, France and traveled by jeep 270 miles to Cologne (Koln), Germany. Three days later the Regiment arrived, mostly in "40 and 8s," and immediately took up positions along the West Bank of the Rhine River. 504th patrols crossed nightly in small boats, engaging in brisk fire-fights almost every patrol. The enemy made a few attempts to cross to the Regiment’s side of the river, but all efforts were turned back.

On 6 April, A Company of the 504th PIR crossed the Rhine at 0230 hours and immediately made contact with the enemy. Under heavy fire and in a minefield, the first wave of 504th troopers was split into two elements, each of which fought its way independently to the predesignated objective. There they rejoined forces, knocked out several machine gun nests, and established a roadblock. Using similar tactics, succeeding waves infiltrated the enemy and set up a defense in the village of Hitsdorf. For a short time, all was calm.

Then came the enemy counterattacks. The first was broken less than fifty yards from the perimeter, and the second was preceded by heavy artillery preparation. As enemy tanks and infantry closed in, the outnumbered and outgunned A Company fought its way back to the beach. The Regiment sent I Company across to support the withdrawal. The 504th had lost only nine men to the enemy’s 150, but whether the two companies achieved the higher aim of diverting enemy forces from a more important sector upstream is unknown. For the men involved, it was a small-scale "Dunkirk" with a hollow satisfaction achieved.

A week later the 505th received the surrender of the towns of Lulsdorf, Langel, Zundorf and Niederkassel. The 82nd remained in the Cologne area until the end of April.

On April 30th the 505th crossed the Elbe River at Bleckede in an assault using the same type of craft that reminded many of the Waal crossing 7 month previous. The 504th followed them on the next day and the 325th on May 2nd. That same day General Gavin received the surrender of the German 21st Army commanded by General Von Tippelskirch at Ludwigslust, Germany.

The war officially ended in Europe on 5 May 1945. The 504th returned briefly to Nancy, France until the 82nd Airborne Division, the British Eleventh Armored Division and the Russian 5th Cossack Division were called upon to serve as the occupation forces in Berlin. Here the 82nd Airborne Division earned the name, "America’s Guard of Honor," as a fitting end to hostilities in which the 82nd had chased the German Army some 14,000 miles across the European Theater.

The 82nd Airiborne during World War II
Overview

General Omar N Bradley

The double "A" on the shoulder patch refers to the nickname "All American Division" adopted by the organization in France during World War I.

On 25 March 1942, the 82nd Infantry Division was reactivated at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana under the command of Major General Omar N. Bradley (left). On August 15, 1942, the Division took wings as The 82nd Airborne - becoming the U.S. Army's first airborne division - now commanded by Major General Matthew B.Ridgeway (below right).

At the same time, 82nd personnel also were used in the formation of a second airborne unit - the "Screaming Eagles" of the 101st Airborne Division.

In October, the 82nd was dispatched to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to pursue its new airborne training. On October 14, the 82nd absorbed the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which had formed on May 1 at Fort Benning, Georgia. By the time that they went overseas, the 82nd would consist of the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment and the 504th and 505th Parachute Infantry Regiments.

At Fort Bragg, the All Americans trained vigorously. These pioneering paratroopers stood up, hooked up and leaped from C-47 transport planes while the gliderborne troops were at work in the 15-man WACO-CG4A gliders - towed by the transport planes

In the spring of 1943, the 82nd All Americans became the first airborne division sent overseas. They left via troop ships from New England and landed in Casablanca, North Africa on May 10, 1943. From there, they moved by rail to Oujda and then by truck to Kairouan, Tunisia. That would be their departure point for the Division's first combat drop - the invasion of Sicily.

Sicily - Operation Husky
The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) and the 3rd Battalion of the 504th PIR parachuted to take the high ground near Ponte Olivo airfield northeast of Gela, Sicily on July 9,1943. Despite the wide scattering of the assault, the objectives were seized and the units linked up with the 1st Infantry Division the next day.

On July 11, 1943, the remaining Battalions of the 504th PIR were dropped in the vicinity of Gela with heavy losses from both the German and Allied (friendly fire) antiaircraft fire. Despite the heavy losses the division was moved up to the front by motor and reinforced by the 39th Infantry Division on July 12, 1943. The crossings of Fiume delle Canno were secured on July 18, 1943 and the division pushed along the coastal highway, seizing the Marsala-Trapani area of Sicily's western coast by July 23rd.

Salerno - The Oil Drum Drop
The Division's second combat operation was a night parachute drop onto the Salerno beachhead on September 13, 1943 in support of General Mark Clark's 5th Army which was in danger of being pushed back into the sea.

The 504th PIR was parachuted south of the Sele River near Salerno on September 13, 1943. In order to guide the C-47 pilots to the shrinking dropzone, oil drums filled with gasoline soaked sand were ignited every 50 yards when signaled. 1300 troopers landed that night infusing a new sense of confidence to the beleaguered soldiers of the 5th Army. The 505th PIR was dropped the following night near the same dropzone to reinforce the air assault. On September 15th the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment (GIR) was brought into the beachhead amphibiously to join the rest of the division.

Once the beachhead was secured, the 504th PIR & the 376th PFAB began an attack to recover Altavilla on September 16, 1943 and the division fought towards Naples which it reached on October 1, 1943 and moved in to the next day for security duty.

"Leg Infantry"
After Naples, the 504th PIR & the 376th PFAB were detached from the 82nd Airborne temporarily and fought as "leg infantry" through the hills of southern Italy as part of the 36th Infantry Division. On October 29th they capture Gallo. They then battled in the Winter Line commencing with attacks up Hill 687 on December 15th, 1943.

Anzio - Operation Shingle
On January 22nd &23rd 1944, the 504th PIR, landed on the beach at Anzio and participated in heavy combat along the Mussolini Canal. It was their fierce fighting during this defensive engagement that earned the 504th PIR the nickname "Devils in Baggy Pants." The nickname was taken from an entry made in a German officer's diary.

D-Day - Operation Neptune
While the 504th was detached, the remainder of the 82nd was pulled out of Italy in December 1943 and moved to the United Kingdom to prepare for the liberation of Europe. With two combat jumps under its belt, the 82nd Airborne Division was now ready for the most ambitious airborne operation of the war, Operation Neptune -the airborne invasion of Normandy. The operation was part of Operation OVERLORD, the amphibious assault on the northern coast of Nazi-occupied France.

In preparation for the operation, the division was reorganized. Two new parachute infantry regiments, the 507th and the 508th, joined the division. However, due to its depleted state following the fighting in Italy, the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment did not take part in the invasion.

On June 5-6, 1944, the paratroopers of the 82nd's three parachute infantry regiments and reinforced glider infantry regiment boarded hundreds of transport planes and gliders and, began the largest airborne assault in history. They were among the first soldiers to fight in Normandy, France.

The division dropped behind Utah Beach, Normandy, France between Ste Mere-Englise and Carentan on June 6th, 1944. They were reinforced by the 325th GIR the next day. The division remained under strong German pressure along the Merderit River. Eventually, the 325th GIR crossed the river to secure a bridgehead at La Fiere on June 9th. It was during this action that Pfc Charles N. DeGlopper single-handedly defended his platoon's position and subsequently was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism.

The next day the 505th PIR captured Montebourg Station and on June 12th the 508th PIR crossed the Douve at Beuzeville-la-Bastille and reached Baupt. They established a bridgehead at Pont l'Abbe on June 19th. The division then attacked down the west coast of the Cotentin Peninsula and captured Hill 131 on July 3rd. The following day the 82nd seized Hill 95 overlooking La Haye-du-Puits.

By the time the All-American Division was pulled back to England on July 13, 1944, it had seen 33 days of bloody combat and suffered 5,245 paratroopers killed, wounded or missing. The Division's post battle report read, "...33 days of action without relief, without replacements. Every mission accomplished. No ground gained was ever relinquished."

Following the Normandy invasion, the 82nd became part of the newly organized XVIII Airborne Corps, which consisted of the U.S. 17th, 82nd, and 101st Airborne Divisions.

Operation Market Garden
In September, the 82nd began planning for Operation Market Garden in Holland. The operation called for three-plus airborne divisions to seize and hold key bridges and roads deep behind German lines. The 504th now back at full strength rejoined the 82nd, while the 507th went to the 17th Airborne Division.

On September 17, the 82nd Airborne Division conducted its fourth combat jump of World War II into Holland. Fighting off ferocious German counterattacks, the 82nd captured the Maas Bridge at Grave, the Maas-Waal Canal Bridge at Heumen and the Nijmegen-Groesbeek Ridge. The next day attempts to take Nijmegen Highway Bridge failed.

On 20 September the 504th carried out an heroic assault crossing the Waal. With artillery support the first wave of the 504th assaulted, in twenty-six assault boats, under intense fire, taking 200 casualties in the process. Finally on D+4 the 504th finally secured their hold on the bridge, fighting off another German counterattack just before noon.

It was in this skirmish that Pvt. John Towle won the Medal of Honor. Its success, however, was short-lived because of the defeat of other Allied units at Arnhem. The gateway to Germany would not open in September 1944, and the 82nd was ordered back to France.

Battle of the Bulge - The Ardennes Offensive
Suddenly, on December 16, 1944, the Germans launched a surprise offensive through the Ardennes Forest which caught the Allies completely by surprise. Two days later the 82nd joined the fighting and blunted General Von Runstedt's northern penetration in the American lines.

The 82nd moved into action on December 17th in reponse to the German's Ardennes Counteroffensive. On December 20th the 82nd attacked in the Vielsalm-St. Vith region and the 504th PIR took Monceau. This fiece attack forced the German units back across the Ambleve River the next day.

However, further German assaults along the Salm hit the 505th PIR in the Trois Ponts area on December 22nd and by December 24th the division lost Manhay. On December 25th, 1944 the division withdrew from the Vielsalm salient then attacked northeast of Bra on December 27th reaching Salm by January 4th, 1945.

On January 7th the 508th PIR Red Devil's launched an attack with the 504th in the vicinity of Thier-du-Mont where it suffered heavy casualties. The 508th was then withdrawn from the line and placed in reserve until January 21st when it replaced elements of the 2d Infantry Division.

On January 29, 1945 First Sergeant Leonard Funk, Jr. of Company C, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment won the Congressional Medal of Honor for action at Holzheim, Belgium. After leading his unit and capturing 80 Germans.

On February 7th, 1945 the division attacked Bergstein, a town on the Roer River. The 82nd crossed the Roer River on February 17th. During April, 1945 the division performed security duty in Cologne until they attacked in the Bleckede area and pushed toward the Elbe River. As the 504th PIR drove toward Forst Carrenzien, the German 21st Army surrendered to the division on May 2, 1945.

Occupation
Following the surrender of Germany, the 82nd was ordered to Berlin for occupation duty. In Berlin General George Patton was so impressed with the 82nd's honor guard he said, "In all my years in the Army and all the honor guards I have ever seen, the 82nd's honor guard is undoubtedly the best." Hence the "All-Americans" became known as "America's Guard of Honor."

The 82nd returned to the United States January 3, 1946. Instead of being demobilized, the 82nd made its permanent home at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and was designated a regular Army division on November 15, 1948.

Picture Story Continued - Click Here!

Web Sites - 82nd Airborne & others

http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/5340/18corps/17abn/17_overview.html

http://www.jeroenkoppes.com/ww2/units/82nd%20Abn.Div.asp