View Full Version : "Devil's Brigade" Receives Congressional Recognition
Outstanding! :lifter
Richard :munchin
World War II Brigade Receives Long Awaited Recognition
Fox, 11 Mar 2012
http://video.foxnews.com/v/1501315750001/world-war-ii-brigade-receives-long-awaited-recognition/?playlist_id=87937
It's about time,, :lifter
Good for them,, what few remain.. :D
Long, Long overdue!:lifter
Very nice, good story and what memories they must have.
Great to see they finally get credit for their outstanding performance in battle.....
greenberetTFS
03-12-2012, 15:55
I met one vet when I worked in security at the welcome center in Mississippi,his comments regarding the film were very interesting........ :cool: He was a Canadian and said the "krauts" were scared shitless when they heard these guys were in the area and surrendered in remarkably large numbers..........;) :D
Big Teddy :munchin
miclo18d
03-26-2012, 12:05
I met one vet when I worked in security at the welcome center in Mississippi,his comments regarding the film were very interesting........ :cool: He was a Canadian and said the "krauts" were scared shitless when they heard these guys were in the area and surrendered in remarkably large numbers..........;) :D
Big Teddy :munchin
Could have been the fact that they took very few prisoners. Usually only when ordered. This stemmed from the attack on Monte la Difensa. A German was surrendering to one of the Company Commanders and the German's friend jumped up out of his foxhole and shot the CPT. They no longer took prisoners after this incident unless ordered to do prisoner snatches.
Of the entire 1st SSF, it is estimated that fewer than 30 were ever taken prisoner. -- WWII Magazine
I was privileged to bury one of the senior officers at Arlington Cemetery back in late 01 or early 02. I am, however, ashamed to have forgotten his name and have had trouble looking it up.
alright4u
03-26-2012, 15:51
I met one vet when I worked in security at the welcome center in Mississippi,his comments regarding the film were very interesting........ :cool: He was a Canadian and said the "krauts" were scared shitless when they heard these guys were in the area and surrendered in remarkably large numbers..........;) :D
Big Teddy :munchin
Teddy: In 1999 one of the SOA men from the San Diego SFA Chapter ( Col Banks chapter I think), had a guest from that original SF unit at SOAR in Vegas. Back then we still used the Plaza Hotel downtown. I met this fine man, and; we talked for several days on and off. I will never forget meeting the man. He never said he did much. He did mention a mountain in Italy-I think. My mind is not to sharp. I think it was a Larry Keil (sp) from San Diego who brought him to SOAR or knew him, as Larry was in college with me. Anyway, these men are the first. A tip of the beret.
greenberetTFS
03-27-2012, 03:44
I met one vet when I worked in security at the welcome center in Mississippi,his comments regarding the film were very interesting........ He was a Canadian and said the "krauts" were scared shitless when they heard these guys were in the area and surrendered in remarkably large numbers..........
Big Teddy :munchin
It just dawned on me,one old codger(75) talking to another old codger(88).......;) :D
Big Teddy :munchin
When I was CDR HHC 1-507th, I sat on the Airborne Memorial Walk Committee and got to know FSSF vet Henley Woods who chaired the committee. He was pretty banged up physically from his time in the Aleutians and Italy in the FSSF, but had a great positive attitude towards life and getting things done, and was an inspiring man to be around.
My wife took these pics when we were dedicating the Airborne Walk 23 Apr 1987; Henley is the guy wearing the dark green blazer and Green Beret.
The others in the pic of the ribbon cutting are (L-R): WW2 507th PIR vet Bob Baldwin who made 2 combat jumps and designed the walk; the Airborne Association chaplain, a WW2 vet who made 4 combat jumps and wore a smock made from the canopy of his chute from his final combat jump at Nijmegen; MG Ed Burba, Chief of Infantry; SecArmy John Marsh; BG (Ret) William Ryder, Test Platoon Leader, 1st Army Paratrooper, and 2 combat jumps with the 509th PIR and 2 with the 505th PIR; Henley Woods, FSSF vet and committee Chairman; Canadian WW2 Paratrooper in tan suit. The man kneeling taking pictures wearing the blue jeans, WW2 Paratrooper's jump jacket, and black ball cap is Doug Wilmer, a WW2 glider pilot who represented the Glider Pilot's Association on the walk committee. A/1-507th was in Tower that week and formed the participating active unit.
Those vets were an inspiring lot to be around.
Richard :munchin
greenberetTFS
03-27-2012, 07:49
When I was CDR HHC 1-507th, I sat on the Airborne Memorial Walk Committee and got to know FSSF vet Henley Woods who chaired the committee. He was pretty banged up physically from his time in the Aleutians and Italy in the FSSF, but had a great positive attitude towards life and getting things done, and was an inspiring man to be around.
My wife took these pics when we were dedicating the Airborne Walk 23 Apr 1987; Henley is the guy wearing the dark green blazer and Green Beret.
The others in the pic of the ribbon cutting are (L-R): WW2 507th PIR vet Bob Baldwin who made 2 combat jumps and designed the walk; the Airborne Association chaplain, a WW2 vet who made 4 combat jumps and wore a smock made from the canopy of his chute from his final combat jump at Nijmegen; MG Ed Burba, Chief of Infantry; SecArmy John Marsh; BG (Ret) William Ryder, Test Platoon Leader, 1st Army Paratrooper, and 2 combat jumps with the 509th PIR and 2 with the 505th PIR; Henley Woods, FSSF vet and committee Chairman; Canadian WW2 Paratrooper in tan suit. The man kneeling taking pictures wearing the blue jeans, WW2 Paratrooper's jump jacket, and black ball cap is Doug Wilmer, a WW2 glider pilot who represented the Glider Pilot's Association on the walk committee. A/1-507th was in Tower that week and formed the participating active unit.
Those vets were an inspiring lot to be around.
Richard :munchin
Richard
Why the Green Beret,from the movie I remember they were authorized a maroon one weren't they?...........:confused:
Big Teddy :munchin
Richard
Why the Green Beret,from the movie I remember they were authorized a maroon one weren't they?...........:confused:
Big Teddy :munchin
Teddy,
IAW AR600-8-22, Para 8.9.e (2) Prior to 1954. The SF Tab may be awarded prior to 1955 for at least 120 consecutive days in one of the following organizations:
(a) 1st Special Service Force, August 1942 to December 1944.
The FSSF is considered one of the 'Founding Fathers' of SF, so to speak, and, as such, the American members of the 'Forcemen' wear the dark green blazers and green beret as their association's uniform - the Canadian members wear maroon blazers and berets associated with their traditions.
Richard :munchin
greenberetTFS
03-27-2012, 08:30
Teddy,
IAW AR600-8-22, Para 8.9.e (2) Prior to 1954. The SF Tab may be awarded prior to 1955 for at least 120 consecutive days in one of the following organizations:
(a) 1st Special Service Force, August 1942 to December 1944.
The FSSF is considered one of the 'Founding Fathers' of SF, so to speak, and, as such, the American members of the 'Forcemen' wear the dark green blazers and green beret as their association's uniform - the Canadian members wear maroon blazers and berets associated with their traditions.
Richard :munchin
Gotcha........;) :D
Big Teddy :munchin
I was privileged to bury one of the senior officers at Arlington Cemetery back in late 01 or early 02. I am, however, ashamed to have forgotten his name and have had trouble looking it up.
Hey Miclo,
Sorry this post is so delayed....I haven't been on here for a few weeks. After reading this thread about the Devil's Brigade, and realizing I had no idea who they were, I went and did some reading on the unit.
I came across this site [LINK] (http://www.firstspecialserviceforce.net/FSSF_Members_pg1.html) and it has a MS Word file with the full American/Canadian/enlisted/officer roster. They list 103 American/Canadian officers from Captain to General, which I dumped into the attached file (pdf) and cross-referenced with the Arlington nationwide gravesite locator. There are several FSSF officers that are buried at Arlington, but I couldn't find one from the time you indicated. They are highlighted in blue on my list. Maybe you can read through all the names and jog your memory. HTH...
I'm glad I took the time to read about this inspiring unit. Very interesting....and I particularly liked this bit: [Source] (http://www.historynet.com/us-canadian-1st-special-service-force-in-world-war-ii.htm)
"Yet the 1st SSF–the forerunner of America's Green Berets–proved that soldiers from two different nations could work effectively as part of an elite, integrated unit, drawing upon each others' strengths and forming a remarkable cohesion that stemmed from the self-confidence of each of its members and a disdain for mindless regulation and regimentation.
Small, specialized units such as the 1st SSF did not, by themselves, win World War II for the Allies. Their value cannot be based on battles won or lost, or in the number of towns liberated or prisoners captured, or in the casualties inflicted upon the enemy. But perhaps their well-reported exploits and indomitable spirit in the face of overwhelming odds contributed in a major way to the optimism that, even in the darkest days of the war, kept whispering President Franklin D. Roosevelt's words in every soldier's and civilian's ear: 'We shall gain the inevitable triumph, so help us God.'"
I guess that sums up why I like reading PS.com....even though there can be quite a bit of frustration expressed by you QPs here towards our politicians and direction of this country, ultimately it may well be your unique skills and accomplishments that enable our country to "gain the inevitable triumph, so help us God."