Storied 101st Airborne marks 70th anniversary

foxnews.com ^ | 12aug2012

[ConorMacNessa]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – After months of grueling road marches through the north Georgia mountains, a group of elite paratroopers had to put their training to the test in a trial by fire. They leapt from an airplane, bullets whizzing past parachutes and shrapnel pelting the plane's side panels.

Ed Shames was among them. Now 90, Shames was 19 when he signed up for new parachute units created military leaders who wanted a quicker, more aggressive unit that could sneak behind enemy lines in Europe. This week, thousands of active-duty soldiers and veterans are gathering at Fort Campbell, Ky., to honor the 101st Airborne Division that was created 70 years ago, even as its current soldiers prepare to leave for Afghanistan.

Military officials at first weren't so sure the 101st "Screaming Eagles" would find success. And the day Shames first saw combat turned out to be one of the most crucial in U.S. history — the D-Day invasion of France.

"They prophesized that we were going to fall on our faces, from the very beginning," he said.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/12/storied-101st-airborne-marks-70th-anniversary/#ixzz23NvHYYCT

[ConorMacNessa]

Seventieth Anniversary of the Iconic 10st Airborne - the magnificent "Screaming Eagles"!!





Gen. Eisenhower addressing members of the 101st Airborne before D-Day, Normandy.

[ConorMacNessa]

Ping to the FR Canteen and to Amy's Place!



Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Kaslin]

Fort Campbell just held the Week of the Eagles

[dfwgator]

CURAHEE!

[luvie]

Happy 70th Anniversary
to a GREAT bunch of heroes!

[ConorMacNessa]

My uncle, Maj. John T. Dowd, USA, served with the 101st and with the 82nd. I almost ended up as a Paratrooper myself, but the morons at Ft. Holabird lost my file between the time I was sworn in to the Reserves and the time I went up to be sworn in to active duty.

My father, a career Naval officer, influenced me to join the Navy. Irony of ironies - I ended up serving as a grunt Corpsman with the 5th Marines - and I couldn't be prouder of the outcome!

I just learned a couple of months ago that my recently deceased cousin, Charley Doran, served with the Screaming Eagles in Nam. I've always had a warm spot in my heart for our Paratroopers. Thank the Lord for their brave actions, from WWII to the present! They are our First Team!



Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[VeniVidiVici]

311th MI BN 101st ABN DIV
1984-1985
Probably the tightest bunch of guys, and gals, I ever had the pleasure of serving with.

[Jet Jaguar]

Bump

[JDoutrider]

Former Pukin Buzzard Bump!

[Hunton Peck]

From my Dad's WWII photos: Men of the 101st prepare for takeoff during Operation Market Garden, Holland, Sept., 1944 (Dad was the pilot, leftmost in the pic).

[Hunton Peck]

“leftmost”

S/b “rightmost” — in the pic as in politics...

[screaming eagle2]

ROCK STEADY,101st!!!!

[ConorMacNessa]

Outstanding, Hunton! Thank very much for posting the photo! You must be very proud, and justly so - thanks to your Dad for his service in WWII!　



Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Hunton Peck]

“You must be very proud”

Very much so. Dad looked up to the men in the back of his plane (or in the glider behind). He always wished he could know how each of them made out after he turned to go back to base.