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101st Airborne Division Celebrates 70th Anniversary

101st Airborne Division Celebrates 70th Anniversary

 In August of 2012, one of the most storied United States Army Divisions, celebrated its 70th Anniversary.  I am proud to have been a part of this historic division while serving in Vietnam in 1969-70.

 

On August 16, 1942, the Army created the first paratrooper divisions, with the nation still reeling from Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. The 101st Airborne Division and the Fort Bragg, N.C. based 82nd Airborne Division would go on to redefine war strategies from World War II to Vietnam to the Middle East.

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The first commanding general of the 101st, Major General William C. Lee, had said that his men had no history but had a "Rendezvous with Destiny." The Army wanted physically fit, aggressive young men who were a "cut above the rest," said the division's historian, Capt. Jim Page.  But military officials at first weren't so sure the 101st 'Screaming Eagles' would find success.

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During D-Day, expecting that the paratroopers would get scattered, the division's regiments drew playing card symbols — the spade, the club, the heart and the diamond — on their helmets so that they could identify each other once on the ground.  During the early hours of June 6th 1944, Allied paratroopers and glider-troops landed on the east and west flanks of the Normandy coastline; the British at Merville Battery and what was soon to be known as ‘Pegasus Bridge’, and the US 82nd and 101st Airborne landing around the St Mare Eglise area.

 “ Nuts”. (http://www.thedropzone.org/europe/Bulge/kinnard.html)  That was the response from the  101st  acting  commander, General Anthony McAuliffe when ordered to surrender by the Germans at Bastogne during WW2.  It is just one of many historic highlights of the 101st.

After the war ended, the 101st  was deactivated in 1945 as the Army shrunk to a post-war size.

The division was reactivated as a combat unit in 1956 at Fort Campbell. It would not again see combat again until the Vietnam War, although one of its current units served in the Korean War.

In the summer of 1965, 4,000 troops from the 101st traveled for weeks by boat across the Pacific Ocean. John Pagel was a private first class and among the first division soldiers who stepped off the boat in Camh Ran Bay in Vietnam.

The brigade was sent all over South Vietnam to clear out Viet Cong fighters, said Pagel, who is now  living in Glendora, Calif. It was during this war that the division's troops began shifting from jumping out of a plane to jumping out of helicopters. He had no experience in one before his first chopper assault, he said.

"Ninety-five percent of the troops of the 101st had not even sat in a helicopter before Vietnam, so we had to learn," Pagel said. Later in 1967, the rest of the division would deploy to Vietnam, where they would remain until 1972. Page said records captured during the war showed the North Vietnamese Army warned troops to be cautious when encountering the "chicken men," referring to the division's bald eagle patch.  While many units wore subdued (black and olive drab) patches, the 101st, for the most part, wore the colorful division patch, not wanting to wear a subdued version.

In late 1971 and early 1972, the 101st withdrew from Vietnam and returned to the United States. It was the last United States Army division to leave the combat zone in Vietnam Seventeen Congressional Medal of Honor awards were given to individuals from the 101st. Vice President Spiro T. Agnew and Army Chief of Staff General William C. Westmoreland welcomed the 101st home during official homecoming ceremonies on 6 April 1972 at Fort Campbell.

The 101st underwent significant identity changes during 1974. On 1 February, the 3rd Brigade announced the termination of its parachute status, and Major General Sidney B. Berry, Commanding General of the 101st, authorized the wearing of an airmobile badge. When the airmobile designation was dropped on 4 October that same year, the Division added the Air Assault designation. Graduates of the Air Assault School each received the newly designed air assault badge, which officially became an Army qualifications skill badge on 20 January 1978, retroactive to 1 April 1974 for any soldier in an air assault unit who had demonstrated qualifying professional knowledge and skill.

The 101st has been a part of intervention in Somalia, restoring order in Panama in 1997, humanitarian assistance in Honduras and Haiti and served a peacekeeping role in Kosovo in 2000.  The 101st has served recently in Iraq and Afghanistan and today, the 101st remains the Army's only air assault division.

The “Screaming Eagles” have often been featured in various venues. The 101st has been spotlighted in a number of movies, TV shows and best-selling books:

1967 movie The Dirty Dozen, set in World War II sets the “Dirty Dozen” against the “best” of the 101st Airborne to prove their worth.

1977 movie A Bridge Too Far features the 101st Airborne.

1987 John Irvin movie Hamburger Hill set in May 1969 during the War in Vietnam.  .

1998 movie Saving Private Ryan‘s title character is a soldier in the 101st Airborne division. In addition, Miller’s men encounter pathfinders from the 101st in a village.

2001 TV series Band of Brothers, chronicling the exploits of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion 506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division, in the Second World War in Europe from Operation Overlord through V-J Day.

2010 movie Valentine’s Day features Julia Roberts as a captain in the 101st Airborne Division

The books Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose and Biggest Brother by Major Dick Winters feature the 101st.

In 2013, filming will begin on another movie about the 101st.  DARK RONIN Films is honored to bring this gripping true story to the big screen.  Follow the men who fought the last major battle of Vietnam.  Nearly forgotten by back home, fighting for their lives against impossible odds, the heroes of RIPCORD withstood the advancement of more than 30,000 enemy troops.  The siege of Ripcord cost the lives of hundreds of American soldiers and thousands of those on the opposite side.  This is their story.  Little was known about this battle between overwhelming forces of the North Vietnamese army and the men of the 101st.  It was the last major confrontation between United States ground forces and the NVA.  Little was known about this until the FSB Ripcord Association was formed in 1985. Three Medals of Honor and Six Distinguished Service Crosses were awarded after the siege.  More information can be found about the filming at http://www.battleofripcordmovie.com/

 

 

Recently, a 101st Airborne soldier who died in Vietnam was awarded the Medal of Honor.  His citation follows: 

Specialist Four Leslie H. Sabo Jr. distinguished himself by conspicuous acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty at the cost of his own life while serving as a rifleman in Company B, 3d Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division in Se San, Cambodia, on May 10, 1970.

On that day, Sabo and his platoon were conducting a reconnaissance patrol when they were ambushed from all sides by a large enemy force. Without hesitation, Sabo charged an enemy position, killing several enemy soldiers. Immediately thereafter, he assaulted an enemy flanking force, successfully drawing their fire away from friendly soldiers and ultimately forcing the enemy to retreat.

In order to re-supply ammunition, he sprinted across an open field to a wounded comrade. As he began to reload, an enemy grenade landed nearby. Specialist Sabo picked it up, threw it, and shielded his comrade with his own body, thus absorbing the brunt of the blast and saving his comrade's life.

Seriously wounded by the blast, Sabo retained the initiative and then single-handedly charged an enemy bunker that had inflicted severe damage on the platoon, receiving several serious wounds from automatic weapons fire in the process.

Now mortally injured, he crawled towards the enemy emplacement and, when in position, threw a grenade into the bunker. The explosion silenced the enemy fire, but it also ended his life.

His indomitable courage and complete disregard for his own safety saved the lives of many of his platoon members.

Specialist Sabo's extraordinary heroism and selflessness, above and beyond the call of duty, at the cost of his life, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Company B, 3d Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, and the United States Army.

 

 

Note: When I first started interviewing Veterans for this project, I frequently found reluctance from WW II veterans. For the most part, they were not interested in telling their story since they felt that they had done nothing to warrant being written about. After constant urging, I finally was able to have a few of them talk to me. I have found some amazing facts from these men  who said : " I did nothing special in the war, I was only doing my job" If you have read my previous post about Chet Furtek, you will see that he did more than his job on D-Day. These men of WW II are growing older. Many stories have been lost and untold. As I continue to post these WW II tales and other stories, I hope that the reader, if at all possible, can provide me with a story to post or put me in contact with a WWII, Korean or Vietnam Vet with something to share. He or she does not have to be a hero or done anything spectacular to have a story told. Anyone who serves their country deserves recognition. I want to be able to share with my readers these stories. So, please email me at bobstar101@gmail.com, if you have anything for me or if you have any questions. Thanks!!! Bob Staranowicz

 

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