551st Parachute Infantry Association

4 days ago

To all our GOYAs and fellow Paratroopers around the world - Happy Saint Michael’s Day!

“…September 29th is Saint Michael’s day in France. He is the saint patron of, amongst others, the French paratroopers. It all began in 1944, when a british chaplain gave medals representing Saint Michael to the paratroopers of the 2nd SAS, before their jump in Bretagne, to join the Resistance. The following year, the military chaplain Valin de la Vaissière formally suggested Saint Michael as patron of the paratroopers. This idea was approved by father Jego, chaplain of the 3rd Battalion of the 1st RCP….”

- courtesy Airborne Museum in Sainte Mere Eglise

GOYA!🌴 AIRBORNE!!

(photos taken by 551st Historian Chris Lewis at Mont Saint Michel in Sept 2017) ... See More from 551See Less from 551

551st Parachute Infantry Association

1 month ago

On 14 September 1944 the 551st’s sector in the Maritime Alps of France was extended to La Bolline-Valdeblore, St.-Dalmas-Valdeblore and St. Martin–Vesubie. Our group visited the scenic villages of St. Martin–Vesubie and Isola during our 80th Anniversary trip, it was a two-hour drive from St. Martin to Isola. In between we drove by many of the beautiful places the 551st patrolled, to include Saint-Dalmas-Valdeblore.

The following quotes are taken from an address delivered to Lt Sano, found in 'The Left Corner Of My Heart', who represented the 551st for the presentation. It was given at Saint-Dalmas-Valdeblore, in the Maritime Alps, soon after the Battalion arrived there in September of 1944. Louis Ferrier, Special Delegate of the C.D.L. (Liberation Committee) at Saint-Dalmas-Valdeblore, officiated:

“Gentleman, just as the citizens of France have expressed to your comrades and allies – so we, the people of Saint-Dalmas, Valdeblore, in the Alps Maritimes, are happy to wish you a sincere, cordial and grateful welcome. We also wish to express our gratitude and undying affection to the noble, liberal and valorous American Nation which you represent so worthily, and for the warm friendship which unites our two countries…”

“Gentleman, we are filled with gratitude, admiration and hope for a better life, thanks to your friendship and to the concern that you show for Eternal France -- the torch of civilization and progress. We honor you!”

“Rest assured that the feelings that I am expressing so poorly are those of all the people of France. As a token of gratitude, please accept these flowers: flowers from Nice -- flowers from France that our young ladies are offering you. Accept them as if they were offered to you for your wives, mothers, sweethearts or children. Tell them how much we would like for you to take home the most pleasant remembrance of France."

"And to commemorate this ceremony, to perpetuate our gratitude to your noble Nation, we are going to plant this tree which will be the tree of freedom and of victory, and which will remind us of your devotion and our indebtedness to you.”

In commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Operation Dragoon many descendants of those honored at St.-Dalmas-Valdeblore that day in ‘44, their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren journeyed to France to join in the many remembrances honoring their heroes' service and sacrifices made in those places, spoken of so well by Delegate Ferrier. As a token of our gratitude, and that sentiment shared with our fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers throughout southern France both then and now, we brought our own flowers to France in our appreciation for remembering and honoring our shared heroes...those who brought home with them some of the most pleasant remembrances of France, as well as the many friends they made while there.

-eb ... See More from 551See Less from 551

551st Parachute Infantry Association

1 month ago

Five years ago, our Association Secretary, Eric Buchanan, met the sons of Lt. Erwin “Bud” Schroeder in Draguignan at the Hotel Du Parc on the 75th Anniversary of Operation Dragoon trip, Mark and Tom Schroeder. Their father, Lt. "Bud" Schroeder, was severely injured on the initial attacks on Draguignan for the 551st PIB. The group stayed at Hotel Du Parc for the week and ran all over southern France together, to include Draguignan. Eric knew a little of Lt. Schroeder’s story, regarding Mark and Tom’s father, and the significance of Draguignan for them, as well as their dad’s efforts in the Association over the years. Lt. Schroeder was an active member of the Association and was even President of the Association at one time. In all the write-ups regarding Lt. Schroeder’s injury to that point there was a lot of well-deserved praise to Doc Chalkley for saving the life of Mark and Tom’s dad. What Eric, Tom and Mark didn’t know at that time, is that there was more to their chance meeting in Draguignan in 2019. A few weeks following the 75th Anniversary trip Mark was motivated by all the events of that trip and decided to pull out his dad’s things when he noticed that his dad had a Battalion medical report for 1 August to 31 August. In the report there was a detailed description of the scene when his father was injured to include the location, Hill 215. Additionally, it mentioned two other medics who arrived with Doc Chalkley under fire, not mentioned anywhere else. The first medic mentioned was Eric’s grandfather, PVT Meade, the other was PVT Henriques. Doc Battenfield and PVT Perkins arrived about 30 minutes later. Mark immediately emailed Eric to let him know. Eric’s family didn’t learn his grandfather, Leslie Meade, started in the 551st until 2014, they are nicknamed a Lost Battalion of WWII for a reason. By that time most of those who might have known Eric’s grandfather had passed, so very few battlefield stories were known. Like many other veterans of WWII Meade rarely spoke of his Service during the War. Eric was only three years old when his grandfather passed away on 20, December 1974. A few weeks prior Eric recorded his first memory as a child, that involved his grandfather...his only memory of his grandfather. Eric had slipped into his grandfather’s bedroom and sat next to his grandfather’s hospital bed to share his Christmas list. It was his grandfather’s 50th birthday celebration. It goes without saying that was an emotional find for both families. Mark, Tom and Eric kept in touch over the years, and as the 80th Anniversary approached, they hoped they might be able to find hill 215. Mark and Eric started corresponding with Jean Soldi, a local military historian who also runs a museum in the area.

Jean felt that he could find hill 215 and reached out to an acquaintance who grew up there and was willing to meet up with some strangers. Jean picked Mark, Travis, and Eric up at the Hotel Du Parc that morning, 14 August 2024. Travis is Mark’s son, Lt. Schroeders grandson, who joined his dad on this trip. Tom couldn’t make it this time around. The group met up with the gentleman Jean was corresponding with in town. He had driven about an hour to meet the group from his current home, very kind and had grown up on the hill in which Lt. Schroeder was injured. The first stop was hill 216, where the group was shown the path in which the 551st entered Draguignan on 16 August 1944…the day after the 551st PIB landed at Valbourges. Following the 551st’s landing they embarked upon a grueling march to Draguignan, the fighting for Draguignan began between hill 216 and 215 for the 551st. More on hill 216 later. The next stop was hill 215, where Mark’s father was injured according to the medical report, Travis and Eric climbed up the rock wall that sprayed rock fragments on Travis’s grandfather from machine gun fire 80 years ago, a place that Eric’s grandfather was too. Lt. Schroeder was then hit directly while approaching that wall and was taken to a nearby home where lifesaving first aid was administered by Doc Chalkley, Meade (Eric’s grandfather) and Henriquez; then later by Doc Battenfield and Perkins as well. It is still unknown which exact home that was, Jean is working on that.

The next stop was the childhood home of our gracious guide. His mother still lives there and was excited to meet the group that morning. She told about being there when the Americans came in 1944 and having to stay in the cellar. After the parachute drops, she and friends made their way to the drop zones and collected pieces of parachute, while adding that it was difficult to remove the stenciling without breaking the integrity of the silk. Another story she recollected occurred right after they heard about the invasion. A group of resistance fighters drove by in a transport truck singing joyful songs of liberation. She made her way upstairs and peered out of her window to see. When they made it to the bottom of the hill, they ran into a group of Germans near a train station, and all were killed, as she started to tear up. Our guide then pulled out a scenic picture in which his dad had taken around 1944, his father was a professional photographer during that time. The picture was taken from where the group was standing. A picture he had shown the group earlier, but being in the spot it was taken made it even more spectacular. The group then departed with a ton of gratitude to Jean, our guide, and his beautiful mother. It was a “bucket list” stop, as Mark described it. On this 551st PIB Operation Dragoon trip the Schroeder and Meade family had another chance meeting that added to the story, Doc Battenfield’s son, Eddie, made this trip. Eddie was only seven years old when his father passed away. Much like Eric’s family, Eddie didn’t have a lot of details about his father’s service either. Back to hill 216.

At 1830, just after working with Lt. Schroeder, Doc Battenfield, Meade, Perkins, Lugo, Affleck, and Ryan crossed the road from that scene to a house on hill 216 where one man, and three women, French civilians, were found to be severely wounded. Under mortar, rifle and machine gun fire for about an hour they administered care, then moved onto an adjoining house where three additional French civilians were given first aid. Later that night, 16 August 1944, at around 2300 or 2400 hours, Doc Battenfield, and the above-mentioned medics climbed into a jeep and drove into the middle of the city of Draguignan hoping to meet up with the Battalion; however, the city was completely deserted, so they immediately returned to the aid station behind hill 215. The next morning Doc Chalkley, and most of the forward medics mentioned above, made their way to the French hospital in Draguignan. Doc Battenfield and PVT Perkins stayed behind to tie up loose ends, or something, possibly paperwork needed to be completed and sent up the chain. At any rate, at 0700 on August 17 1944 Doc Battenfield and Perkins advanced to Draguignan with a French driver who was asked to take them to the hospital. However, there was also two German hospitals in Draguignan, in addition to the French hospital. Doc and Perkins approached the door of the hospital and Doc Battenfield knocked on the door. When no one answered initially he then banged on it while yelling a few expletives when the door was suddenly opened by a German officer with a sidearm, with other Germans in the background…also with sidearms. Battenfield and Perkins were unarmed with no reinforcements within 15 minutes. Doc Battenfield didn’t skip a beat as he demanded they surrender the hospital to him and PVT Perkins, which took some convincing. The hospital contained 150 – 200 German wounded, medical corpsman, nurses, and doctors…all surrendered by Doctor Bartz, Commanding Officer of the hospital, to an unarmed, quick thinking, Battalion surgeon and his medic. All transportation, about 15 vehicles, were also surrendered by Doctor Gentzsch, the Transportation Officer of the hospital. Both officers were wearing sidearms in addition to the red cross brassard, although no attempt was made to use them. Doctor Bartz informed Battenfield of another German military hospital in Draguignan and at about 1815 hours a patrol of company A arrived at the surrendered hospital as Doctor Bartz took Battenfield to the other German hospital. However, it had already been looted and emptied of all food and transportation. At that time casualties of the entire Airborne division were still being held at the 517th Parachute Infantry aid station in Le Mitan and the decision was made to utilize the captured ambulances to transport all critically injured casualties of the airborne division, First Airborne Task Force, to the captured hospital, as well as all 551st casualties. The above-mentioned French Civilians were also transported there. When the 36th Division surgeon arrived Doc Battenfield requested an American surgical team for the hospital, as well as whole blood and penicillin and all were granted. The surgical team arrived at 1800 on 17 August 1944 and the hospital “functioned in a superior manner during the remainder of the time that American Soldiers remained at the hospital.” The American surgical team, whole blood, and penicillin were responsible for saving the lives of many American Soldiers. “In particular, it is believed that the lives of Lt. Schroeder and PVT Steele of the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion were saved by this treatment.”

All the 551st Parachute Infantry medical aid station personnel were up for recommendation for "their untiring devotion to duty in the captured German hospital when they were in a state of exhaustion from lack of sleep and very little food since H hour." We are not aware of any awards ever being presented for that capture, one of the greatest bluffs of WWII with great consequences for our American Soldiers during the Airborne operations of Operation Dragoon. Another medic of the 551st represented for the 80th Anniversary of Operation Dragoon, and part of our group, was the daughter and granddaughter of Wesley Richard, Linda Tanner (daughter) and Sarah Tanner-Anderson (granddaughter).

**All information regarding specifics about events that occurred on 16-17 August 1944 for Schroeder and the hospital were taken from the Medical record, 1 August to 31 August 1944 for the 1st BN 551st Parachute Infantry (REIN), for the Commanding General, First Airborne Task Force, APO #758, U.S. Army. Dated 4 October 1944…obtained from Lt. Schroeder’s son, Mark

-eb ... See More from 551See Less from 551