Corporal (CPL) Richard Randolph Hibbs of Easy Battery, 81st Airborne Anti-Aircraft Battalion (AAA), 101st Airborne Division, was born in Lexington, McLean County, Illinois, to Dorsey R. and Minnie M. (Blagg) Hibbs on April 23, 1920. He had two sisters, Margaret V. and Mary A. Hibbs.

At an unknown date, the family moved to Secor, Woodford County, Illinois, where Richard attended Secor Grade School and El Paso High School, graduating in 1938. He registered for the draft in Eureka, Illinois, on July 1, 1941. At the time, he was employed as a mechanic by Caterpillar Tractor Co. in East Peoria, Illinois.

Richard enlisted in the United States Army at Camp Grant, Illinois, on March 24, 1942. On September 3, 1942, the 81st Airborne Anti-Aircraft Battalion was activated at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, and on September 22, Richard was assigned to Easy Battery. He was also appointed Private First Class that day and Corporal on November 24, 1942. He received his basic training at Camp Claiborne, after which he was transferred to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he received his glider training.

After finishing his stateside training with the 81st AAA, CPL Hibbs left for England on the HMS Samaria with his battalion on September 5, 1943. The ship arrived at Liverpool Harbor, England, on September 15, 1943, and the 81st AAA men were moved by train to Basildon Park, Berkshire, England.

After more intensive training in England to prepare the men for their first battle, Richard received his baptism of fire on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

Due to the shortage of tug aircraft for the gliders, the men of Easy Battery were not inserted by glider into Normandy. Dog, Easy, and Fox Battery landed by water on Utah Beach with the assault waves of the 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, at H plus 15 minutes on D-Day, in water from 3 to 10 feet deep, under intense enemy artillery and machine gun fire.

CPL Hibbs survived the harrowing moments on Utah Beach and fought in Normandy until Easy Battery returned to England on July 11, 1944. After his return to Basildon, he was granted a 7-day furlough, effective as of July 14.

For Operation Market Garden, Easy Battery was again part of the seaborne echelon, alongside Dog and Fox Batteries. The batteries landed at Omaha Beach and made an overland move to Son, the Netherlands, arriving on September 24, 1944, a week after Operation Market Garden had started. Easy Battery, together with Dog and Fox Battery, was attached to the 326th Airborne Engineer Battalion for ground and air defense of the Division Service Area.

At the beginning of October, the 81st AAA moved to a small strip of land between two large rivers, dubbed “The Island.” The men of Easy Battery were in an area close to Elst when heavy enemy artillery fire fell on their positions on October 6. Four men were injured, and four were killed that day, including CPL Hibbs.

Another Screaming Eagle had soared to the ultimate height. 🦅

CPL Richard Hibbs died at 24 years of age in the Netherlands.

He was buried at the temporary military facility Molenhoek #1 on November 21, 1944. His body was returned home under the “Return of the Dead Program”, where he was reburied at the Secor Cemetery in Secor, Woodford County, Illinois, on Friday, January 28, 1949. CPL Hibbs was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart Medal.

Happy Birthday in Heaven, Richard.

Lest we forget! 🇺🇸

Sources:

• Find a Grave

• Family Search

• NARA

• After Action Reports of the 81st Airborne AA Battalion

The other sources used for this article are known to the author and available on request.

Private (PVT) Robert Francis Britt of Service Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 101st Airborne Division, was born in Lexington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, to Michael J. and Sarah (Belson) Britt on April 15, 1922. Robert was part of a good-sized family with four boys and five girls. Robert’s brothers were Joseph M., Edward L., and James M. Britt, and his sisters were Mary E., Mabel F., Madeline, Doris C., and Helen Britt.

Robert signed up for the draft in Waltham, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, on June 30, 1942. He was employed by Greenough Bros., a local construction company in Waltham, when he signed up.

He married Dorothy Elaine Bond at an unknown date that same year, and their marriage was blessed with a girl, Nancy, who was born on June 28, 1943.

A couple of months earlier, on March 10, 1943, Robert enlisted in the U.S. Army in Boston. He was initially assigned to the Headquarters Company, 423rd Infantry Regiment, 106th Infantry Division, stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, where he rose to the rank of Technician (TEC) Fourth Grade. He was promoted from TEC 5 to TEC 4 on December 24, 1943.

Robert volunteered for paratrooper duty, and almost a week after his promotion, he was sent on detached service to the HQ First Student Training Regiment at Fort Benning, Georgia, on December 20, 1943. Due to his transfer, he was demoted to the rank of private on February 13, 1944.

On March 5, 1944, he was assigned to Co C, 31st Battalion, of the 8th Replacement Infantry Regiment at Fort George Meade, Maryland. At the beginning of June, he was sent overseas, and after his arrival, transferred from the 225th Replacement Company to the 15th Replacement Depot at Yeovil, South Somerset, England, on July 2, 1944. Then, on July 7, he reached his final destination, being assigned to Service Company, 506th PIR. A couple of days later, the remnants of the 506th returned to England after their baptism of fire in Normandy when they jumped into France on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

Robert made his first combat jump with Service Company into the Netherlands at the start of Market Garden, on September 17, 1944. He survived the initial actions of the 506th around Eindhoven and Hell’s Highway, but died during the defense of the 506th at Opheusden on The Island at the beginning of October, when the Germans ferociously attacked the town.

Another Screaming Eagle had soared to the ultimate height. 🦅

PVT Robert Britt died at the age of 22 on October 6, 1944. The Weekly Report of Burials (No. 109), made up by the Quartermaster Company of the Grave Registration, lists Robert with the 426th Airborne Quartermaster Company when he was buried at Block G, Row 1, grave 5 of the temporary American Military Cemetery at Molenhoek, on October 6, 1944. None of the available morning reports of the time that he served with the 506th Service Company indicates, though, that Robert was transferred to the 426th Airborne Quartermaster Company.

Robert was later reburied in the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial of Margraten, the Netherlands, where he rests eternally at Plot G, Row 2, Grave 24. He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart Medal.

May he rest in peace.

Happy Birthday in Heaven, Robert.

Lest we forget. 🇺🇸

Sources:

• Family Search

• NARA

• Deliver Us from Darkness by Ian Gardner

Sergeant (SGT) Frederick William “Fred” Grethel of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 401st Glider Infantry Regiment (GIR), 101st Airborne Division, was born in Syracuse County, New York, to Fred and Mary E. (Mellen) Grethel on April 7, 1922. He had one younger brother, Henry E. Grethel, and three older sisters, Leona, Carolyn E., and Anna Mae Grethel.

His brother Henry is a famous American fashion designer, merchandiser, and marketer, known for his American sportswear collection, but he also spent many years designing shirts for Lanvin, Pierre Cardin, and Christian Dior.

Fred registered for the draft on June 30, 1942, in his hometown. He entered the U.S. Army in Rochester, New York, on September 29, 1942. The next month, on October 5, he was assigned to Charlie Company at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Fred was trained to become a glider pilot.

He was engaged to a woman named Evelyn, but while he was training for the invasion, she sent him a “Dear John” letter, which devastated Fred, who was madly in love with her. Apparently, she later reconsidered her decision, but did not have an opportunity to contact him again before he was killed.

SGT Grethel died in combat while fighting the Germans in Normandy with the 401st. The book, Fighting with the Screaming Eagles, written by SGT Robert M. Bowen from Charlie Co., describes briefly what happened on the day he was killed in action:

“A sniper had killed Fred Grethel as he carelessly exposed himself.”

Another Screaming Eagle had soared to the ultimate height. 🦅

His sister Leona wrote a small article in June 1954, remembering her brother Fred at the time when Henry graduated from Syracuse University.

“There’s a dull ache on my left side where the heart holds sway, and I guess the reason for it is two-fold. First, I can’t be there in person [at Henry’s graduation], and secondly, because my war hero brother can’t be there, either. He always said that he hoped that Hank [Henry] would have sense enough to get as much education as was possible, and I know that he’ll be proud as punch if, wherever he is, he is aware of his brother’s accomplishments.”

SGT Fred Grethel died at the age of 22 on June 19, 1944. He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart Medal. On July 5, his parents received a letter from France, dated June 17, stating that he was well and urging his parents not to worry about him. The next day, the terrible news of his death reached them through a telegram from the War Department.

SGT Grethel was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery Sainte-Mère-Église #1 at Plot N, Row 8, Grave 160, on June 20, 1944. On March 11, 1948, he was disinterred and prepared for a final reburial. On February 23, 1949, SGT Grethel was reburied in Normandy, France, where he rests eternally in the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial at Plot F, Row 16, Grave 29.

May he rest in peace.

Happy Birthday in Heaven, Fred.

Lest we forget. 🇺🇸

Sources:

• FindaGrave

• Family Search

• Ancestry

• IDPF

• Wikipedia

• Fighting with the Screaming Eagles by Robert Bowen

Private (PVT) James Joseph Calabro of Baker Battery, 321st Glider Field Artillery Battalion (GFAB), was born in Villa San Giovanni, Reggio di Calabria, Italy, to Giuseppe and Giovanna Calabro on April 1, 1922. James had one brother, Frank Calabro, and two sisters, Antoinette and Lucreza Grace Calabro. His brother Frank served as a corporal with the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII.

James registered for the draft on June 30, 1942, at White Plains, New York. He entered the service on November 20, 1942, and was first sent to the Headquarters Service Command Service Unit Reception Center at Camp Upton, New York. During WWII, Camp Upton in Long Island served as a vital U.S. Army induction and training center (1940–1946) under the Second Service Command.

James was assigned to the Headquarters & Headquarters Battery of the 13th Field Artillery Observation Battalion of the 15th Field Artillery Brigade at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on December 1, 1942. On July 26, 1943, he was transferred from the HQ & HQ & Service Battery, 321st GFAB, to Baker Battery of the same battalion.

Gary Dettore’s fine book, Screaming Eagle Gliders, The 321st Glider Field Artillery Battalion of the 101st Airborne Division in World War II, describes what happened on the day when PVT Calabro lost his life in the Netherlands on September 19, 1944, the third day of Operation Market Garden.

SGT Harvey Baker from Blue Island, Illinois, was the copilot of his Waco CG-4A Hadrian that had left England that day, heading toward a landing zone near Eindhoven in the Netherlands.

“The landing was a rough one - the glider struck a stone fence that sent the howitzer careening forward, snapping the mooring ropes fastened to the wooden floor. PVT James Calabro (Baker Battery) from White Plains, New York, was killed instantly when the trail of the howitzer broke loose, crushing his head. The howitzer smashed its way through the nose of the glider and landed outside in the Holland field.”

Another Screaming Eagle had soared to the ultimate height. 🦅

PVT James Calabro died at the age of 22 on September 19, 1944. He was the first man of White Plains, New York, to lose his life in the Netherlands. James was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. After his initial internment in the temporary military cemetery of Son, the Netherlands, on September 21, 1944, he was reburied at the White Plains Rural Cemetery in the winter of 1949. May he rest in peace.

Happy Birthday in Heaven, James.

Lest we forget. 🇺🇸

This story of PVT James J. Calabro was written with information provided by Gary Dettore. I would like to thank him for allowing me to use this information that made it possible to write this article.

Sources:

• Family Search

• NARA

• Ancestry

• The Reporter Dispatch, White Plains, New York; Friday, August 20, 1943

• Screaming Eagle Gliders, The 321st Glider Field Artillery Battalion of the 101st Airborne Division in World War II by Gary Dettore

First Lieutenant (1LT) Walter Bradley Briere of Fox Battery, 81st Airborne Anti-Aircraft Battalion (AAA), 101st Airborne Division, was born in South Portland, Cumberland County, New Jersey, to Joseph A. and Marion A. (Linskey) Briere on March 26, 1914. He had eight brothers, Charles J., John, Donald W., Joseph A. Jr., Edward F., Raymond O., Paul V., and Peter V. Briere, and five sisters, Dorothy L., Beatrice M., Irene C., Anette M., and Marie A. Briere.

Walter’s father entered the service on January 17, 1914, and served with the HQ Co, 72nd Arty CAC, in the American Expeditionary Force in France, but the 72nd's training was not completed until after the Armistice was signed, meaning he was never in combat on the front lines.

Two of his brothers were also in the service during WWII. His brother Joseph was a Fire Control Seaman 3rd Class and had earned a Bronze Star at Okinawa. Edward was a Marine Corps veteran of WWII. After the war, he re-enlisted in the USMC and served with the Air School at Quantico.

Walter attended the public schools in South Portland, and when his parents moved to New York City, he graduated from Flushing High School. Founded in 1875, it is the oldest public school in NYC. He signed up for the draft at Queens County on October 16, 1940. Before he enlisted in the service, he worked as a salesman with the Lorentzen Hardware Corporation, a New York City-based manufacturer and supplier, notable for producing parts for Venetian blinds.

After graduating from the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Officer Candidate School at Camp Davis, North Carolina, in 1942, Walter was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and assigned to the 81st Airborne Anti-Aircraft Battalion.

Walter Briere landed as a second lieutenant with Fox Company, 81st AAA on Utah Beach with the assault waves of the 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, at H plus 15 minutes (H-hour was the beginning of the amphibious assault, at 6:30 AM local time), on D-Day, in water from 3 to 10 feet deep, under intense enemy artillery and machine gun fire. He survived the day and the other combat actions with Fox Co in Normandy and was promoted to first lieutenant on June 30th.

Lieutenant Briere would also survive the combat actions with Fox Co in the Netherlands, only to meet his fate at the third big WWII combat action of the 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne, Belgium.

On January 3, 1945, an anti-aircraft artillery gun of his platoon jammed during a German assault. LT Briere instructed his men to retreat to a safer position while he alone worked to fix it. As enemy troops approached, he picked up a machine gun and held them off, then tried again to fix the problem. He got the artillery gun working again, and soon after was shot in the head, with the bullet piercing his helmet, killing him instantly.

Another Screaming Eagle had soared to the ultimate height. 🦅

Lieutenant Walter Briere died at the age of 30 during the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium on January 3, 1945. He was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery of Grand Failly, Section K, Row 1, Grave 3. He was reburied at the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial of Hamm, Luxembourg, and rests eternally at Block C, Row 2, Grave 17.

May he rest in peace.

Happy Birthday in Heaven, Walter.

Lest we forget. 🇺🇸

Sources:

• Find a Grave, Walter Bradley Briere

• Honor States

• Family Search

• NARA

• Ancestry

Hello friends and supporters of the 101st Airborne Division!

It’s probably been a while since you received any updates from us. I apologize for the radio silence, but I hope you are doing well and staying safe despite the challenges the world is currently facing.

A few months ago, I discovered the website platform we moved to last year did not allow me to send email updates without paying additional fees, so the only way you would know about new articles here was by visiting the website on your own. Then to make matters worse, the monthly rates have increased for no reason, like every other app and platform, thus stretching my personal budget to the point where it’s no longer affordable. With the American economy as bad as it is and no end in sight to rising prices, I had to make a decision between shutting down this project or switching back to Substack since it’s free.

Because Jos Groen and I have put in so much work trying to honor the Screaming Eagle’s legacies, I decided to compromise on my beliefs rather than let these men’s heroic deeds fade away into nothing.

Some of you may recall I left this platform due to its controversial stance on freedom of speech, one that allows fascist or racist ideologies to be shared online here. Like most people, I fully support the rights to free speech and expression, but there comes a time when we should question how far to let it go before drawing a line in the sand.

It felt wrong to continue to publish where such hatred was allowed and unchecked, especially when the men we write about fought against such things in World War II. Therefore I moved this content to a new platform.

Most of our readers supported the move, while a few responded eloquentially, encouraging me to stand my ground here because hate speech will never cease to exist anyway, to which I sadly agree. They made a valid point in that having good, positive publications helps combat those that are negative.

That being said, this website is now back on Substack and will remain that way as long as possible. The only difference is the URL or website address is now 101stairbornedivision.org.

The updside besides this platform being free is that they have made some major technological improvements since we left, empowering us to do more with our publication and content. This makes me excited for this project’s future. My hope is we can continue to build a valuable resource that honors those who served and who died for our freedom.

As for our Screaming Eagles store, it will be a separate website on the previous URL of 101stAirborneDivision.com, with the goal of having 100% of the net profits made from the sale of these products being used to fund wellness initiatives for those who served in this elite unit and were injured during their time of enlistment. More items will be added soon and I sincerely appreciate those of you who have already purchased t-shirts and other gifts in the past.

If you have questions or concerns, I’m happy to respond, and if you decide to unsubcribe due to another transition, I understand. Please know this was not something taken lightly but I hope you will continue to be a part of this community.

Thank you for your time and support!

James Dalman, U.S. Army Veteran and Publisher

Private First Class (PFC) Ralph Henry Carl Fritz of Dog Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 101st Airborne Division, was born in Circle, McCone County, Montana, to Alvin J. and Elsie S. (Volpp) Fritz on March 19, 1922. Ralph was their oldest son. He had eight brothers, Howard J., Avron A., Lawrence W., Richard F., Winfred A., Arthur M, Lyle D, and Earl Fritz, and three sisters, Mildred R., Lucille S., and Gladys M. Fritz.

His brother Howard enlisted in the U.S. Navy in February 1942 and served during the war and, post-WWII, in the U.S. Navy and, as of 1953, in the U.S. Air Force until his retirement. Avon was inducted at Fort Douglas, Utah, at the end of March 1945, and served as a paratrooper with the 11th Airborne Division in Japan (1945 – 1946). Lawrence joined the U.S. Navy at the end of May 1944 and served as a Seaman First Class with the Navy in the Southwest Pacific.

Ralph registered for the draft in his hometown of Circle on June 30, 1942, and was working at his dad’s farm when he signed up. The draft also mentions a crooked little finger on his right hand. He enlisted in Butte, Montana, on December 15, 1942, and as he had volunteered for paratroop training, he was assigned to the Parachute School at Ft Benning, Georgia. After receiving his wings, PVT Ralph Fritz was transferred in grade from the 1st Parachute Training Regiment to Dog Co, 506th, on June 21, 1943. Soon after his transfer, he travelled to England with the regiment on the SS Samaria, leaving New York Harbor on September 5, 1943.

On D-Day, June 6, 1944, PFC Fritz made his first combat jump when he was dropped into Normandy, France. On June 13, he was lightly wounded in action, but returned from treatment in a hospital five days later. He left France from a Normandy beach somewhere between July 10 and 13, when the 101st paratroopers were shipped back to England. After he arrived in Hungerford, he was granted a 7-day furlough on July 15th, returning to duty on July 23rd.

On September 17, 1944, PFC Fritz made his second combat jump into the Netherlands at the start of Operation Market Garden. In an interview with Rodge Dowson, another Dog Company veteran, Bob Lundy remembered Ralph Fritz's supreme sacrifice.

“As 2nd Platoon, 2nd Squad was on the second floor of a warehouse on the outskirts of Eindhoven, they were watching German positions. As they rested and lay low, the men talked. Ralph told the others how excited he was to become a dad. He had all these wonderful plans,” Bob Lundy recalled. “Then we got orders to move out. We checked our gear and filed downstairs onto the street. I was behind Ralph. He turned left onto the street, and I turned right. A couple of minutes later, Ralph was shot and killed by a sniper.”

Another Screaming Eagle had soared to the ultimate height. 🦅

While preparing for the invasion of England, Ralph met and married an English girl, Lilian May Carhart, on an unknown date. When he went to fight the Germans, she was pregnant and gave birth to a little girl, Carole May, in Cubert, Cornwall, England, on November 6, 1944. She became a precious little girl and a beautiful woman, whom he did not live to see.

PFC Ralph Fritz died at the age of 22 in Brabant, the Netherlands, on September 17, 1944. On September 23rd, he was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery of Son. A memorial service was conducted at the Circle High School auditorium on Sunday, October 29, 1944. His body returned to the United States aboard USAT Barney Kirschbaum at the New York Port of Embarkation on January 3, 1949. At the end of the month, on Saturday, the 22nd, Ralph was reburied after a funeral service was held at the First Lutheran Church of Circle. He rests eternally in the local Riverview Cemetery.

May he rest in peace.

Happy Birthday in Heaven, Ralph.

Lest we forget. 🇺🇸

Sources:

• Find a Grave, Ralph Henry Carl Fritz

• Family Search

• NARA

• Ancestry

Second Lieutenant (2LT) David Rogers of HQ HQ & Service Battery, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion (PFAB), 101st Airborne Division, was born in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, to F. Gordon and Reba Rogers on March 13, 1920. David was their firstborn. He had two brothers, Harold and Stanley Rogers, and one sister, Phyllis Rogers. Harold and Stanley also served during WWII.

Harold Rogers (left) graduated in 1941 and immediately enlisted in the U.S. Navy. After completing his boot training, he was sent to the Santos Islands in the South Pacific, where he spent 18 months on a jungle island airfield. 

Stan Rogers (right) entered the U.S. Army immediately after graduating from high school in 1943. He served as a Technician Fifth Grade in a Medical Detachment of Transportation and made numerous trips across the Atlantic, traveling to Scotland, England, Italy, Africa, and many other places.

David Rogers was a member of the Class of 1940 at Atlantic City High School. Like Harold, he enlisted in the New Jersey National Guard in Atlantic City on September 16, 1940, and both men were assigned to the HQ Battery, 2nd Battalion, 157th Field Artillery. 

David began his training at the Field Artillery Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, on November 12, 1942. After graduating on February 4, 1943, and earning his officer’s commission, he volunteered for paratroop duty. He was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, for his jump training, and after receiving his wings, he was assigned to the HQ HQ & Service Battery, 377th PFAB. 

On D-Day, June 6, 1944, Lieutenant Rogers jumped into Normandy. Four days later, he had been ordered to go to the Command Post of an infantry battalion of the 4th Infantry Division. He had to pick up about eight enlisted men of the 377th PFAB who had been dropped near St. Martin D’Audouville. He left with a small detail of two jeeps, two drivers, and a sergeant. While underway, moving northward, the Germans opened up with burp guns as Lieutenant Rogers’ detail was driving toward St. Mère Église. The sergeant was the only one to survive the attack. Both the drivers and Lieutenant Rogers were killed.

Another Screaming Eagle had soared to the ultimate height. 🦅

2LT David Rogers died at the age of 24 in Normandy, France, on June 10, 1944. On June 15, 1944, he was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery of St. Mère Église #1 at Plot B, Row 9, Grave 162. He was disinterred on March 19, 1948, and moved by truck to Cherbourg, where his casket was placed on the USAT James E. Robinson on November 26, 1948. After arriving in New York Harbor, he was transported by train to Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he arrived on January 7, 1949. 

Ventnor city officials, military dignitaries, other veterans, his ice hockey coach of the Atlantic City High School, and 1st SGT John Cuthbert, under whom he served when he enlisted in the National Guard, all paid tribute to Lieutenant Rogers in Ventnor’s City Hall on Saturday, January 8th.

Lieutenant Rogers was buried the next day and rests eternally at Beth Israel Cemetery of Woodbridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey. He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart Medal. 

May he rest in peace. 

Happy Birthday in Heaven, David.

Lest we forget. 🇺🇸

Sources:

• Find a Grave, David Rogers

• Family Search

• NARA

Private (PVT) Leslie Blake Nussbaum of Item Company, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 101st Airborne Division, was born in Dalton, Wayne County, Ohio, to Christian C. and Elizabeth (Schumacher) Nussbaum on March 6, 1921. He had six brothers, Gillis H., Loris L., Wilfred R., Eldon J., Robert D., and Harley W. Nussbaum, and four sisters, Bernice, Alice E., Ada M., and Alma M. Nussbaum. 

Three of his brothers also served in the military. Harley served as a Seaman First Class in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during WWII. Robert served as a private with Co. F of the 36th Engineer Regiment in March 1944 at Anzio, Italy, and later in Southern France, as a participant in Operation Dragoon (August – September 1944). Eldon was inducted at Fort Hayes on November 27, 1943, and served as a Technician Fifth Grade in the U.S. Army, receiving training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, in the fall of 1944. 

Leslie attended Dalton High School before working at Union Drawn Steel Company, a prominent manufacturer of cold-finished steel bars in Massillon, Ohio, and at Eaton Manufacturing Company, where he had worked for one year as a wire drawer in plant no. 2 of the company before his induction.

On Saturday, January 15, 1938, Leslie experienced a car collision close to his hometown, in which no one was injured. Three years later, on Monday, January 13, 1941, he hit a pedestrian at an intersection in Dalton, Ohio, but it was cited as a minor incident. Then on Saturday, March 21, 1942, he caused an accident in which his car tore up about 100 feet of guardrail by driving too fast. A local judge finally revoked his driver’s license for one year and fined him $25 for repairs. Apparently, he was not meant to drive!

Leslie signed up for the draft in Orville, Wayne County, Ohio, on February 14, 1942. He enlisted at Fort Hayes, Columbus, Ohio, on July 13, 1942, and received his basic training at Camp Forrest, Tennessee. He was also instructed in ranger tactics before joining the paratroops in May 1943. 

Leslie sustained a broken ankle during jump training at the Paratrooper School, but after his recovery, he successfully completed his parachute training in September 1943 with Co. F of the 1st Parachute Training Regiment at Ft Benning, Georgia. Leslie was then transferred to Baker Company, 515th PIR on September 20, 1943. On October 13, 1943, he arrived by train in Camp Shanks, New York, awaiting his transportation by ship to England. 

On November 8, 1943, PVT Leslie Nussbaum was assigned to the Regimental HQ Company, 502nd PIR, from the 10th Replacement Depot, but was then transferred to Item Company one month later, on December 7th. 

PVT Nussbaum made his first combat jump on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and according to the company’s morning report, he was lightly injured in one of his legs that day. His wounds must have been more than serious, as he was evacuated to the 76th General Hospital, and then to the 4177th U.S. Army Hospital in Leominster, Herefordshire, England, for further treatment. 

He returned to Item Company on August 4, 1944, and made his second combat jump into the Netherlands on September 17 for Operation Market Garden.

PVT Nussbaum landed at 13.35 hrs with the other Item Company paratroopers at the drop zone close to the Dutch town Best, encountering hardly any ground resistance. Item Company reported little skirmishes with the enemy on September 18, and was involved in an attack at the Wilhelmina Canal, supported by British armor the next day. During the combat actions of that day, PVT Nussbaum was killed in action, caused by a fatal head wound.

Another Screaming Eagle had soared to the ultimate height. 🦅

PVT Leslie Nussbaum died at the age of 23 in the Netherlands on September 19, 1944. He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart Medal with an Oak Leaf Cluster.

Leslie was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery of Son, the Netherlands, at plot A, Row 3, Grave 50. He was disinterred on June 14, 1948, and moved by rail from the American Cemetery at Margraten, the Netherlands, to the port of Antwerp, Belgium, where his casket was placed on the USAT Barney Kirschbaum on December 7, 1948. After arriving in New York Harbor, he was transported by train to Orrville, Ohio, on Wednesday, January 26, 1949. He was reburied three days after returning home. PVT Leslie Nussbaum rests eternally at the Dalton Cemetery of Wayne County, Ohio.

May he rest in peace. 

Happy Birthday in Heaven, Leslie.

Lest we forget. 🇺🇸

Sources:

• Find a Grave, Leslie Blake Nussbaum

• Family Search

• IDPF

• NARA

The 101st Airborne Division “Screaming Eagles” was originally organized in November 1918 and established its headquarters at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, on November 2, 1918. As World War I ended just nine days later, the division was demobilized on December 11, 1918.

In June of 1921, the 101st Airborne was reconstituted as an Organized Reserve unit. The division was established in September in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with reservists, most of whom were individually called into federal service after the outbreak of the war. The reserve status was disbanded on August 15, 1942, and concurrently, the division was reconstituted in the Army of the United States as the 101st Airborne Division.

On July 30, 1942, the Army Ground Forces ordered the activation of two airborne divisions no later than August 15, 1942.

The 82nd Airborne Division, an Organized Reserve Division that had been activated into active military service in March 1942, was ordered to provide cadre to the 101st Airborne Division, which was also selected for the project.

The airborne capabilities were to be supported by two Glider Infantry Regiments (GIRs), the 327th and 401st, along with one Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), the 502nd. Even though the 101st Airborne Division was activated at Camp Claiborne, the 502nd PIR was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia.

The first commander of the Screaming Eagles was the recently promoted Major General William C. Lee. In his maiden speech, based on a General Order (Number 5), he spoke these famous and prescient words on August 19, 1942:

“The 101st Airborne Division has no history, but it has a rendezvous with destiny.”

In October 1942, the division was moved to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and was finally joined by the 502nd PIR to begin training under the Airborne Command. By the spring of 1943, the 101st Airborne was ready to face its first test in local maneuvers.

Immediately following these maneuvers, the 101st left to take part in the Tennessee maneuvers, a larger-scale operation. Preceding the exercise, on June 10, 1943, the 506th Parachute Infantry was officially attached to the 101st Airborne Division. The Screaming Eagle’s performance throughout the maneuvers was impressive, demonstrating the capabilities of U.S. Airborne Forces.

The division would return to Fort Bragg to continue training and perform various airborne demonstrations for visiting officials until mid-August, when it finally received orders for transfer overseas. Arriving in England, the 101st Airborne was quartered in Wiltshire and Berkshire, where it continued to train and prepare for the impending invasion of Europe.

In January 1944, the 101st Airborne Division received its third Parachute Infantry Regiment, the 501st PIR.

On February 5, General Lee, who had championed the airborne cause from the beginning, suffered a heart attack. Although he had brought the division from its initial organization through training for the fight in Europe, General Lee was not to be part of the Screaming Eagles’ baptism of fire. He was relieved of his command and returned to the United States. Brigadier General Maxwell D. Taylor, former commander of the 82nd Airborne Division Artillery, assumed command of the 101st Airborne on March 14, 1944.

Maj. Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor. Photo courtesy US Army Signal Corps

The division underwent another organizational change that month when the 2nd Battalion, 401st Glider Infantry Regiment, was permanently transferred to the 82nd Airborne Division. The 1st Battalion was attached to the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment to operate as its third battalion. The 1st Battalion, 401st GIR, was made an official element of the 327th GIR in April 1945.

Besides the Parachute and Glider Infantry Units, the 101st Airborne Division consisted of the following:

• 326th Airborne Engineer Battalion (AEB)

• 81st Airborne Anti-Aircraft Battalion

• 321st Glider Field Artillery Battalion (GFAB)

• 907th GFAB

• 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion (PFAB)

• 463rd PFAB, the 326th Medical Company

• 426th Quarter Master Company (QM Co)

• Plus other headquarters (HQ) personnel, Military Police (MP), and assorted supply and support troops.

While training in England in preparation for war, the 101st Airborne participated in three formal exercises: BEAVER, TIGER, and EAGLE.

During Operation BEAVER at Slapton Sands on the Devonshire coast, elements of the division jumped from trucks instead of planes with the mission of capturing the causeway bridges that crossed the estuary behind the beach. The division performed much the same mission during the second exercise, Operation TIGER.

Operation EAGLE, held during the second week of May, was the division’s dress rehearsal for its role in the coming Normandy invasion. The 101st Airborne Division, this time jumping from actual planes, was once again assigned to capture the causeways leading away from a simulated beach.

Although a misunderstanding caused most of the division to jump at the wrong coordinates, the mission was accomplished, and the exercise was considered a success. The division then returned to its stations to continue its final preparations for the coming battles on the continent.

Sources:

• Rendezvous with Destiny: A History of the 101st Airborne Division (Leonard Rapport & Arthur Northwood)

• 101st Airborne: The Screaming Eagles in World War II (Mark Bando)

• Screaming Eagle Gliders: The 321st Glider Field Artillery Battalion of the 101st Airborne Division in World War II (By: G.J. Dettore)

Private (PVT) John Laurence Curitti of Able Company, 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 101st Airborne Division, was born in Buckeye, Muskingum County, Ohio, to Gaetano “Guy” and Anna (Tedeschi) Curitti on February 28, 1919. His parents immigrated to the U.S. His father left Naples, Italy, and arrived on the Moltke in New York Harbor on November 13, 1913. John had four brothers, Mario H., Lenee J., Hugo J., and Wido R. Curitti, and one sister, Theressa Curitti.

His brothers Lenee, Hugo, and Wido also served during WWII.

Lenee served as a Technician Fifth Grade with the 81st Armored Reconnaissance Battalion of the 1st Armored Division in Italy, taking part in the landing at Anzio Beach. Hugo fought as a Private First Class with Baker Company, 2nd Infantry Regiment of the 5th Infantry Division, landing in Normandy, France in July 1944. Wido served as a Seaman Second Class with the Air Ferry Service Squadron One in New York at the end of WWII. 

John signed up for the draft in McMechen, Marshall County, West Virginia, on October 16, 1940. His family had moved from Ohio to West Virginia at an unknown date. For many mid-20th-century Americans, October 16, 1940, was R-Day—the date on which all men between the ages of 21 and 35 were required to register for the draft. John was unemployed when he registered in October 1940.

He enlisted almost three years later in Baltimore, Maryland, on September 27, 1943. On October 18th, he travelled from the induction station in Baltimore to Ft George Meade, Maryland, where he was assigned to Company C of the 1302nd Records Replacement Center. Then on November 4, 1943, he travelled to the Infantry Replacement Training Center at Ft McClellan, Alabama.

After finishing his basic infantry training, he was transferred to the Parachute School at Ft Benning, Georgia, on March 6, 1944. Initially, he was assigned to Company G of the 1st Parachute Training Regiment, but was then transferred to Company D on March 24, 1944. In all probability, he finished his paratrooper training with Company D, Parachute Class #116, receiving his wings at the beginning of April 1944.

On April 17, he started with a demolition course at the Parachute School. In June 1944, he went AWOL for several days while serving with Company A, 5th Battalion of the 2nd Parachute Training Regiment at Ft Benning. 

On July 16, 1944, he returned to Ft George Meade, just as he was about to travel across the Atlantic Ocean to England. After his arrival, he was assigned from the 11th Replacement Depot at Andover, Hampshire, to Able Company, 501st PIR on August 11, 1944. 

PVT Curitti made his first combat jump at the start of Market Garden on September 17th. According to Able Company’s Morning Report of September 24, 1944, he was lightly wounded in action on September 19, during the defense of Veghel by 1st Battalion (less Charlie Company) that day. 

PVT Curitti was wounded a second time on October 5, but this time it was much more seriously. The day before, his company was moved by truck from Veghel to Driel. Able Company experienced some of its worst combat in WWII that day, according to Lieutenant Sumpter Blackmon, in which PVT Curitti was mortally wounded. He would die of his sustained wounds two days later.

Another Screaming Eagle had soared to the ultimate height. 🦅

PVT John Curitti died at the age of 25 on October 7, 1944. He was first buried in the Temporary American Military Cemetery of Molenhoek, the Netherlands. In the fall of 1948, he was disinterred and, under “The Return of World War II Dead Program,” returned home, where he was reburied in the Upland Heights Cemetery, Warren Township, Jefferson County, Ohio. His family erected a cenotaph in his memory in the McMechen Cemetery.

May he rest in peace.

Happy Birthday in Heaven, John.

Lest we forget. 🇺🇸

Sources:

• Family Search

• NARA

• Story Behind the Stars

• Find a Grave, John L. Curitti

Private (PVT) Merll Clarence Connor of Baker Company, 326th Airborne Engineer Battalion (AEB), 101st Airborne Division, was born in Clinton, Oklahoma, to Robert L. and Dora M. (Grooms) Coynor on February 22, 1923. He had one brother, Ernest L. Connor, and two sisters, Roberta R. and Helen E. Connor. 

His brother Ernest served in the Pacific with Charlie Battery, 93rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion (AAA Bn) during WWII and was authorized to carry one bronze service star on the Asiatic-Pacific Theatre Ribbon for participating in the Central Pacific Campaign. The 93rd AAA Bn participated in a series of invasions on several islands occupied by the Japanese, which included the invasion of Makin Island, and ending with Ie Shima, the last one before V-J Day. 

After Dora had passed away at age 23 in 1929, their father left the family, remarried, and had another family. The four children were placed in a home for children, the West Oklahoma Home in Helena, Oklahoma. This was Oklahoma's second official state orphanage. While growing up in Helena, Merll attended the local high school. According to a newspaper article, he was a fine athlete who played baseball and basketball. 

Merll signed up for the draft in Enid, Garfield County, Oklahoma, on June 29, 1942. At the time, he worked at the civilian cadet mess of the Enid Army Flying School.

Later that year, on December 25, 1942, he married Mary L. Slighton in San Francisco, California. Their marriage was blessed with the birth of a boy, Merll Clarence Connor, on January 11, 1944.

Merll enlisted in the United States Army in San Francisco on July 1, 1943, and his first assignment was with Charlie Company of the 55th Engineer Training Battalion at Camp Abbot, Oregon. Located in central Oregon, Camp Abbot was used to train combat engineers during WWII.

On October 9, 1943, he was assigned to the Automotive School, Normoyle Ordnance Depot, at San Antonio, Texas, for the purpose of attending a basic course. At the Automotive School, students were trained in every phase of motor maintenance. They were taught to drive all types of vehicles in all conditions and to make repairs under the most adverse circumstances.

On March 18, 1944, Merll is listed on transfer list #300 of the Headquarters Replacement Depot at Camp Beale, California, and four days later, he reported to the ASF Replacement Depot at Camp Reynolds, Pennsylvania. In all probability, he then sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to England, where Merll was assigned from the 19th Replacement Depot to Baker Company, 326th AEB, on June 4, 1944.

Merll just missed the combat period of the 326th in Normandy, but the final preparations for his first combat operation started on September 6, 1944, when he was sent to the Parachute Jump School of the 101st Airborne Division in England to get his jump wings. He reported back to Baker Company as a full-fledged paratrooper on September 14th.

Depending on the platoon PVT Merll Connor was assigned to, he either jumped into the Netherlands with 3rd Platoon of Baker Company on September 17, 1944, or he was inserted by glider with Baker Company’s 1st or 2nd Platoon on September 18, 1944, as part of Operation Market Garden. Knowing he had just finished jump training, he probably jumped with 3rd Platoon on September 17 at Drop Zone A. When the operations ended in the Netherlands at the end of November, he travelled to Mourmelon, France, for some rest and recuperation.

At the start of the last major German offensive, known as the Battle of the Bulge, the 101st Airborne Division was ordered to defend the town of Bastogne, Belgium, with its units arriving in the early morning of December 19, 1944. Baker Company had left Mourmelon for Werbomont, Belgium, with an advance party at 12:15 hrs on December 18, 1944. The initial position of PVT Connor’s Baker Company was in an area between Ile-la-Hesse and Ile-le-Pre, an area that also had the 420th Field Artillery Battalion in position.

It is not known how PVT Merll Connor actually died, but PVT Kenneth Knarr described in a letter to George Koskimaki that their positions were constantly shelled by the Germans. He mentioned that PVT Cunningham of Baker Company was killed in his foxhole by a mortar shell on December 21, 1944, and it might be possible that PVT Connor also died in that way on the same day, but no records have been found yet that give a precise answer to what transpired that day.

Another Screaming Eagle had soared to the ultimate height. 🦅

PVT Merll C. Connor died at the age of 21 in Belgium on December 21, 1944. He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart Medal. Merll was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery of Grand Failly, France, at Section H, Row 10, Grave 243. In December 1948, he was reburied at the Enid Cemetery, Garfield County, Oklahoma, where he rests eternally. 

May he rest in peace. 

Happy Birthday in Heaven, Merll.

Lest we forget. 🇺🇸

Sources:

• Find a Grave, Merll C. Connor

• Family Search

• NARA

• The Battered Bastards of Bastogne by George Koskimaki

Sergeant (SGT) Robert A. Dickman of Able Battery, 907th Glider Field Artillery Battalion (GFAB), was born in Riley Township, Sandusky County, Ohio, to Francis J. and Josephine L. (Durnwald) Dickman on February 11, 1918. Robert had five brothers, Paul J., Bernard C., Raymond W., Leo M., and Frank G. Dickman Jr., and five sisters, Loretta C., Anna R., Mary M., Josephine M., and Evelyn G. Dickman.

His brother Leo served with the Military Police during WWII. 

Robert attended Clyde High School and was working for the Davidson Enamel Company at Clyde when he went into the service. Davidson Enamel Company was a local Clyde factory that produced parts for appliances and refrigerators, including those made by Kelvinator and Crosley. 

Robert enlisted at Camp Perry, Lacarne, Ottawa County, Ohio, on March 25, 1942. He was assigned to Able Battery of the 907th GFAB, located at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, at that time.

His training included time at Camp Claiborne and Fort Bragg, Georgia, after which he moved with the battalion to the staging area at Camp Shanks, New York, on August 22, 1943. On 4 September, the 907th set sail for England on the SS Strathnaver. Due to several problems with the Strathnaver, all the units aboard the ship were transferred to the SS Ericson in Newfoundland to resume the journey across the Atlantic Ocean, arriving at Liverpool, England, on 18 October.

On June 7, 1944, the 907th GFAB was aboard the Susan B. Anthony, together with soldiers of the 90th Infantry Division, the 326th Airborne Engineer Battalion, as well as a group of men from the 321st GFAB. Early in the morning, the ship went en route to Utah Beach, but hit a mine before it reached the Normandy coast. Initially, an attempt was made to tow the ship to shallow waters, but when a fire erupted, and the Susan B. Anthony began to settle more rapidly, the captain concluded that the ship was lost and ordered her abandoned. All aboard, 2,689 people, consisting of the troops it carried as well as the ship’s crew, were saved, which the Guinness Book of World Records lists as the largest rescue of people without loss of life.

After taking part in the battalion’s combat period in Normandy, SGT Dickman boarded the LST 316 (Landing Ship Tank) on July 11 with Able Battery, and left in convoy from a Normandy Beach for Southampton, England. After his return to the battalion’s base camp at Newbury, England, and doing maintenance and turning in some equipment the next two days, he was granted a 7-day furlough on 15 July. 

On September 17, 1944, Operation Market Garden was launched. On the first two days, the artillery units had lower priority in planning flights from England to the Netherlands, but because they were much needed, the 101st Airborne Division was assigned 385 gliders to bring in the artillery and anti-tank units on D+2.

The flying weather had been good for the first two days, but it worsened on September 19 with heavy fog over the Channel and coastal areas. As a result, most of the planes and gliders turned back to England.

Robert Minick’s book, “Kilogram: The Story of the 907th Glider Field Artillery Battalion,” describes what PVT Harold Fransen witnessed after his glider had returned safely at Membury Airfield.

“A few minutes after PVT Fransen exited from his glider, he looked up to his right, just in time to witness a most tragic scene. Two of the ‘A’ Battery gliders suddenly turned toward one another and rammed head-on. For a split second, the two entangled gliders seemed to hang in mid-air, and then broke apart. A jeep, its driver still sitting rigid at the steering wheel and his buddy slumped beside him, tore out through the front of one of the gliders and plummeted to the ground. The two gliders then crashed, one of them bursting into a brilliant white flame from the phosphorus shells on board. Six artillerymen and the pilots lost their lives in the mishap.”

One of those casualties was SGT Robert Dickman. Another Screaming Eagle had soared to the ultimate height. 🦅

SGT Robert Dickman died at the age of 26 in England. He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart Medal. On September 21, 1944, he was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, which lies between the villages of Coton and Madingley, north-west of Cambridge. He was later reburied at Saint Mary’s Cemetery, Clyde, Sandusky County, Ohio. 

May he rest in peace.

Happy Birthday in Heaven, Robert.

Lest we forget. 🇺🇸

Sources:

• Family Search

• NARA

• Hell’s Highway by George Koskimaki

• Kilogram: The Story of the 907th Glider Field Artillery Battalion by Robert Minick

Technician Fifth Grade (TEC5) Forrest Leroy Guth of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 101st Airborne Division, was born in Ruppsville, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, to John H. R. and Mayme L. (Rabenold) Guth on February 6, 1921. Warren had two older brothers, Hallet W. and Curtis T., and one younger sister, Helen M. (Snyder). His brother Curtis served in the U.S. Navy during WWII.

Forrest signed up for the draft at Allentown, Pennsylvania, on February 16, 1942. After graduating from high school, he worked for the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. The company played an important role in manufacturing warships and other military weapons in WWI and WWII.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 8, 1942. Forrest could have gotten a deferment because of his job at Bethlehem Steel, making armor plates for battleships, but two of his friends had dared each other to enlist, and the three men chose to be paratroopers. It was something that came to his mind when Forrest drifted down after jumping from his plane on D-Day morning, acknowledging for the first time the terrifying reality of war when he saw the German tracers flying all around him.

Forest was among the first men to report at Camp Toccoa, Georgia, where he was assigned to Easy Company on August 25, 1942, becoming one of the Band of Brothers. After completing initial training at Toccoa, he attended jump school at Fort Benning at the end of that year to earn his jump wings.

On January 6, 1943, he married Irene Mae Ebert in Trexlertown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. In September of that year, having finished his stateside training with Easy Company, he traveled to England for the final preparation of the invasion of the European continent as a part of the Allied Forces, to beat the despicable NAZI regime.

TEC5 Guth made his first combat jump on June 6, 1944. He landed about two miles off target and fought with members of the 82nd Airborne Division for two days before he was able to return to Easy Company. His second combat jump was on September 17, 1944, when he parachuted into the Netherlands for Operation Market Garden. He became injured upon landing and was sent to a field hospital. To his amazement, he was examined by his hometown doctor from Pennsylvania, who was an Army doctor during the war. 

His injury was first treated at the 24th Evacuation Hospital near Bourg Leopold, Belgium. He then returned to England for further treatment at a U.S. Army Hospital in Ramsden Heath, Oxford. After his discharge from the hospital, he was assigned to the 10th Replacement Depot and returned to Easy Company on October 10, 1944.

His next combat action was at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, where the 101st Airborne Division fought the German offensive of the town, and held them off despite being surrounded, lacking adequate winter gear, as well as food, and having to deal with a shortage of ammunition.

His last major front-line period was at Alsace, Germany. Forrest took part in what became known as Easy Company’s “Last Patrol” at Hagenau. He was in a stable at the Moder River when he heard that his interpreting services were needed for the patrol on February 14, 1945. 

The patrol marked the end of his active participation in WWII.

Somewhere during that period, the Army allowed a selected group of soldiers to go home for 30 days. Each company was allowed to send one man home. The 25 remaining original Toccoa men within Easy went into a hat, and Guth’s name was drawn. He did not dare to put the offer down, but while he was at home, the war in Europe ended, so he never rejoined his outfit, to his dismay. 

After the war, Forrest attended Millerville State Teachers College and, upon graduating, began his teaching career in Norfolk, Virginia, where he taught industrial arts at Granby High School. He then met his second wife and love of his life, Harriet Ann Amis. The couple married in Norfolk on June 18, 1949, and then spent a year in New York City, where Forrest received a Master’s Degree in Education. They then moved to Wilmington, Delaware, where Forrest taught at a local high school for more than 30 years, including the last 20 years at Brandywine High School.

Their marriage was blessed with two children: a daughter, Nancy, and a son, John. 

Forrest retired from teaching in 1977, picking up a career as a master cabinetmaker in a specialty woodworking business. In 1997, Forrest and Harriet moved to Hockessin, New Castle County, Delaware, where he continued to volunteer his time and energy serving on numerous committees at Cokesbury Village in addition to his church responsibilities.

On December 13, 2007, Harriet passed away, followed by Forrest nearly two years later, in Hockessin, at age 88, on August 9, 2009. They rest eternally at Arlington Cemetery, Virginia. 

May they rest in peace.

Lest we forget. 🇺🇸

Sources:

• Find a Grave, Forrest Leroy Guth

• NARA

• Family Search

Captain (CPT) Robert Banks Trenner of Baker Company, 1st Battalion, 327th Glider Infantry Regiment (GIR), was born in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana, to Robert and Margaret A. (Banks) Trenner on February 4, 1918. Robert was their youngest child. He had two older brothers, Logan G. and Kenneth W. Trenner. 

Kenneth served with several units during WWII. At Camp Bowie, Texas, with the HQ Company, CC “B”, of the 13th Armored Division, at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, with the battalion headquarters of 655th Engineer Top Battalion, and at Camp Campbell, Kentucky, as well as Ft Jackson, South Carolina, while serving with Co A of the 657th Engineer Top Battalion. While serving with the 657th, he was promoted to Technician 3rd Grade on October 4, 1944.

Robert finished North Side High School in Fort Wayne (Class of 1936) and then spent two years studying at Indiana University, where he was a member of the Delta Chi Fraternity. After this period, he was employed as an insurance salesman and traveled from Shanghai, China, to the Port of San Francisco on April 13, 1939.

He registered for the draft at Fort Wayne, Allen County, on October 16, 1940. At the time, he worked for a Medical Business Bureau in Fort Wayne. Robert enlisted at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Marion County, Indiana, on November 20, 1940.

At the start of September 1941, he reported as an officer candidate to the Officers Candidate Battalion at Fort Benning, Georgia. There is no information available on when he graduated or on his assignment to the 327th, but Robert is mentioned in a Headquarters, 101st Airborne Division, special order (number 102, Ft Bragg, North Carolina, dated December 14, 1942) as a first lieutenant of the 327th GIR.

CPT Robert Trenner assumed command of Baker Company on August 24, 1943, when he was transferred from the 327th Headquarters Company to Baker Company. On September 5, 1943, he sailed with the regiment on the SS Samaria to England.

Baker Company boarded a landing ship in England at 09:15 hrs on June 2, 1944, and landed at Utah Beach, Normandy, on the evening of 7 June. 

On June 10, at 01:45 hrs, the first battalion of the 327th began crossing the lower Douve with rubber boats, and by 06:00 hrs, under cover of mortar fire, the entire regiment was across. While Baker and Charlie Company were crossing the Douve, they took heavy casualties from their own friendly mortar support, which some leaders have denied happened.

After securing Brevands, 327th GIR turned south toward Catz. Late on June 10, and near Catz, the regiment swung east, with its 1st Battalion on the south side of the Carentan Insigny highway and with 2nd Battalion on the north side. The 327th encountered heavy enemy pressure during their approach, and to make matters worse, the glidermen had to fight the Germans in waist-deep muck. 

During the early evening hours of 10 June, CPT Trenner proceeded, initially alone, around a hedgerow close to the front lines, in the direction from which enemy fire had come. As the enemy evidently had left its positions, a small patrol consisting of at least CPT Trenner and LT Walter Fleming started to find out what had happened. The patrol ran into enemy fire that stopped them. The group of men took cover as the two officers managed to move forward another 300 yards until they came under more heavy enemy sniper and mortar fire. Both men were pinned down and had to wait for darkness until they were able to return safely to their own lines.

In the early morning hours of June 11, 1944, while attacking the enemy, CPT Trenner was killed in action by the enemy, possibly by artillery or mortar fire. 

Another Screaming Eagle had soared to the ultimate height. 🦅

CPT Robert Trenner died at the age of 26 in Normandy, France. He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart Medal. On June 14, 1944, he was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery of Sainte-Mère-Eglise #1 at Plot B, Row 10, Grave 197. He was disinterred on March 19, 1948, and moved by truck to Cherbourg, where his casket was placed on the USAT Lawrence Victory on April 26, 1948. After he arrived in New York Harbor on May 7, 1948, he was transported by train to Fort Wayne, where he arrived on 7 June. CPT Trenner rests eternally at the Lindenwood Cemetery, Wayne Township, Allen County, Indiana. 

May he rest in peace.

Happy Birthday in Heaven, Robert.

Lest we forget. 🇺🇸

Sources:

• Family Search

• After Action Reports 327th GIR (courtesy of Kevin Brooks)

• NARA

• North Side High School Yearbook (1946), Fort Wayne, Remembrance Page

• RootsWeb

Sergeant (SGT) Warren Harold “Skip” Muck of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 101st Airborne Division, was born in Tonawanda, Erie County, New York, to Elmer J. and Loretta M. (Bessinger) Muck on January 31, 1922. Warren had one older brother, Elmer J. Muck Jr., and one younger sister, Ruth J. (LaFleur) Muck.

Warren was named after the 29th president of the United States, Warren G. Harding, who served from 1921 until his death on August 2, 1923. Many kids of the WWII generation were given this name, and according to Don Malarkey of Easy Company,“it wasn’t a wonder he preferred to be called ‘Skip.’”

Warren enlisted in the U.S. Army in Buffalo, New York, on August 17, 1942. A week later, on August 24th, he was transferred from Fort Niagara, New York, to Easy Company at Toccoa, Georgia, along with others like Gordon Carson and Robert B. Smith. 

Although Don Malarkey came from the opposite side of the country, Tocoma, Washington, he and Warren Muck became best friends. They were assigned as a gunner team to the mortar squad of Easy Company’s second platoon. Malarkey controlled the deflection and elevation of the mortar through the mortar sight, and Muck dropped the rounds down the tube. 

Later, while in England, LT Dick Winters split the men, sending Warren Muck to Easy’s first platoon. Don Malarkey suspected that Winters thought they were so close that if one of them were killed or badly wounded in action, the other would become worthless.

Warren Muck did not see the end of the war. He survived the combat actions in Normandy and the Netherlands, yet met his fate while fighting the Germans at Bastogne when a German shell made a direct hit in his foxhole, not only killing Warren Muck but also another close friend, Alex Penkala. 

Alex Penkala (left) and Warren “Skip” Muck at Camp Mackall, 1943 (c/o Rudolph Tatay)

SGT Warren Muck was killed in action at age 22 on January 10, 1945. He was first buried next to Alex Penkala at the Temporary American Military Cemetery of Grand Faily #1, France, at Plot G, Row 11, Grave 255. On August 16, 1948, he was disinterred and reburied at the American Military Cemetery of Hamm, Luxembourg, at Plot E, Row 9, Grave 45. SGT Warren Muck was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart Medal. 

In a post-war letter, Robert “Burr” Smith of Easy Company remembered Warren “Skip” Muck in a very honorable and moving way. 

“Warren ‘Skippy’ Muck [was] an upstate New Yorker of great charm and wit who drew people to him like a magnet. Quiet, unassuming, totally ‘real,’ his strength was revealed in combat, where his 2d Platoon mortar section earned a fearsome reputation as Easy Company’s most effective heavy weapons element. Skippy was a happy guy, and those who knew him basked in the warmth of that happiness and were happy, too. His closest friend, and, inevitably, one of mine, was Don Malarkey, another warm, friendly, and happy-go-lucky individual who, like-wise, rose to the top of my list of personal heroes like cream to the top of the old-fashioned glass milk bottle.”

May he rest in peace.

Lest we forget. 🇺🇸

Sources:

• Find a Grave, Warren H. Muck

• NARA

• Family Search

• Easy Company Soldier by SGT Don Malarkey with Bob Welch

Sergeant (SGT) James F. O’Laughlin of Charlie Company, 326th Airborne Engineer Battalion (AEB), 101st Airborne Division, was born in Mahoning Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, to William L. and Ruby I. (Furlong) O’Laughlin on January 30, 1924. He had two brothers, William B. and Allan J. O’Laughlin, and one sister, Mary A. (O’Laughlin) Dymond. 

His brother William served in an anti-aircraft battalion in the Pacific during WWII and was seriously wounded in action, returning home as a totally disabled veteran. William passed away in 1961 at age 41 after battling a 14-year illness.

James enlisted in the United States Army in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on June 18, 1940, and was assigned to George Company of the 29th Infantry Regiment “Pioneers” at Fort Benning, Georgia. On September 28, 1942, he was transferred to the Parachute School (TPS) at Fort Benning, where he underwent paratrooper training. After receiving his wings, he was transferred to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he was assigned to Charlie Company, 326th AEB. 

On August 7, 1943, shortly before he traveled to England, SGT O’Laughlin was granted a five-day furlough as he had planned a wedding with his sweetheart, 18-year-old Helen Swartzlander. James and Helen were united in marriage in Dillon, South Carolina, on August 11, 1943.

SGT O’Laughlin left Fort Bragg by rail for New York, the port of embarkation, on 30 August. He set sail for England on the SS Samaria six days later, arriving in Liverpool on September 15, 1943. He then travelled by train to Basildon Park, Berkshire, where the 326th AEB was stationed.

On D-Day, he made his first combat jump into Normandy, where he tried to gain a foothold on the east bank of the Douve River at the Brevand Bridges, together with other demolition experts of the 326th AEB, supporting the men of 3rd Battalion, 506th PIR. 

SGT O’Laughlin made his second combat jump into the Netherlands on September 17, 1944, at the start of Operation Market Garden. Three days later, he was involved in fighting at yet another bridge near Nuenen. This time, he was defending a vital crossing against an enemy force that had moved close to it with four tanks. While leading his squad in an assault against the Germans, he was mortally wounded. Besides a Purple Heart Medal, SGT O’Laughlin was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star Medal for his inspirational leadership and gallant actions.

Another Screaming Eagle had soared to the ultimate height. 🦅

SGT James O’Laughlin died at the age of 20 in Brabant, The Netherlands, on September 20, 1944. Two days later, he was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery of Son at Plot A, Row 8, Grave 145. He was disinterred on June 15, 1948, and moved to the American Cemetery at Margraten, the Netherlands, where he rests eternally at Plot M, Row 2, Grave 14. 

May he rest in peace. 

Happy Birthday in Heaven, James.

Lest we forget. 🇺🇸

Sources:

• Find a Grave, James F. O’Laughlin

• Stories behind the Stars

• Family Search

• NARA

Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Roger Wendell Parkinson of the Division’s Headquarters Company, 101st Airborne Division, was born in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, to George A. and Alice E. (Atwood) Parkinson on January 18, 1902. Roger was their only child.

Roger was an engineer with the American Sugar Refining Company (ASRC) before entering the service. The ASRC was the most significant American business unit in the sugar refining industry in the early 1900s. He married Ruth Elisabeth Briggs at an unknown date. Together, they raised three children, John B. (1937), Elizabeth (1933), and their firstborn, Roger W. Parkinson Jr. (1932).

Roger enlisted in the U.S. Army on June 13, 1941. He was assigned to the 801st Airborne Ordnance Company and was the Ordnance Officer of the divisional headquarters company. The ordnance company provided essential maintenance, repair, and logistical support to keep the division's vehicles and equipment operational during the major campaigns in Europe. As the ordnance officer, Lt Col Parkinson was tasked with safeguarding the division’s weapons and ammunition supplies, as well as giving advice and making decisions regarding the handling, storage, and transport of ordnance.

During Operation Market Garden, on September 26, 1944, a tragic event took place at the divisional headquarters (CP). The CP, located at Castle Henkenshagen, situated at the western edge of St. Oedenrode, was shelled by the Germans. Behind the castle, in a wooded area, not only were two troopers killed during the attack, but also an eight-year-old Dutch boy. The two troopers were TEC5 Ancel D. Mullen of the 326th Airborne Engineer Battalion and Lt. Col. Parkinson.

Another two Screaming Eagles had soared to the ultimate height. 🦅

LTC Roger Parkinson died at the age of 42 in Brabant, the Netherlands. He was not the oldest trooper of the 101st Airborne Division to die in combat in WWII. Two other older members of the Headquarters Company made the ultimate sacrifice: Captain Herbert Cross died at age 45 and General Don Pratt at 51 years.

On September 27, 1944, he was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery of Son at Plot B, Row 3, Grave 56. He was disinterred on June 14, 1948, and moved by rail from the American Cemetery at Margraten to the port of Antwerp, where his casket was placed on the USAT Barney Kirschbaum on December 7, 1948. After arriving in New York Harbor, he was transported by train to Boston, where he arrived on Thursday, January 20, 1949. He was reburied two days after returning home.

LTC Parkinson rests eternally at the Walnut Hills Cemetery of Brookline, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart Medal and Bronze Star Medal. 

May he rest in peace. 

Happy Birthday in Heaven, Roger.

Lest we forget. 🇺🇸

Sources:

• Find a Grave, Roger Wendell Parkinson

• Hell’s Highway by George Koskimaki

• Family Search

• NARA

Private (PVT) Herbert Martin Schroeder of Dog Battery, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion (PFAB), 101st Airborne Division, was born in Monroe County, Wisconsin, to Hubert Nicolaus Franz “Frank” and Katherine (Rademacher) Schroeder on January 12, 1919. Herbert had four brothers, Alfred T., Raymond P., Alphonse F., and Joseph J. Schroeder, and three sisters, Julia K. (Brandt), Eleonara M. (DuCharme), and Josephine (Perso) Schroeder.

His brother Raymond also served during WWII, and was stationed in Fort Revere, Massachusetts, and at Camp Hood, Texas, with Battery C of the 549th Field Artillery Battalion.

Herbert attended Cashton High School and worked as a cook at Collins Grill in Kenosha before entering the service. 

Herbert enlisted in the U.S. Army in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on September 17, 1940. He was initially assigned to Battery F of the 26th Field Artillery Regiment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, then transferred to Battery C of the 60th Field Artillery Battalion (FAB) two weeks later, when the 60th FAB was activated at Fort Bragg on October 1, 1940.

Herbert eventually earned the rank of staff sergeant and served as a mess sergeant, but he gave up his rating to enter the paratroops. He was sent from Fort Bragg to Fort Benning, Georgia, where he received his paratrooper training. In August 1942, he was with the Headquarters and Headquarters & Service Battery of the 377th PFAB, but was transferred to Dog Battery on December 7, 1942. Before going overseas in September 1943, he participated in maneuvers held at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana.

PVT Schroeder jumped into Normandy with the 377th PFAB on D-Day. Of all the units dropped in the early morning hours of June 6, the 377th experienced the worst misdrops, according to research by 101st Airborne Division historian Mark Bando. PVT Schroeder’s family first received a telegram stating that he had been missing in action since June 6, but the following day, they received another telegram correcting the first. Their son and brother were killed in action in France on June 7.

Another Screaming Eagle had soared to the ultimate height. 🦅

PVT Herbert Schroeder died at the age of 25 in Normandy, France. On July 17, 1944, he was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery of Blosville at Plot S, Row 2, Grave 32. He was disinterred on December 5, 1947, and moved by truck to Cherbourg, where his casket was placed on the USAT Lawrence Victory on September 25, 1948. After arriving in New York Harbor, he was transported by train to Cashton, Wisconsin, where he arrived on November 5, 1948. PVT Schroeder rests eternally at the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery of Cashton. He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart Medal. 

May he rest in peace. 

Happy Birthday in Heaven, Herbert.

Lest we forget. 🇺🇸

Sources:

• Find a Grave, Herbert Martin Schroeder

• Family Search

• NARA

Private (PVT) Ambrose F. Konter of the 101st Military Police Platoon, 101st Airborne Division, was born in Alma, Buffalo County, Wisconsin, to Michael and Elizabeth (Marking) Konter on January 4, 1916. Ambrose had two older brothers, Clinton M. and William H. Konter.

At the time of his birth, his father, Michael, had bought a 240-acre farm, of which he cleared 100 acres, the remainder being in woodland. Michael Konter’s farming focused on dairying and hog raising, having a Poland-China sire. The Poland-China is an American breed of domestic pig. Michael Konter’s farm had a modern barn, 34 by 60 feet, with a stone basement. The farm residence was a good seven-room house.

Ambrose attended Alma High School, graduating in 1934. Before he entered the service, Ambrose worked at the state prison, located in Waupun, Wisconsin. On June 25, 1941, he married Alice Minerva Larson. They lived in Waupun until Ambrose entered the service on November 24, 1942. Less than a month later, their marriage was blessed with a son, Ronald Lee, who was born on December 18, 1942.

PVT Ambrose Konter was assigned to the divisional Headquarters Company. He became a member of the 101st Military Police Platoon that consisted of three officers and 83 enlisted men.

On D-Day, June 6, 1944, in all probability, PVT Konter took off in a glider at 6:30 PM from RAF Aldermaston Airfield, England, as part of Operation Keokuk. 32 Horsa gliders and as many Dakota C-47 towing aircraft headed for Landing Zone “E” near Hiesville, Normandy. In addition to 40 vehicles, 19 tons of various equipment and ammunition, and six anti-tank guns, the gliders carried 157 airborne personnel from signal units, medical services, and command companies.

Flight Officer (F/O) Arthur Collins and co-pilot F/O Richard Myers were flying Chalk #3 that carried PVT Konter and SGT Joseph Paris of the MP Platoon and other headquarters personnel. Master Sergeant John McCarthy was in Chalk #4, which landed safely in a soft field only twenty yards from a hedgerow. McCarthy described in a letter to George Koskimaki what happened to the glider that carried the members of the MP Platoon, including his good friend, SGT Joe Paris.

“Glider number 3, which was just in front of ours, slammed into an earthen bank and collapsed in a pile of splinters. The co-pilot was killed, as were several MPs and headquarters people.”

PVT Konter was most likely among the MP men who were killed in this crash.

Another Screaming Eagle had soared to the ultimate height. 🦅

PVT Ambrose Konter died at the age of 28 during Operation Overlord and was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery of Hiesville on June 9, 1944. Not much later, he was disinterred and reburied at the Temporary American Military Cemetery of Blosville on July 4. PVT Konter was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart Medal. 

At the request of his widow, Mrs. Alice Konter, his body was returned home for his final internment. On Thursday, May 27, 1948, he was buried in the Alma Cemetery, accompanied by a military escort and six guards from the Wisconsin State Prison. The six pallbearers were members of the Alma American Legion Post, No. 224. 

May he rest in peace. 

Happy Birthday in Heaven, Ambrose.

Lest we forget. 🇺🇸

Sources:

• Find a Grave, Amrbose F. Konter

• The Winona Republican-Herald, Winona, MN, Tuesday, May 25, 1948

• The Winona Republican-Herald, Winona, MN, Saturday, May 29, 1948

• Family Search

• D-Day with the Screaming Eagles by George Koskimaki

• NARA