551st Parachute Infantry Association

10 hours ago

551ST CAPTURE OF GERMAN GENERAL AT DRAGUIGNAN:

Two baker company GIs receive Silver Star for actions at Draguignan; Staff Sergeant Charles Brubaker for his contributions in capturing the first German general in the European Theater, General Bieringer(along with his staff and 59 Soldiers), and Sgt. Robert Van Horssen for his actions during the initial attack on Draguignan. Both are by command of Major General Frederick, the Purple Heart General and Commander of the First Airborne Task Force.

Staff Sergeant Brubaker citation:

"CHARLES B. BRUBAKER, 35202265, Staff Sergeant, Parachute Infantry, United States Army, for gallantry in action near Draguignan, France, on 16 August 1944. During an advance made by his company, Sergeant Brubaker and two other men were operating on the company's right flank as a combat patrol. Though the advance of their company had been temporarily interrupted, they continued forward and suddenly came upon an enemy machine gun, which they promptly put out of action with rocket launcher fire. Continuing their advance, Sergeant Brubaker and his party met and joined forces with a four-man light machine gun squad. This group, under the leadership of Sergeant Brubaker, then proceeded into the enemy occupied town of Draguignan, where French inhabitants informed them that a German General and his staff were located in a group of houses within the town. After determining the exact location of the enemy, Sergeant Brubaker led his men through mined areas toward the houses which the enemy occupied. As they approached the houses, enemy machine guns opened fire upon them, momentarily pinning them down. Deciding upon a plan of attack, Sergeant Brubaker directed that machine gun and rocket launcher fire be placed upon the house, and ordered that the rocket launcher be fired in such a way as to make the Germans believe they were being shelled by artillery. So bewildered were the Germans by this ruse, that one General, one Colonel, one Lieutenant and fifty-nine soldiers promptly surrendered. The coolness under fire and courageous leadership displayed by Sergeant Brubaker enabled his small group of men to capture a high German headquarters staff, together with a large number of enlisted meant. Entered the service from North Kenova, Ohio."

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Of course there were some A company Soldiers there as well at Villa Gladys initially, where Bieringer was captured...Cpl. Edwin Schultz, Cpl. Don Thompson, Pfc. Joe Cicchinelli, and Pvt. Flavian Hook.

While interviewing 101 year old Ernest Scango in May of 2024 (mentioned in below article) he talked about being sent for Capt. Evans following the General's capture. He also mentioned grabbing a German helmet, trying it on, and immediately getting it shot off, and exclaimed that he never tried that again. Later on, one of the General's junior enlisted men took Scango to the General's bedroom and handed him one of Bieringer's pistols, with the General's name engraved on it. Mr. Scango brought it home and needing money to purchase a TV antennae, sold it for $10.

In an interview with COL (Ret.) Doug Dillard shared on the Library of Congress website, starting at 10:35 (link is at bottom of write-up), mentions, "We were very pleased and felt very proud of the fact that we had not only captured one Major General in his office, but was also led to the location and capture of the Corp Commander two miles outside of Draguignan (LTG Neuling)."

COL Dillard pointed out that during the debriefing with Major General Bieringer they learned the location of the Corp Commander. The 551st immediately sent an 'A' company patrol to that location. COL Dillard added that he was a member of that patrol, and they surrounded the General in a bunker just outside of the town. The General sent an aid to inform them that he could not surrender to anyone below a General, so they created an outpost at the bunker. The next morning the 36th ID relieved them and General Neuling surrendered to their Assistant Division Commander who was a Brigadair General.

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In a 21 August 1944 article titled '6 G.I.'S AND FRENCHMAN WIN A BATTLE' by Wiliam Miller, Cleveland Press Correspondent for combined U.S. Press, he shared the following regarding Chesapeake, OH native Charles “Charlie” B. Brubaker and the nabbing of a German general and his staff. [Counting PFC Joe Cicchinelli's 4-man patrol that 6 might need to be bumped up to 10 G.I.'s. It may have also been a case of perfect timing for the A company patrol, as Cicchinelli mentions in 'GOYA' that the firing stopped as they came to the Villa, then they entered the building, and smashed through the front door...]

“Sgt. Charles Brubaker of Chesapake, OH, tells the story:

“When I lost the rest of my platoon I began moving toward Draguignan, hoping to meet some of my company before it actually hit the town, I heard somebody whistle softly to my left. A voice asked, ‘You lost too, Buddy?’ It was Corp. Irving from headquarters company.

We met Pvt. Hunt. He had a Jerry motorcycle and a light machinegun. We decided to go into the town. We passed a farmhouse where Julian Legere, a French partisan, came out and told us the Germans were still in their corps headquarters up on the hill. He estimated they had 100 men, including lots of officers.

We were talking it over when Pvt. Corwin van Dyke of Holland, Mich., who was out patrolling for snipers came along. Learning of the situation he got the rest of his patrol.

We piled Legere, the machinegun and a bazooka on the Jerry motorcycle and arrived at the foot of the hill leading to the headquarters about 8 o’clock. Legere knew the location of three machinegun emplacements protecting a winding path leading to headquarters.

We set up the machinegun on the side of the path in a ditch and sent Pvt. Jim Burroughs and Legere to the opposite side of the path with a bazooka. The rest of the men spread out covering them with their Garands.

I went up a side path to see what the terrain looked like. If things were okay I was to point the way with the fire of my tommy-gun. If I let go the rest were to shoot a long burst of everything they had.

I got up the hill a little bit and I said to myself, ‘It’s now or never,’ and opened up with my tommy-gun. For a minute all hell broke loose. Burroughs with his bazooka let five rounds go and they sure made a helluva racket. Hunt fired about 400 machinegun rounds and the others let go their Garands.

Pvt. Robinson would yell, ‘Major, tell my artillery to get ready five and Vany Dyke would yell back, ‘Do you want all then batteries ready, sir’ and Robinson would yell back, ‘Every damn one of them.’

I heard a voice yelling ‘Hello, Hello’ and heard footsteps on the gravel. A German lieutenant rounded the corner and I stuck my tommy-gun in his belly. ‘Don’t shoot, don’t shoot’, he cried. I searched him and took him down. He told us the others were ready to surrender.

We told him to go back and tell them to disarm and assemble in front of the house. Meantime, Pvt. Ernest Scango of Throop, PA, came up when he heard the firing and we sent him back to get his commander, Capt. James Evans who joined us with most of his company. He covered the hill then went up to the house where 64 Germans were waiting to surrender, including a major general. He was pretty mad when he learned his staff was captured by six GI’s.”

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Sergeant Robert W. Van Horssen citation:

"ROBERT W. VAN HORSSEN, 16084954, Sergeant, Parachute Infantry, United States Army, for gallantry in action near Draguignan, France, on 16 August 1944. The squad commanded by Sergeant Van Horssen was pinned down by the fire of six enemy soldiers who were entrenched on high ground and armed with machine pistols and rifles. Knowing that his squad could not possibly advance in the face of their intense fire without serious casualties, Sergeant Van Horssen, with utter disregard for his own safety, and in full view of the enemy, attacked the hostile position singlehandedly, killing two, and taking the remaining four as prisoners. Then noticing that two American platoons on his right flank were pinned down by two enemy machine guns, Sergeant Van Horssen attacked those machine guns from the rear and successfully silenced both. Sergeant Van Horssen's aggressive actions and decisive thinking resulted in the destruction of three enemy positions, and enabled the two platoons his company to continue their advance and destroy all enemy resistance in the area. Entered the military service from Grand Rapids, Michigan."

Link to COL (Ret.) Dillard Library of Congress interview:

www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.112373/?fbclid=IwY2xjawVM4qxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAWJyaWQRMVJLcFpsY1RC...

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551st Parachute Infantry Association

2 months 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

2 months 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

2 months 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

2 months 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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