A Summary History of the 509th Parachute Infantry

View the Index of Unit Histories

"The Geronimos"
(Originally published in 2011)

The 509th Infantry Regiment (ABN) traces its lineage to the formation of the 504th Parachute Infantry Battalion on October 5, 1941, just two months before the United States entered World War II. The battalion was the fourth battalion of parachutists to be activated at Fort Benning, Georgia. The battalion, and every designation of the unit since, has adopted the nickname of the "Geronimos." This came from the famous exclamation of Geronimo! that was started by a member of the Parachute Test Platoon as he exited the aircraft on a qualifying jump to prove he wasn't scared and still had the presence of mind to yell something distinctive.

Very quickly the Army realized that to fight the upcoming war they would need regiments of paratroopers rather than independent battalions. Effective on March 1, 1942, the 504th PIB was redesignated as the 2nd Battalion of the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. With individual training completed, the 2/503rd PIR moved to Fort Bragg, North Carolina for battalion-level training on March 29, 1942. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Edson Raff, the 2/503rd PIR was selected as the best-prepared parachute battalion and became the first airborne unit in the U.S. Army to deploy to England. The battalion departed on the Queen Elizabeth on June 4, 1942, and arrived in Glasgow, Scotland, six days later.

The Geronimos made the estate of Chilton-Foliat their training base for the next six months. For most of this time, the battalion thought they would be called upon to jump into France. However, the cross-channel invasion was postponed for more than a year. The 2/503rd was incorporated into Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. On the night of November 7, 1942, the Geronimos climbed aboard 39 C-47 aircraft and departed Lands End in Great Britain for a 1500-plus mile trip to North Africa. Their mission was to take control of airfields at La Sénia and Tafaraoui near Oran, Algeria. While their mission on November 8 was less than successful, the battalion has the distinction of being the first American airborne unit to make a combat jump in World War II.

Just prior to departing England, the Army passed down orders for another name change for the Geronimos. Since the other battalions of the 503rd PIR had deployed to the Pacific Theater, it was believed that a new regiment would be formed around the Geronimos. They were redesignated the 2nd Battalion of the 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment effective November 2, 1942.

The 2/509th made a second combat jump in North Africa, this time at Youks les Bains, a French-occupied airfield on the Algerian/Tunisian border on November 15, 1942. This time the French were cooperative and became allied with the American and British forces. French forces in the area participated with Edson Raff's "Tunisian Task Force," an ad hoc group of American units including the Geronimos. The Tunisian Task Force successfully kept the German and Italian forces in the area out of the mountain passes that led from Tunisia into Algeria until the main effort of the Americans and British could move east.

Now under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Doyle Yardley, the Geronimos were attached to the 82nd Airborne Division for the invasion of Sicily but were held in reserve for the entire operation. Four days after the invasion of Salerno on the coast of Italy, when the beachhead was in danger of collapsing, Fifth Army commander General Mark Clark called for reinforcement by his airborne forces. While the 82nd Airborne Division was dropped inside the beachhead, the 2/509th PIR was sent on a seemingly suicide mission to drop on and seize the crossroads town of Avellino, more than twenty miles behind enemy lines. Their drop on the night of September 14, 1943, was scattered and the battalion was not able to concentrate their forces. However, the small unit actions of the Geronimos wreaked havoc in the enemy's rear area. More than 80% of the unit was able to make it back to friendly lines. Unfortunately, the battalion commander was wounded and taken prisoner on the night of the jump.

The 2/509th was reconstituted in Naples and assigned directly to Fifth Army Headquarters. The new commander was Lieutenant Colonel William Yarborough. In order to provide a unit identity while assigned to Fifth Army, Yarborough had a unit patch designed. This patch included a Native American stick figure that the paratroopers said looked like a "gingerbread man." The patch, still used today, is known as the gingerbread man patch and provided a new nickname for the paratroopers of the 509th: the gingerbread men.

The Geronimos began their next combat operation on November 9, 1943, in the mountains of Italy above the Volturno River. Attached to Darby's Rangers, the battalion attacked the crest of Mount Croce above the town of Venafro. The gingerbread men held their position against continuous German attacks in foul weather with resupply over difficult terrain for the next 34 days.

By this time the Army decided that the other battalions of the 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment would not be fielded after all. The 2nd Battalion would remain an independent airborne battalion. On December 10, 1943, the Geronimos were officially designated the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion.

In the early morning hours of January 22, 1944, the 509th PIB, again attached to Darby's Rangers, made a beach landing at Anzio. The gingerbread men endured 73 days of combat at Anzio. During this time the Geronimos earned two Presidential Unit Citations. The first was for the battalion holding the Allied line against the onslaught of the German division's deliberate attack. The second was awarded to C Company, 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion for "Raid Nibble," the assault on two strategic stone houses on the German line.

The next combat operation for the Geronimos was the jump into southern France as part of Operation Dragoon. The 509th PIB was part of the First Airborne Task Force (FABTF) and jumped on the morning of August 15, 1944. After seizing the town of Le Muy, France, the FABTF turned and moved up the coast of the French Riviera with the gingerbread men in the lead. The 509th Parachute Infantry Combat Team (the 509th reinforced with the 551st PIB and the 463rd Airborne Artillery attached) took the cities of Cannes and Nice by the end of August in what became known as the "Champagne Campaign." The name was derived from the jubilant civilians who poured into the streets to welcome their liberators.

In September 1944 the Geronimos, along with the other units of the FABTF, moved into the French Maritime Alps to screen the U.S. Seventh Army's push to the north. After more than three months of patrol actions in the mountain passes, the gingerbread men were relieved and moved to join the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions camps around Rheims and Soissons, France on December 13, 1944.

On December 16, 1944, three German armies crashed through the Ardennes sector of Belgium nearly splitting the Allied line into two pieces. The "Battle of the Bulge" required the immediate deployment of all reserves to restore the line. The 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion deployed to the northern shoulder of the bulge on December 22 and was attached to the 3rd Armored Division. While being held in reserve, the Geronimos' commander, Major Edmund Tomasik, saw a break in the American line at the small village of Sadzot. On his own authority, Tomasik committed the Geronimos, who held the line against two German regiments of SS Grenadiers. This action earned the gingerbread men their third Presidential Unit Citation. As the Americans turned to the offense, the 509th PIB was attached to the 7th Armored Division for the push to retake the Belgian town of St. Vith. In successive attacks, the Geronimos strength was continually depleted until they were relieved on January 28, 1945, with only 55 men remaining.

The Army had much earlier decided that our airborne forces would consist of regiments and divisions. There was no need for independent battalions. On February 1, 1945, the surviving members of the 509th PIB were informed that the unit would be deactivated. The gingerbread men were sent to other units as replacements. Although the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion was not allowed, as a unit, to continue through to the end of the war, the Geronimos had amassed an impressive record in combat. The battalion earned eight battle stars and three arrowheads (for combat invasions) for their colors. The gingerbread men were awarded two Presidential Unit Citations as a battalion and a third for C Company. The government of France awarded the battalion the Croix de Guerre with Silver Star. They received two Army and two Corps commendations. Individual paratroopers of the 509th had won the Medal of Honor (Corporal Paul Huff), 10 Distinguished Service Crosses, 62 Silver Stars, 6 Croix de Guerre with Silver Stars, 5 Legions of Merit, and dozens of other decorations.

The 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment was kept on the Army's list of inactive units from the end of World War II, through the Korean War, and into the Cold War. Under the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS), implemented in 1957, combat regiments that were considered the most historically distinguished were selected to serve as the parent units of battalions. The 509th was chosen as one of these regiments whose heritage deserved to live on.

In April 1963, the 509th was reactivated as the 509th Infantry Regiment (Airborne/Mechanized) with 1st and 2nd Battalions assigned to the 1st Brigade of the 8th Infantry Division in West Germany. Stationed at Lee Barracks near the city of Mainz, the two battalions of the 509th PIR now had a dual role of both mechanized infantry and as an airborne "fire brigade" for contingency missions. Both battalions participated in "Project Partnership," an extensive training program that involved training with NATO forces' weapons and tactics. For a ten-year period, a new generation of gingerbread men fulfilled their Cold War mission of defense and deterrence in West Germany.

With the changing strategic requirements of the Cold War, it was determined that a battalion-sized combat team could satisfy the airborne contingency requirements in Europe. In 1973, the two battalions of the 509th Infantry Regiment were consolidated into one. Redesignated the 1st Battalion (ABN) 509th Infantry (Battalion Combat Team), the unit was moved to a new home in Vicenza, Italy. The 1/509th ABCT had a fourth company assigned to it, designated "Battery D" and fielding pack howitzers. This gave the Geronimos their own organic indirect fire support. Additional augmentation included an engineer platoon, a parachute rigger platoon, and a double-strength medical platoon. Assigned to the Southern European Task Force (SETAF), the battalion combat team was the only airborne unit stationed in Europe.

In 1983, the 1/509th ABCT in Vicenza was reflagged as the 4/325th Infantry Regiment to bring the unit into alignment with those regiments traditionally assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division. However, the 509th was not completely out of the picture yet. In 1975, C Company (Pathfinder), 509th Infantry was activated as a separate company at the Army Aviation Center, Fort Rucker, Alabama, to provide training support to Aviation School. Unfortunately, this unit was also reflagged in 1993.

The 1st Battalion, 509th (ABN) Infantry Regiment was reactivated once again on December 18, 1987, to serve as the Opposing Forces (OPFOR) at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. The JRTC moved to Fort Polk, Louisiana in June 1993. The 1/509th serves as the OPFOR to provide realistic training that simulates combat conditions for American and Allied light infantry and special operations units rotating through training cycles at the JRTC. The modern-day gingerbread men also have an on-order combat mission. They were called upon to conduct this mission through a deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom II in 2004.

The most recent embodiment of the Geronimo spirit was fashioned on September 16, 2005, with the creation of the 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry (Airborne) at Fort Richardson, Alaska. The 3/509th Infantry (ABN) is assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, the only airborne brigade in the Pacific theater. After only one year of training together, the Geronimos of the 3rd Battalion made their first deployment. The 3/509th has participated in the Global War on Terror with deployments to Iraq in 2006 and Afghanistan in 2007. At the time of this writing, the 3/509th was training for another deployment to Afghanistan in late 2011.

For a complete history of the gingerbread men during World War II, read The Boldest Plan is the Best: The Combat History of the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion During WWII by Jim Travis Broumley.

View the Index of Unit Histories

A Postscript to the Chapter on Anzio

You can stay in the house that was the 509^th CP during the Battle of Anzio.
(click on any image for a larger version.)

509th CP during Anzio

For the most part, I’m not a big fan of social media. But sometimes it’s a bit of a miracle. Still, years after “The Boldest Plan is the Best: The Combat History of the 509^th Parachute Infantry Battalion During WWII” was released, I am contacted by veterans, families, and others. It's a thrill and an honor. I must admit that it is especially exciting to be contacted by someone living in a country other than the United States where the Geronimos fought.

Map courtesy of
Mike Reuter

The other day I received a message from Diego Cancelli, an architect who lives in Aprilia, Italy, just a few miles outside of Anzio. Diego owns and operates Il casale di Giulia, a working farm and B & B. The stone farmhouse just happens to have been the 509^th Battalion command post during the battle. He has pictures to prove it. Moreover, I have the image of a map that was provided by 509^th veteran Mike Reuter that shows unit positions in the Anzio beachhead as of January 30, 1944. Sure enough, you can match up the unit symbol on the map with Google Maps. The 509^th headquarters symbol is located on the Via Carano between Crocetta and Carano. That’s exactly where you’ll find Il casale di Giulia on Google Maps. You can even get a feel for the terrain by checking out Google Street View.

Il casale di Giulia before
rennovation.

Diego has located the hill that B company occupied forward of the MLR before they were overrun. The help that Diego required was being able to prove that the house his wife’s family owns and restored was one of the houses that were the object of “Raid Nibble.” Readers of “The Boldest Plan” know the details of the raid. The objective houses were simply referred to as House #5 and House #6 in the battalion’s war diary. No grid coordinates are offered so one must assume there is a map overlay. The problem we have, often repeated, is the lack of records in the archives for this unit. The Geronimos were attached to the 3^rd Infantry Division, and during the battle; they had at different times the 7^th Infantry Regiment and the 30^th Infantry Regiment to their right. Perhaps there is a map overlay in the archives of these units?

After rennovation

There just were not that many houses in the area during the battle, so the odds are excellent that the house in question (that is now occupied by the family’s grandmother) is House #6 referred to in the 509^th war diary narrative concerning Raid Nibble. Especially considering the war relics that have been found on both properties. Diego has been practicing some applied history and has amassed quite a collection as the included pictures show. He has found dog tags and returned them to the families of American soldiers. He has found several helmets both American and German. One of the German helmets was found along with the skeleton of the soldier who wore it; found during the restoration of House #6.

Aerial view showing B/509th
position on forward hill.

Diego shared quite a few pictures with me, and I’ve included some of them for you to see as well. The next time I’m in the archives at NARA or AHEC I plan to look in the records of the 3^rd ID for that missing overlay. In the meantime, I’m planning a trip after covid to visit Anzio, Il casale di Giulia, and other sites where the Geronimos fought. Ever thought about it?

"House #6" today	Collection of military vehicles
Shells from WWII found on the properties.	509th uniform in the  reception area of the B&B
Dog tags found and returned to their owners and families.	Cabinet full of battlefield relics found on the property.
War relics found on the properties.	War relics found on the properties.
War relics found on the properties.	War relics found on the properties.
War relics found on the properties.	German helmets found around "House #6"

Gingerbread Men in Ireland

American paratroopers prepare to load onto their planes, "somewhere in
England" or in Northern Ireland?  Dated 7 Oct 42.

One of the frustrations for those with an affinity for the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion and researching their service during WWII is the scarcity of official documentation. Since the unit had no immediate higher headquarters and was disbanded in the midst of combat, not many records made their way into the National Archives or other repositories. A great deal of the history of this unit has to be pieced together by a combination of veteran narratives and some work by a few "history detectives."

One of these dedicated individuals is Clive Moore from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Clive contacted me recently about some WWII photographs he has come across that depict American paratroopers loading onto planes. On the photos are written the usual Signal Corps description of "somewhere in England" and a date of 7 Oct 42. But several of the photos also have a label stuck on them that says "US Paratroopers in Northern Ireland."

Officers conferring over a map, L-R, RAF Air Vice Marshall J. Cole Hamilton,
U.S. Lieutenant Colonel "Roff" (who I believe is Edson Raff), and
RAF Group Captain S. Gray. Lough Neagh is visible on the map they are
holding. This photo is also dated 7 Oct 42.

Because of terrain features visible in some of the photos (particularly Lough Neagh, visible on a map in one of the photos), Clive is convinced that these pictures were taken at an airfield at St. Angelo, in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. In another photo, two RAF officers flank an American identified as a Lieutenant Colonel "Roff." I've included the photo in this post. If you have seen the pictures in "The Boldest Plan is the Best," you'll probably agree with me that "Roff" is a typo, and this is a picture of Edson Raff. Clive has identified the RAF officers as Air Vice Marshall J. Cole Hamilton, who was Air Officer Commanding (AOC) for Northern Ireland until November 1942, and a Group Captain S. Gray.

We know from veterans narratives that the Geronimos took part in an exercise in Ireland in September. Clive has also informed me that a training exercise, code named PUNCH, was held in Northern Ireland from September 21 to 29, 1942. The exercise involved the U.S. 1st Armored and 34th Infantry Divisions, along with the British 59th and 61st Infantry Divisions and the British 72nd Infantry Brigade. Signal Corps photos were often dated several days after they were taken as often the people developing them were not the ones who took them. These photos dated 7 Oct 42 could very well have been taken the last week of September. Although we don't have documentation, I think it's a safe bet that the 509th PIB is the airborne contingent that participated in this exercise.

Honoring Leslie Ervin Green

PFC Les Green, B Company, 509^th Parachute Infantry Battalion, was one of only 55 men in his battalion left standing at the end of the Battle of the Bulge.

Private Leslie Ervin Green, c. 1943.

One of the pleasures that come with writing a book like The Boldest Plan is the Best: The Combat History of the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion during WWII, is the interaction you have with people who read your book and were moved to contact you. I am grateful to those folks and answer every letter and email I receive. Via Facebook, I was contacted by Pat Stephen of Morgan, Utah. Pat lost her father during the Battle of Midway when she was only 4 years old. Her uncle, Leslie Green, served with the Gingerbread Men during WWII. She was 8 years old when he came home from the war. Pat is 74 now and has many fond memories of her uncle. She recently sent me some information and a few pictures of her uncle Les, and I wanted to share those with you here.

Leslie Ervin Green was born on June 23, 1923 in Lebanon, Missouri. At age nineteen, Green was inducted into the United States Army on March 10, 1943 at the Army Induction Center in Arlington, California. Les spent his first thirteen weeks in the Army going through infantry basic training at Camp Roberts, California. That was followed with four weeks at Fort Benning, Georgia for jump school.

Click to enlarge and read article.

Les Green, and likely his whole class that had just completed parachute training, would move to the European Theater as replacements. In September of 1943, Green and his fellow paratroopers, moved from Fort Benning by train to Fort Patrick Henry, New Jersey, and then by convoy to the Port of Oran, in the North African country of Algeria. The trip took twenty-eight days.

From Oran, Green and the other paratrooper replacements moved by rail to the airborne training center that had been set up at Oujda, French Morocco. After weeks of intense training, Green boarded a train once more, this time bound for the Port of Bizerte, Tunisia. From Bizerte a convoy of ships carried Green and his fellow paratroopers to Naples, Italy.

Les Green was assigned as a rifleman in B Company, 509^th Parachute Infantry Battalion, who at the time was deployed within the beachhead at Anzio. On February 18, 1944 a small British landing craft put Green and his fellow soldiers ashore at Anzio. This was the beginning of a cumulative 180 days of service on the front lines. After Anzio, Green participated with the 509^th PIB in Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France. He served in the Maritime Alps. Finally, Les Green fought with the Geronimos in the Battle of the Bulge. Les Green was one of the 55 combat soldiers who were still standing when the Battalion was disbanded.

Paratroopers of the 509th PIB gather before a training jump.
Les Green is the first man standing on the right, wearing the
helmet. Photo courtesy of the Harvey Sutherland family.

After the disbanding of the 509^th Parachute Infantry Battalion, the survivors were sent to other units. Les served with the 82^nd Airborne Division until the end of the war. In occupied Germany, PFC Green was part of General Eisenhower’s honor guard. Leslie Green returned home in November of 1945. He had served in six campaigns. Representing his service, he wore the Combat Infantry Badge, the Purple Heart, and the Bronze Star. During his service with the Geronimos he also earned two Presidential Unit Citations and a unit award of the Croix de Guerre.

Les Green is on the back of the tank entering Nice during
the liberation of southern France.

Like many of his generation, Leslie Green did not talk much about the war, being fairly humble about his role in it. But his memories of the war and admiration of the men he served with remained. Green worked for Home Savings Bank for several decades before retiring. He told his niece, Pat, one of the highlights of his life was making an honorary parachute jump in 1994, commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the invasion of southern France. Leslie Ervin Green passed away on February 16, 2011 in Kingsburg, California.

Leslie Green, B Company, 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion
walks down the streets of Nice, c. 1944.

Leslie Green was one of thousands who have been a part of the legacy of the 509^th Parachute Infantry, and one of millions who have worn the uniform of the United States military services. Through their service and sacrifice, these people have had an effect on so many others. Their country called, and they went. Those who were able to return lived, and continue to live, among us. They are your next door neighbor; they work down at the bank, or in the grocery store. These men, and women, are not faceless or nameless. Today I wanted to introduce you to one of them.

Les Green (on the right) served on General Eisenhower's
Honor Guard in occupied Germany.

PFC Leslie Green, a proud Geronimo veteran
of the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion.

The Hotel Le Negresco

A contemporary picture of the Hotel Le Negresco.

The January/February edition of The History Channel Magazine has a nice article about the Negresco Hotel in Nice, France. Writer Kelly E. Carter did a wonderful job of laying out the historical significance of the stylish hotel along the French Riviera that is once again becoming a popular tourist destination for those not overly concerned with a budget. The article highlights the history of the building, notes some of the artwork that can be found there. The author also points out many of the celebrities that are known to have stayed there over the years.

Unfortunately, and much to my disappointment, Carter's only mention of the Hotel Le Negresco's witness to WWII history was one simple sentence:

"During World War II, the Negresco was seized by American soldiers and used as a rest home."

I thought that this period in the hotel's history deserved a bit more explanation, so I will quickly review that here.

This photo was simply labeled "Nice, 1944." But I believe that is the
Negresco Hotel down the boardwalk. Courtesy Edward R. Reuter.

Operation Dragoon, the U.S. Seventh Army's liberation of southern France, began on August 15th with beach landings centered around St. Tropez and airborne landings inland in the area of Le Muy. While French forces turned south to take the ports of Marseilles and Toulon, Seventh Army moved inland. Working up the coast of southern France, covering the right flank of Seventh Army, was the 1st Airborne Task Force (FABTF) that included the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion. Cannes and Nice were liberated by the 509th Combat Team (the Gingerbread Men with the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion attached) at the end of August 1944. These cities along the Côte d'Azur jubilantly welcomed the Allied forces with parades and parties. The Negresco Hotel (mentioned on page 238 of "The Boldest Plan is the Best," if you'll forgive a shameless plug) was indeed occupied and operated as an officer's club and R & R center for the remainder of the war. While the 509th PIB and other units in Seventh Army operated in southern France, soldiers were able to visit the Negresco and others like it for a well earned respite from combat and living in the field.

The boardwalk in Nice, 1944 from the other direction.
Image courtesy of Edward R. Reuter.

Although I'm sure that the men would have rather seen places like Naples, Rome, Cannes, and Nice in happier times, these areas brought unforgettable memories for many of the veterans I interviewed. Most of these "country boys" had never seen anything so spectacular and most never went back. I might also mention that one of the celebrity guests Kelly Carter forgot to put on her list was Audie Murphy, but his stay in 1945 was as a new second lieutenant commissioned on the battlefield, not as a famous actor or author. Of course in my opinion, not just the Geronimos but all of the soldiers, sailors, and airmen who stayed in the Hotel Le Negresco and places like it are celebrities.

The photograph at the top of the post is of the Negresco today. I've included a couple of pictures of the boardwalk in Nice from the collection provided for "The Boldest Plan is the Best: The Combat History of the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion during WWII" from Mr. Edward R. Reuter; these photos were taken in 1944. You can find out more about the Negresco Hotel in Nice at the Hotel's website.

509th PIB Update: A Gift From Down Under

My mail carrier brought me a real surprise this afternoon. A reminder of a friend in Australia that I have yet to meet in person. I was contacted last November by  Frank, who lives in a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, concerning a research effort he was participating in. I never told Frank that my sister-in-law and her husband live near Adelaide, so through some weird association in my mind, I just had to help out. Just kidding..you know that I have to jump in on anything having to do with researching the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion. ;-)

You see, Frank has a friend who is the nephew of Kenneth Edney, a British paratrooper during WWII who happened to be killed in action at Anzio while he was with the Geronimos. Frank is helping his friend research the circumstances that led Edney to be with the 509th at Anzio, where no British Airborne units were deployed. There is also some confusion as to whether or not Private Edney was killed in action or taken prisoner and later died of his wounds. Kenneth Edney is mentioned in Richard Fisco's book, "Your Lives Will Be Beautiful," only in passing. Fisco mentions that he was with his scout section and again later, describing the circumstances of his death while on patrol in the area of Carano, Italy on January 30, 1944. My new friends in Australia report to have some documentation of other accounts that conflict with what Fisco remembered happening that day. I did not find Private Edney's name in any of the sources I used for "The Boldest Plan is the Best." I have to assume that he was with the Gingerbread men in an "unofficial" status. The questions I would really like to see answered is why was Private Edney with the 509th PIB at Anzio and under what authority? If anyone has any information about Private Kenneth Edney, his relationship and service with the 509th Parachute Infantry at Anzio, or in prior campaigns, I would certainly appreciate an email.

Back to the boomerang:  So during our correspondence we traded a few emails and I signed a copy of the book for him. As token of appreciation Frank sent me a boomerang! I LOVE IT! Actually, I'm looking at it right now sitting on a shelf over my desk. You know, the best thing about the adventure of researching and writing a history book is the contact with the readers and meeting people who share your interest in that piece of history that is so important to you both. Thank you, Frank. That was a classy gesture. I wish you good luck in solving your "history mystery" and I hope I have the opportunity to travel "down under" one day to meet you in person.

Gingerbread Man's Dog Tag Found Near Rome

Here's a great news item: The Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal reports that the dog tag of a 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion paratrooper was unearthed by gardeners in a suburb of Rome.  Sgt Mike Baranek of Akron, a WWII veteran of the 509th PIB in North Africa and Italy, made three combat jumps, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, four Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts. The Geronimo returned home to Ohio after the war. He passed away in 1980.

The Italian gardeners, Olga Romagnolo and a friend, sent the dog tag to Nellie Baranek, Mike’s widow, in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Nellie will be sending the tag on to Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada where Mike’s granddaughter, Tammy Mahoney, is receiving treatment for breast cancer. The finding of the dog tag is viewed as a heavenly sign by Mahoney, who believes her grandfather is watching over her.

For pictures of Mike Baranek taken during WWII and the recently found dog tag, visit the 509th Parachute Infantry Association website's "soldier page" for Sgt Mike Baranek.

Bridge in West Virginia Named for 509th PIB Veteran

Photo from WBOY.com Channel 12 in Upsur County, West Virginia.

The Route 151 bridge across the Middle Fork River in Ellamore, West Virginia is now named the "U.S. Army Technician Fifth Victor A. Osburn Memorial Bridge."  Victor Osburn was a medic in the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion during WWII.  He joined the battalion in North Africa, participated in the Avellino jump, Anzio, and Operation Dragoon.  Victor Osburn was killed in action on August 21, 1944 in southern France.  For gallantry in action, he was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.  You can read Victor Osburn's Silver Star citation at the 509th Parachute Infantry Association's website.

The dedication ceremony was held at the bridge in Upshur county on Sunday May 27, 2012.  An honor guard from the 1/509th at Fort Polk was present, as well as members of the 509th PIB WWII Living History Group. Victor Osburn's nephew Joe Osburn, who was instrumental in having the bridge dedicated to his uncle's memory, had graciously sent me an invitation to the ceremony.  Unfortunately, being in the process of relocating to the other coast, I was unable to attend.  However, I was able to watch a well done video clip from local TV news WDTV covering the dedication.  Congratulations, Joe. It looks like the event was a success.

509th PIB News Roundup for Memorial Day

Parachute Trooper Johnson (the dummy) at the 504th 

Parachute Battalion dance, held in the Third Hangar, 

Lawson Field, Fort Benning, GA October 21, 1941.  

Army Signal Corps Photograph 124264

National Archives, College Park, MD.

From the time I started research for The Boldest Plan is the Best: The Combat History of the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion During WWII, I've been keeping up with news about the unit and its veterans.  Here are a couple of news items that came up on the radar today:

- According to the Avon (Connecticut) News, Morton N. Katz will be the keynote speaker for the Memorial Day events in Avon.  Katz served as a lieutenant in the 509th PIB during World War II.  He served in North Africa, Italy, France, and Belgium.  Katz is active in the local VFW Post 3272 and continues to practice law in Avon.

- The Bullard Banner News ran an article about 509th veteran Lloyd Wells of Upshur County, Texas.  Mr. Wells is also a veteran of North Africa, Avellino, Anzio, Southern France, and the Battle of the Bulge.  Unfortunately, Wells lost his medals (and his house) during the Texas wildfires last year.  On May 19, Wells was presented with his medals once again at a surprise ceremony at a local museum.  The article goes on to tell us that Lloyd Wells, just short of his 92nd birthday, still works full-time at Walmart in Gilmer, Texas, assembling bikes, barbecues, and furniture.

What I noticed about both news items is that these veterans, both over the age of ninety, are still working full-time.  It never ceases to amaze me...those paratroopers just don't know how to quit.

Please take a moment this Memorial Day weekend to thank a veteran for their service, and remember those who have fallen.  I've included a picture from the National Archives for you that didn't make it into the book.  It was taken during a happier moment in Geronimo history.  Enjoy the holiday.

509th PIB Colors to go to the Airborne Museum

L-R: Kelly, Tomasik, and Katz in Naples,
1944.  Soldier on the balcony unknown.
Photo courtesy of Mike Reuter.

One of the great things happening since the release of “The Boldest Plan is the Best” is coming in contact with more veterans and their family members.  One example is my correspondence with Mr. Morton Katz over the past couple of months.  Katz was a lieutenant in, and the last adjutant of, the 509^th Parachute Infantry Battalion.  It was his sad duty to oversea the turn-in of all of the battalion’s equipment and records after the unit was disbanded in February 1945.  Mort is now a retired colonel, and still practicing law in Avon, Connecticut.  I did not have the opportunity to interview Mort.  After the book came out, he got in contact with me.  I do wish I had met him during my research.

The other day I received a letter from Mort Katz with some big news.  His letter included a copy of a letter to him from the Army Center for Military History.  The letter is informing him that his request, through his congressman, to have the colors of the 509^th Parachute Infantry Battalion donated to the Airborne and Special Forces Museum in Fayetteville, North Carolina, has been approved.  The colors are currently in storage at the Center’s storage facility in Anniston, Alabama.  They are in good condition, but will require some conservation treatment before they can be framed and transferred to the museum.  Therefore, an exact date for the transfer or information on any kind of ceremony is not available at this time.  So as they say, more to follow.

Get their stories while you can.

I was contacted by the son of a WWII veteran of the 509^th Parachute Infantry Battalion yesterday to let me know that his father had passed away.  Harold Seay was one of the veterans of this unit that answered my questionnaire and assisted in my research for “The Boldest Plan is the Best.”  Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mrs. Seay, her son Roy, and their family.  I am grateful that I had the opportunity to be in communication with Harold and the rest of these amazing veterans, and I only wish I had started the project years ago.

On the same day, I saw a segment on the NBC Nightly News that reminded us that we are losing (their reported estimate) over 700 World War II veterans each day.  The story was about the members of the WWII generation who live in a retirement community in Hanover, New Hampshire called Kendal at Hanover who are compiling their memories into a book.  There are 56 vignettes in the book, titled “WWII Remembered.”  If you would like to see a video of the news segment with Brian Williams, here is a link.  I found it moving, and I would like to echo the appeal made in the piece to gather the stories from our greatest generation while you are still able.

I think the rest of America was moved by the story as well.  Out of curiosity, I looked up the book on Amazon.  Due to be released tomorrow, it is already number one in the category of WWII History.  I’m looking forward to getting my copy.

"The Boldest Plan is the Best" now available on Kindle

Happy New Year everyone!  2012?  How did that happen?!  Well, Sheila and I are happy to start off the New Year with some good news.  We're excited to announce that The Boldest Plan is the Best: The Combat History of the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion during WWII is now available in a Kindle edition.
I've been hesitant to try out any form of e-reader.  I'm old school and I like my books, to hold in my hands while I read them and to display them on the shelf when you're done.  You can tell a lot about a person by the books that they read, and when I go to someone's house the first thing I do is check out what books they have on the shelf.
All that being said, as I see it there are several advantages to owning a Kindle.  First of all, most books are cheaper in the Kindle version.  Some are only a couple of dollars cheaper, some are much more.  The Kindle version of The Boldest Plan is the Best is half the cover price of a print copy.  Amazon carries a lot of free content, mostly classic literature that is in the public domain and start-up authors who give away their work to gather a following.  Amazon also makes Kindle editions available to local libraries to loan electronically.  You can fit literally thousands of books on your Kindle device and carry it with you anywhere.  It is light and very portable to the point where I must admit that I prefer to have one with me when I'm out of the house rather than carrying a book along.
So like anything else in this world, there are positives and negatives.  But the bottom line is that if you are a book lover who has been thrust into the twenty-first century by Santa this Christmas, enjoy!