551st Parachute Infantry Association

2 weeks ago

Happy Veterans Day weekend to all of those who answered the call of our Nation, and an extra shout out to the last surviving veteran of the 551st PIB, Ernest Scango (B Company)!

"So here’s to our comrades, buried far and near!
And here’s to our Colonel, who loved us all so dear!
And here’s to you, Buddy – and you – and you!
And here’s to all of us, when it’s over and it’s through!"
- Dan Morgan (Last stanza of 'The GOYA's' - LCOMH)

"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation." -- George Washington.

History of Veterans Day;

"World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…""

www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp ... See More from 551See Less from 551

551st Parachute Infantry Association

2 months ago

As we've been attempting to run down all morning reports for the 551st PIB the National Archives is helping out. They are currently working to digitize all WWII morning reports while making them available to the public. Currently, the only months we are missing are for January/May for 1944 and December for 1943. The August '44 and April '44 reports were just released, several of them are shared here as a small sample. An added detail that was unexpected was handwritten situation reports included throughout from the likes of Marshall Dalton, Tims Quinn, Jim Evans and others. One additional surprise, that I don't recall reading or hearing about, is that the 551st was reviewed by "plane loads" by Gen Frederick on 10 August 1944 ahead of their jump. It's also great going through these knowing that they were in these places, to include the USS Abraham Lincoln for Quinn, when creating these reports, and likely written that evening, following the events of the day.

A link to the Archive's morning reports is below. I searched on "551st"AND"1944"AND"Prcht", for example, and then sorted by [most relevent]. They are sorted by rolls and once you find the correct roll, you have to then search for the 551st reports within that roll. There are morning reports for multiple units on each roll.

The 551st rolls that we've discovered so far are below, and as we locate/(they are released) we'll reflect the updates in this post:

1943:
August - Roll 489 (4 of 4)
September - Roll 278 (2 of 4)
October - Roll 307 (2 of 3)
November - Roll 217 (3 of 4)
December - haven't located

1944:
January - haven't located
February - Roll 33 (2 of 4)
March - Roll 262 (2 of 4)
April - Roll 557 (2 of 4)
May - haven't located
June - Roll 538 (1 of 4)
July - Roll 742 (3 of 3)
August - Roll 487
September - Roll 665
October - Roll 450
November - Roll 519
December - Roll 385

link to the Archives site:
catalog.archives.gov/search-within/85713825?page=2&q=%22551st%22AND%221944%22AND%22Prcht%22&sort=...

GOYA!

- Eric ... See More from 551See Less from 551

551st Parachute Infantry Association

3 months ago

It was about this time 81 years ago that the 551st was landing in southern France, at this place. Pictures are from the Association's 75th and 80th anniversary trips...GOYA!! ... See More from 551See Less from 551

551st Parachute Infantry Association

3 months ago

"Oh God, Commander of all men, we stand before Thee asking Thy help in the execution of the many tasks which confront us. Give us the strength, courage, daring, intelligence and devotion to duty, so that we may perfect ourselves as fighting men. And, oh God, if the price we must pay for the eternal freedom of man be great, give us strength so that we will not hesitate to sacrifice ourselves for a cause so sacred. All of this we ask in Thy name. Amen."

LTC Joerg was KIA on 7 January 1945 and found in his pocket at Rochelinval was the above prayer, that he had written just before departing Italy for their jump into southern France on 15 August 1944...

When LTC Joerg’s 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion jumped on 15 August 1944 the strength of the command was 842. In the picture of the 551st arriving in Juslenville on 10 January 1945, following Rochelinval, the strength of the command had fallen to 110 men who could continue. When it came time to pay that great price for eternal freedom, that LTC Joerg spoke of in his prayer, there was no hesitation from the GOYAs. Many heroes of the 551st remain in France and Belgium today after paying the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, some were returned home, like LTC Joerg was to his wife and two young daughters. To all of those that paid the price for “the eternal freedom of man”…SALUTE!

Much gratitude to all of our friends in southern France for remembering our heroes and their sacrifices on this 81st Anniversary of the invasion of southern France…GOYA!! ... See More from 551See Less from 551