Veterans · 10 September 2024

Douglas DILLARD was born 14 September 1925, in Atlanta, Georgia. He joined the army when he was only 17 years old and volunter for parachute training and was attached to A company of the famous 551st parachute infantry batallion under command of colonel Wood JOERG. On august 15th 1944, just a month before hos 18th Doug was part of the Airborne oparation Dragoon, second D day and jumped in Southern France behind enemy line. He then took part to the liberation of many town, including the german...

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 · 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...

Histoire · 03 December 2019

the 551st Parachute Infantry battalion 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 in...