551st Parachute Infantry Association

3 weeks ago

Some great video footage of First Airborne Task Force C-47s flying over Southern France and operations in support of Operation Dragoon from the National Archives.

-First video includes the 551st PIB's jump into La Motte on drop zone 'A' starting at 5:18 into the video.

-Second video is of some 509th paratroopers making their way back to their rendezvous point when at 2:27 into the video they notice a formation of C-47s flying overhead, followed by a parachute drop. Not sure if the parachute drop was the 551st or a supply drop.

-Third and fourth videos include some great shots of C-47s flying in formation.

-Fifth video shows C-47s and gliders taking off from bases in Italy, as well as a stick of paratroopers from A company 517th. They are preparing to depart from Canino Airfield, Italy for DZ "A", where the 551st landed later in the day, following the 517th's 1st BN. The 517th's planned departure time from Canino was 0149 the morning of 15 Aug '44.

-Last video includes D-day landings at Saint-Raphaël.

GOYA!

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551st Parachute Infantry Association

3 weeks ago

This morning I received an email from Albert Pate's (A company) nephew inquiring about his uncle's route to Rome. Pate joined the 551st PIB on 25 July '44, along with 104 others. Within three weeks of checking in with their new unit they participated in the first "battalion-sized" daylight combat drop in US Army history during the first day of the invasion with them...D-day in southern France for Operation Dragoon. Although they didn't join the 551st until Rome several of them were actually in Sicily before the 551st arrived there. Not clear as to why those GOYAs didn't end up in the Sicily orders in June.

Getting back to the inquiry from Pate's nephew...I had seen some Airborne Training Center (A/B TC) morning reports before and decided to see if any details of that movement might be in there. It turned out that Headquarters Company A/B TC logged it:

*8 JUL - left Trapani, Sicily
*10 JUL - Arrived Messina, Sicily
*11 JUL - Arrived Soveria, Italy at 2000 after crossing Straight of Messina
*12 JUL - Arrived Salerno, Italy 2345 - encountered a bad rain storm at 1700
*13 JUL - Bivouacked on Route #7 110 miles south of Rome, Italy after arriving at 1600
*14 JUL - APO 512 established in Rome, Italy...Airborne Training Center.

Also, I went on to check reports through 25 Jul, when Pate checked in with the 551st. We now have the Rome orders for the 551st PIB...GOYA!

The 551st is on the second page of those orders.

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551st Parachute Infantry Association

3 weeks ago

LTC(P) Andrew Eagen and MAJ Jason Pascoe, of the 551st Infantry Regiment and stationed in Panama, recently made an honor trip to the Corozal American Cemetery in Corozal, Panama to present our regimental colors to PFC Sybol L. Frazier for the first time. A set of colors procured by one of his brothers of A company, who served along side of Frazier during his time in Panama, COL(R) Dillard. PFC Frazier was the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion's first overseas casualty that resulted in a loss of life.

PFC Frazier was an original GOYA who hailed from Scioto County, Ohio. He completed parachute training at Fort Benning in late '42 before joining a replacement pool with his soon to be brothers, until they were ordered south to Panama to form the 551st in January '43, in the Canal Zone.

Frazier hit the jungle running as a PVT and made PFC early, 13 May '43. However, he fell ill three months later, on 12 August. As his condition seemed to worsen he was transferred to a larger hospital at Amador a few days later, 14 August. Frazier was at the Amador hospital when his battalion departed for the States on the 20th. The 551st was then underway until September and received word on 9 Sept that PFC Sybol L. Frazier had sadly passed away on 28 August '43, at the age of 24. To PFC Sybol L. Frazier...SALUTE!!

We are very grateful to LTC Eagen and MAJ Pascoe, as active duty GOYAs, for honoring this hero of ours. We, the Association, would love to make contact with PFC Frazier's family, who we believe may be in the Portsmouth area of Scioto County, Ohio. ... See More from 551See Less from 551

551st Parachute Infantry Association

4 weeks ago

Some great pictures from the National Archives regarding the Invasion of Southern France. There are pics from the air, from ships, from the beaches, and all regarding Operation Dragoon. They span from just prior to the invasion to post Dragoon when Nice, FR was utilized as a Rest Area for Soldiers to recover physically and emotionally. Of course there are pictures of some paratroopers dropping from the sky too...on 15 August 1944.

Rather than break them up they are all shared together, as they were all in it together, one of the most successful amphibious invasions/airborne assaults of the War.

Shared in chronological order, as best could be determined.

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551st Parachute Infantry Association

4 weeks ago

It is still a challenge to process the events of the past few days, as the 551st now breaths new life. We were blown away by the turnout, especially with the Redesignation Ceremony being such short notice, while understanding that many more would have come if there was more time to plan.

We enjoyed the hospitality from family members of thirteen different original GOYAs. All companies of the original 551st were represented, as well as the Detachment Service Company (Parachute Riggers) and the Medical Detachment, and not to mention from every major plus-up period for the Battalion along their way. Some of those GOYAs represented joined the 551st from the go in Panama, a few joined at Camp Mackall, then Sicily (9 June 1944), and even Rome (25 July 1944)...just before their jump.

The unveiling of the Furlough/LTC Joerg monument was performed by family members of GOYAs who had donated directly toward the monument themselves. Then, for the casing and uncasing of the Colors two of the Association's own board members participated, LTC(R) Paul Narowski as Honorary Colonel and CSM(R) Christopher Lewis as Honorary Sergeant Major. Another fitting touch to the ceremonies was the benediction, as the 551st Infantry Regiment Chaps cited LTC Joerg's prayer, written just before boarding his C-47 for the southern France Jump, and later found in his pocket after he was KIA at Rochelinval on 7 January 1945 during the Battle of the Bulge.

If that isn't enough, the 551st Regimental Colors have now been added to the 1918 Club at Fort Benning. As forward thinking as COL(R) Dillard was, even he couldn't have foresaw his own daughter ceremoniously adding those colors, in which he procured back in 1992, to that space for that purpose.

We, as the Association, could not be more proud for the legacy of our fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and cousins to inspire these future GOYAs as they add to that already remarkable legacy. We are confident these new GOYAs are up to the task and will make us all even more proud, to include those GOYAs up above.

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An additional benefit of getting together is the sharing of information. Out of this gathering we were honored to have displays of Phil Hand, Charles Brown, Doug Dillard, Richard Durkee, Les Meade, Franklin Zehner, and Charlie Burnham, as well as some digital info from Richard Mascuch's collection shared by his granddaughter. A few of Mascuch's pictures are shared in the last few pictures of this post.

From Phil Hand's collection, shared with us by Dutch Henderson, are these words from LTC Joerg's building mate in Panama (see last picture in this post from Mascuch's collection), Ray "Pappy" Herrmann, BN S3.

Recollections dated 8 June 1945 in Epernay, France:

"When one has had the same job in the same outfit for more than two years it isn't easy to erase it from one's mind even though the War Department says the outfit no longer exists. I hadn't been at corps headquarters long when I realized that the outfit had not been destroyed; it still existed, almost as real as it had been when we paraded in Panama in freshly starched sun-tan, or when we fought in the snow of the Ardennes. The truth dawned on me gradually."

Herrmann goes on, touching on Furlough's last days:

"A strange thing happened to Furlough about the time the battalion was broken up...When we moved up to the Belgian battle we left her with our small rear echelon at Laon. The man on duty there said that just about the time word came that the battalion was to be disbanded Furlough disappeared. Maybe she hitch-hiked her way back to Panama and she's lying in the cool shade of a palm tree dreaming of crazy guys who used to jump from airplanes. Or maybe she went to Germany because she figured that was where the battalion was going...we loved her"

GOYAs represented by company for the Redesignation Ceremonies:

A Company:
DOUG DILLARD - joined BN from the start (Benning/Panama)
RICHARD DURKEE - joined BN 9 June '44 in Sicily
KEITH HARSH - joined BN 7 March '44 at Camp Mackall
CHARLES BROWN - joined BN 9 June '44 in Sicily
ALBERT PATE - joined BN 25 July '44 in Rome

B Company:
RICHARD MASCUCH - joined BN from the start (Benning/Panama)
ROBERT WEST - joined BN from the start (Benning/Panama)
RICHARD FIELD - joined BN 3 December '43 at Camp Mackall

C Company:
JAMES MYERS - joined BN 9 June '44 in Sicily

HQ Company:
PHIL HAND - joined BN 14 February '44 at Camp Mackall
CHARLIE BURNHAM - joined BN 15 December '43 at Camp Mackall

Det Med Sec Co:
LESLIE MEADE - joined BN 9 June '44 in Sicily

Battalion HQ:
WOOD JOERG - BN joined him

GOYA!!

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