WW2 & Kentuckians: Voices of a Generation

    The 101st Airborne Division, activated at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, has no history, but it has a rendezvous with destiny. Like the early American pioneers whose invincible courage was the foundation stone of this nation, we have broken with the past and its traditions in order to establish our claim to the future.
    Due to the nature of our armament, and the tactics in which we shall perfect ourselves, we shall be called upon to carry out operations of far-reaching military importance and we shall habitually go into action when the need is immediate and extreme.
    Let me call your attention to the fact that our badge is the great American eagle. This is a fitting emblem for a division that will crush its enemies by falling upon them like a thunderbolt from the skies.
    The history we shall make, the record of high achievement we hope to write in the annals of the American Army and the American people, depends wholly and completely on the men of this division. Each individual, each officer and each enlisted man, must therefore regard himself as a necessary part of a complex and powerful instrument for the overcoming of the enemies of the nation. Each, in his own job, must realize that he is not only a means, but an indispensable means for obtaining the goal of victory. It is, therefore, not too much to say that the future itself, in whose molding we expect to have our share, is in the hands of the soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division.

The 101st Airborne Para-Infantry Division has been idealized in books, film, art and military history. Their achievements in World War II clearly distinguish them as an elite fighting force and an overwhelming factor in the success of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe. From Normandy to Bastogne and onwards into Germany itself, the 101st proved time and again its reputation as one of the most hard fighting and determined units of World War II. The following excerpt from Major General William C. Lee describes the unit men and women around the country would later call "The Screamin' Eagles":

As early as 1940, American airborne test platoons were established. This came after the successful capture of the Belgian fort Eban Emael by German paratroopers (Fallschirmjaeger) the same year. Perhaps the biggest step for the United States came when the idea of transporting troops by air came in from General William C. Lee, later known to many as the father of the U.S. Airborne forces. The 101st Division was originally established as an infantry unit in 1918, but the unit operated only two months before being disbanded. In 1921, the 101st was yet again organized as an army reserve unit based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was not until August 15th, 1942, that the 101st was designated the US Army 101st Airborne Division.

It's airborne capability was an integral part of the 101st Airborne Division and distinguished it from other infantry divisions. Initially its two glider infantry regiments (327th and 401st GIR), posed logistical problems because ideas on exactly how to use and supplement them was a matter of great debate. The dilema was exacerbated by the fact that the division was split into two elements; the GIR training school located at Ft. Benning Georgia, and the PIR (Para Infantry Regiment) located at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. This problem was solved in October 1942 when the 101st was united at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, where it was also joined by two new infantry regiments, the 502nd and the 506th. In 1949, the unit was moved to its current home at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky.

At the time it entered World War II, there were five regiments in the 101st Airborne. Considered by many to be an elite unit in terms of ability and courage, paratroopers also enjoyed special benefits such as "jump pay" because of the danger of their roles. Their elite status was also due to specialized equipment, including special boots, special medals and insignia, and even special rations. The status of "being the best" inspired Winchester Veteran John Kimbrell to volunteer for airborne service:

"I missed being drafted by 30 minutes because I wanted to get the service I wanted, I wanted to get the Airborne. Its an elite outfit, the best, and it still is!"

Training in the Airborne was tough. You didn't get to be the best with just average standards. Veteran Jim Kimbrell recalls part of his training at Ft Campbell just after WWII had ended. He later served in the Korean War:

"We took three weeks of jump school. Two weeks were all mock training. The third week you had to make five jumps to qualify for your [jump] wings. You had to make five in one week, and if one day was too windy, then you had to make two the second. So anyway, I got my five jumps in.

"I had never ever even been in an airplane, let alone jump out of it! Well, it was pretty scary, you're always afraid the first time. I had one guy that froze. Sometimes you get guys that do, they just get to the door and they cant go."

Danger was always present around the 101st, even during training. The business of war and combat always carried a price:

" We were on maneuvers at Camp Drum, NY, and I lost one of my buddies up there. His chute didn't open but when he hit the ground, another equipment chute, a 105lb hollister chute, came down through his chute and mashed him. Couldn't tell who he was. If it wasn't for his dog tags we would have never found out who it was."

The 101st went on to make a name for itself in some of the most bloody campaigns in history. Normandy, Operation Market Garden and Bastogne would be forever etched into military history as operations of the 101st Airborne. As truly one of America's elite units during the Second World War, their accomplishments are now widely known.