In Memoriam · 03 February 2024
James W. Deming was born February 22, 1923 in Patchogue, Long Island, NY to Minnie G. Deming (nee Wilcox). By 1927 his mom was living in Oneonta, NY and by 1930, the U.S. Census recorded them living in Westford, NY. His mom was a public school teacher and divorced by then. James was seven years old at that time and they had a boarder living with them. I was unable to find any records of his dad. Back in the 1930s and 40s local newspapers had a "community" section. James was often mentioned in...
Veterans · 12 March 2023
Thomas , "Red" , FORAN, Baron, duc de Saint Bar. le parachutiste du 551em , radio du colonel JOERG devenu aide de camp du Roi de Yougoslavie. De racines Irlandaises, Tom FORAN est né à New Haven, Connecticut en 1922 il est le fils de John K Foran and Valerie Shannon. Un ancêtre présumé était Job Foran, un amiral de la flotte française qui a été fait baron par le roi Louis XIV en 1688. Le titre ducal de Saint Bar aurait été conféré à un autre ancêtre en 1799 par le roi de Naples...
In Memoriam · 06 March 2021
Jack Demsey FUNK, natif de Virginie fut le premier soldat tué pour la libération de Draguignan le 16 août 1944. né en 1923, il est mobilisé en juin 1943 et se porte volontaire pour les parachutistes. Après son entrainement, il est affecté au 551em bataillon aéroporté Américain, dans la compagnie B. Le 15 aout 1944, vers 18h30 il est parachuté avec son unité sur la zone comprise entre La Motte, Les Arcs et Trans en Provence. Avant le départ en Italie les officiers autorisent leurs...
Histoire · 04 October 2020
Trans en Provence est situé à 5 kilomètres au sud de Draguignan, sur la route départementale 555 le long des rives de la Nartuby. Le groupe de résistants du village sera sous les ordres du Bataillon de l'armée secrète du commandant Jean BLANC des Arcs. Trans en Provence fera parti de la zone de parachutage "A", des plan de débarquement de Provence. Aucun planeur ne se posera autour du village compte tenu de la géographie le long des gorges de la Nartuby. En revanche, les parachutistes...
Veterans · 01 May 2020
There is some people you meet one day in your life, and they host a place in your Heart for ever. Charlie and his lovely wife Rena were that kind of people. They came in La Motte and Le Muy, southern France landing zone for the 50th anniversary, August 1994. we spend those days together, trying to locate the place he landed on his glider, places he was , and villages he liberated. Charlie was born on september the 28th 1925, he join the army and was soon volonteer for airborne training....
In Memoriam · 07 January 2020
On this morning of 7 January 1945, the men of the 551st parachute battalion were next charged with taking the village of Rochelinval, Belgium, along the Salm River. While victorious in capturing Rochelinval and eliminating the last German bridgehead for over 10 miles (16 km) on the Salm River, the unit was virtually eliminated, having suffered more than 85% casualties. Relieved on 9 January 1945, of the 643 men who entered the battle on 3 January, only 14 Officers and 96 men remained. "Nowhere...
Veterans · 10 December 2019
Page Under construction : Richard FIELD was born in Liberty on august 20th 1924 . In 1943, he was volonteer for airborne training in the US. Army. He was affected to company B of the 551st parachute infantry battalion , went throught basic training and was sent with his unit to Fort Kobbe on november 23rd 1943 in the Panama canal zone.In august 1943, back to united stades he was sent to Camp Mackall, North Carolina until march 1944. He got differents airborne and military training including...
Histoire · 03 December 2019
The 1st Battalion, 551st Parachute Infantry Regiment was activated on 26 November 1942 at Fort Kobbe in the Panama Canal Zone. Its initial cadre came from Company C of the 501st Parachute Infantry Battalion, while the rest of that battalion was absorbed into the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. Its first draft of new men was gathered in the Frying Pan Area of Fort Benning, Georgia, on 30 October 1942. Those personnel were trained as paratroopers through the Parachute School Replacement Pool...