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93-408: McNerney is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: David H. McNerney (1931-2010), American soldier and Medal of Honor recipient Dennis McNerney , American politician James McNerney (born 1949), American business executive Jerry McNerney (born 1951), American politician [REDACTED] Surname list This page lists people with

186-429: A platoon and achieved another objective by seizing two foot bridges near la Porte at 04:30 and crossed to the east bank. When their ammunition drew low after knocking out several machine gun emplacements, the small force withdrew to the west bank. It doubled in size overnight as stragglers came in and repulsed a German probe across the bridges. Two other noteworthy actions took place near Sainte Marie-du-Mont by units of

279-630: A ceremony inducting him into the school's Hall of Honor. A documentary Honor in the Valley of Tears described McNerney's service with Company A in Vietnam and his Medal of Honor action. It premiered at the May 2010 GI Film Festival . The film was co-written by the son of one of McNerney's soldiers. McNerney was diagnosed with untreatable lung cancer in the spring of 2010. He entered hospice care at Houston's DeBakey VA Medical Center in early October and died only

372-425: A force of some 70 paratroopers pinned down. Capt. Lloyd E. Patch (Headquarters Company 1st/506th) and Capt. Knut H. Raudstein (Company C 506th PIR) led an additional 70 troops to Holdy and enveloped the position. The combined force then continued on to seize Sainte Marie-du-Mont. A platoon of the 502nd PIR, left to hold the battery, destroyed three of the four guns before Col. Sink could send four jeeps to save them for

465-443: A helicopter could extract the wounded. Company A fought for almost the entire day. One soldier propped Lt. Sauer against a tree so he could continue shooting. Sauer later said, ""By that point we were fighting for each other. We were fighting to live. Everything (McNerney) taught them, just clicked. They fought for each other. A lot of them did just unbelievable things. They were all heroes that day. No one thought of themselves." Due to

558-401: A large identification marker in the upper branches. To clear a landing zone for helicopters, McNerney braved heavy enemy machine gun fire to collect demolition equipment abandoned in rucksacks that had been dropped early in the battle, now outside his company's perimeter. Facing continued heavy small arms fire, he returned to the company's location and blew up trees to create a landing site so

651-449: A missing Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP). After bivouacking for the night, the two companies split up. Within 15 minutes of breaking camp on the morning of March 22, Company A came under attack by a North Vietnamese force about three times their size. The NVA attempted to split the company in half. McNerney moved to the front to assess the situation. He was confronted by heavy machine gun fire and moved forward through it to kill

744-423: 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 pathfinders of

837-549: A patrol under S/Sgt. Harrison C. Summers to seize the "XYZ" objective, a barracks at Mésières, and set up a thin line of defense from Foucarville to Beuzeville . Cole's group moved during the night from near Sainte-Mère-Église to the Varreville battery, then continued on and captured Exit 3 at 07:30. They held the position during the morning until relieved by troops moving inland from Utah Beach. Both commanders found Exit 4 covered by German artillery fire and Cassidy recommended to

930-720: A submariner on the USS ; Dace , and a third, Richard, was an Air Force fighter pilot during the Vietnam War. McNerney's family moved to Houston, Texas , in the early 1940s and he graduated from St. Thomas High School in 1949. He soon enlisted in the United States Navy and served two tours in the Korean War before he was discharged in 1952. Briefly attended the University of Houston , McNerney disliked school and decided to join

1023-570: A training instructor at Fort Dix , New Jersey. During a ceremony at the White House on September 19, 1968, he was formally presented with the Medal of Honor by President Lyndon B. Johnson . He volunteered for a fourth tour in Vietnam with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, before retiring as a first sergeant in December 1969. After his military career, McNerney returned to

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1116-581: A week later, on October 10, 2010. He was buried at Houston National Cemetery on October 16. In keeping with McNerney's last wishes, McNerney's Medal of Honor was returned to the 4th Infantry Division by the men of Company A on October 6, 2011, where it is currently on display in the Mountain Post Historical Center at Fort Carson, Colorado . The Medal of Honor was donated to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. It

1209-473: Is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations . It can plan, coordinate, and execute battalion -sized air assault operations to seize terrain. These operations can be conducted by mobile teams covering large distances or areas, fighting behind enemy lines, and working in austere environments with limited or degraded infrastructure. For example, it

1302-486: Is at Fort Campbell , Kentucky . Many members of the 101st are graduates of the U.S. Army Air Assault School , which is co-located with the division. The school is known as one of the Army's most difficult courses; only about half of those who begin it will graduate. The Screaming Eagles was referred to as "the tip of the spear" by former U.S. Secretary of Defense , Robert Gates , and the most potent and tactically mobile of

1395-721: Is different from Wikidata All set index articles David H. McNerney McNerney was born in Lowell, Massachusetts , on June 2, 1931, into an Irish Catholic family with a history of military service. He was one of five children of Edward and Helen McNerney; his siblings were Ruth, Edward, Richard, and Susan. His father was a decorated World War I veteran who received the Distinguished Service Cross , Silver Star , and two Purple Hearts . Two of his siblings served in World War II , Ruth as an Army nurse and Edward as

1488-453: Is displayed in the William H. Gross Gallery along with First Sergeant David H. McNerney's photo and a selection of his stamps from Korea and Vietnam. McNerney's Medal of Honor citation reads: 1st Sgt. McNerney distinguished himself when his unit was attacked by a North Vietnamese battalion near Polei Doc. Running through the hail of enemy fire to the area of heaviest contact, he was assisting in

1581-460: Is halted by heavy German fire. Using a smoke screen, the 3/502nd's battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Robert G. Cole , led a bayonet charge that secured the farmhouse, allowing the 506th PIR to pass the 502nds lines and seize Carentan. For his bravery and leadership, LTC Cole was awarded the first of two Medals of Honor earned by Screaming Eagle soldiers in WWII. As the regular troops moved in from

1674-531: The 28th Infantry Division was near collapse. Maj. Gen. Troy H. Middleton , commander of VIII Corps , ordered part of his armored reserve, Combat Command B of the 10th Armored Division to Bastogne. Meanwhile, Gen. Eisenhower ordered forward the SHAEF reserve, composed of the 82nd and 101st Airborne, which were stationed at Reims . Both divisions were alerted on the evening of 17 December, and not having organic transport, began arranging trucks for movement forward,

1767-471: The 4th Infantry Division that it not use the exit. The division's parachute artillery did not fare nearly as well. Its drop was one of the worst of the operation, losing all but one howitzer and dropping all but two of 54 loads four to twenty miles (32 km) to the north, where most ultimately became casualties. The second wave, assigned to drop the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) on Drop Zone C 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Sainte Marie-du-Mont ,

1860-578: The 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen . The 506th retook Noville on 15 January and Rachamps the next day. The 502nd reinforced the 327th, and the two regiments captured Bourcy on 17 January, pushing the Germans back to their point of advance on the day the division had arrived in Bastogne. The next day the 101st Airborne Division was relieved. In April 1945, the 101st moved into the Rhineland and eventually reached

1953-767: The First Allied Airborne Army , commanded by Lieutenant General Lewis H. Brereton . The division took part in Operation Market Garden (17–25 September 1944), an unsuccessful Allied military operation under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery , commander of the Anglo-Canadian 21st Army Group , to capture Dutch bridges over the Rhine. It was fought in the Netherlands, and is the largest airborne operation of any war. The plan, as outlined by Montgomery, required

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2046-523: The Silver Star , 25 the Bronze Star , and 65 a Purple Heart . McNerney was awarded the Medal of Honor. To evacuate wounded and bring in fresh supplies, helicopter pilot CWO Donald Rawlinson repeatedly returned to the company's position despite heavy enemy small-arms fire. Lt. Col. Rick Sauer later said, "He came and flew out the wounded. He risked his life multiple times. ... The back of his Huey helicopter

2139-412: The surname McNerney . If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name (s) to the link. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=McNerney&oldid=786100477 " Category : Surnames Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description

2232-459: The 101st Airborne Division led the way on D-Day in the night drop before the invasion. They left from RAF North Witham , having trained there with the 82nd Airborne Division . These night drops caused a lot of trouble for the gliders. Many crashed and equipment and personnel were lost. The 101st Airborne Division's objectives were to secure the four causeway exits behind Utah Beach between Saint-Martin-de-Varreville and Pouppeville to ensure

2325-502: The 101st Airborne and Combat Command B of the 10th Armored Division. Conditions inside the perimeter were tough—most of the medical supplies and medical personnel had been captured on 19 December. CCB of the 10th Armored Division, severely weakened by losses in delaying the German advance, formed a mobile "fire brigade" of 40 light and medium tanks (including survivors of CCR of the 9th Armored Division , which had been destroyed while delaying

2418-620: The 101st Airborne were met by the lead reconnaissance units from British XXX Corps . At 16:00 radio contact alerted the main force that the Son bridge had been destroyed and requested that a replacement Bailey bridge be brought forward. By nightfall the Guards Armoured Division had established itself in the Eindhoven area however transport columns were jammed in the packed streets of the town and were subjected to German aerial bombardment during

2511-464: The 101st's use. At the end of D-Day, Gen. Taylor and division artillery commander Brig. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe returned from their foray at Pouppeville. Taylor had control of approximately 2,500 of his 6,600 men, most of whom were in the vicinity of the 506th CP at Culoville, with the thin defense line west of Saint Germain-du-Varreville, or the division reserve at Blosville. Two glider airlifts had brought in scant reinforcements and had resulted in

2604-494: The 101st, was told, he commented : "Nuts!" After turning to other pressing issues, his staff reminded him that there should be a reply to the German demand. One officer (Harry W. O. Kinnard, then a lieutenant colonel) recommended that McAuliffe's reply would be "tough to beat". Thus, McAuliffe wrote on the paper delivered to the Germans: "NUTS!" That reply had to be explained, both to the Germans and to non-American Allies. Both of

2697-525: The 26th VG Division was near exhaustion, the XLVII Panzer Corps concentrated the assault on several individual locations on the west side of perimeter in sequence rather than launching one simultaneous attack on all sides. The assault, despite initial success by German tanks in penetrating the American line, was defeated and virtually all of the German tanks involved were destroyed. The next day, 26 December,

2790-488: The 506th PIR, both of which involved the seizure and destruction of batteries of 105 mm guns of the German III Battalion-191st Artillery Regiment . During the morning, a small patrol of troopers from Company E 506th PIR under (then) 1st Lt. Richard D. Winters overwhelmed a force 3–4 times its size and destroyed four guns at a farm called Brécourt Manor , for which Winters was later awarded

2883-536: The Army after seeing a recruiting poster on campus. McNerney married Parmelia Marie "Charlotte" Moeckel in 1961. The couple had no children and Parmelia died in 2003. McNerney served two combat tours in Korea with the Navy before joining the Army. He enlisted in the Army in 1953 at Fort Bliss, Texas In 1962, he volunteered for special warfare training and was among the first 500 U.S. military advisers sent to Vietnam. He

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2976-458: The Battle of Polei Doc, A Company's (totaling 108 troops) casualties include 22 men killed in action and 43 wounded, a 60% casualty rate. After the battle, U.S. troops identified 139 NVA KIA around the A 1/8 perimeter, and another 400 NVA graves were located in the area a short time later. As a result of their actions during the battle that day, two men were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross , 7

3069-607: The Bavarian Alps. As the 101st drove into Southern Germany they liberated Kaufering IV, one of the camps in the Kaufering complex . Kaufering IV had been designated as the sick camp where prisoners who could no longer work were sent. During the typhus epidemic of 1945 in Germany, Kaufering prisoners with typhus were sent there to die. Kaufering IV was located near the town of Hurlach, which the 12th Armored Division occupied on 27 April, with

3162-484: The Bois des Corbeaux ( Corbeaux Wood ), to the right of Easy Company, on 10 January, and Foy on 13 January. The 327th attacked towards Bourcy, northeast of Bastogne, on 13 January and encountered stubborn resistance. The 101st Airborne Division faced the elite of the German military which included such units as 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler , Führerbegleitbrigade , 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend , and

3255-761: The Company was given orders, they did not include the typical rest period at a rear base after every patrol. Instead, they were assigned to a forward operating base for an extended period of time, possibly in retribution for the altercation with the 101st Airborne. After a few months in country, Company A moved to the Central Highlands during the Tet New Year holidays near the Cambodian border. On March 21, 1967, Company A and with Company B were dropped by helicopter into Polei Doc, later named "The Valley of Tears", to search for

3348-469: The Distinguished Service Cross and the assault troops given Silver and Bronze Stars. This was later documented in the book Band of Brothers and the miniseries of the same name . Around noon, while reconnoitering the area by jeep , Col. Sink received word that a second battery of four guns had been discovered at Holdy, a manor between his CP and Sainte Marie-du-Mont, and the defenders had

3441-563: The Douve at La Porte opposite Brévands , destroying the highway bridges over the Douve at Saint-Côme-du-Mont , and securing the Douve River valley. Their secondary mission was to protect the southern flank of VII Corps . They destroyed two bridges along the Carentan highway and a railroad bridge just west of it. They gained control of La Barquette locks, and established a bridgehead over the Douve which

3534-444: The Germans could still move armored units. The three groups clustered there had tenuous contact with each other but none with the rest of the division. A shortage of radio equipment caused by losses during the drops exacerbated his control problems. Taylor made destroying the Douve bridges the division's top priority and delegated the task to Sink, who issued orders for the 1st Battalion 401st Glider Infantry to lead three battalions south

3627-467: The Germans, and eight replacement tanks found unassigned in Bastogne). Three artillery battalions, including the all-black 969th Field Artillery Battalion , were commandeered by the 101st and formed a temporary artillery group. Each had twelve 155 mm howitzers, providing the division with heavy firepower in all directions restricted only by its limited ammunition supply (by 22 December artillery ammunition

3720-768: The Houston area and settled in Crosby . He worked at the Port of Houston as an inspector with the United States Customs Service , a job he held from 1970 until his final retirement in 1995. In his later years he attended numerous public speaking engagements and events in his honor and was involved in Crosby's American Legion post and Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program. On August 24, 2004, McNerney donated his Medal of Honor to his alma mater, St. Thomas High School , at

3813-639: The Nijmegen salient and relieved the British 43rd Wessex Division to defend against the German counter offensive against the salient in early October. The division was relieved in late November 1944 and returned to SHAEF reserve for rest and refit. The Ardennes Offensive (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945) was a major German offensive launched towards the end of World War II through the forested Ardennes Mountains region of Belgium. Germany's planned goal for these operations

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3906-498: The Pouppeville exit at 06:00. After a six-hour house-clearing battle with elements of the German 1058th Grenadier Regiment, the group secured the exit shortly before 4th Division troops arrived to link up. The third wave also encountered severe flak , losing six aircraft. The troop carriers still made an accurate drop, placing 94 of 132 sticks on or close to the drop zone, but part of the DZ

3999-509: The Secretary's visit. After the American breakout from Normandy and subsequent liberation of France, SHAEF planned several jumps for the 101st ahead of the advancing armies, but all were cancelled prior to launch due to the rapid advance of Allied ground troops. On 17 September 1944, the 101st Airborne Division became part of XVIII Airborne Corps , under Major General Matthew Ridgway , part of

4092-703: The Sixth and Seventh Corps Areas. In addition, division personnel also conducted the Citizens Military Training Camps in the division's home area as a form of annual training. The division's primary "feeder" schools for newly commissioned Reserve lieutenants were the University of Wisconsin , Ripon College , and St. Norbert College . Division personnel sometimes participated in the Sixth Corps Area and Second Army command post exercises with other Regular Army, National Guard, and Organized Reserve units, but

4185-472: The U.S. Army's divisions by General Edward C. Meyer , then Chief of Staff of the Army . The 101st Division was constituted in the National Army on 23 July 1918. It was organized at Camp Shelby , Mississippi on 2 November 1918, and commanded by Brigadier General Roy Hoffman . World War I ended nine days later, and the division was demobilized on 11 December 1918. In 1921, the division headquarters

4278-484: The beachheads and strengthened the paratrooper positions, the 101st was relieved and returned to England to rest and refit for the next airborne operation. The first elements of the division returned to Southampton, England on 12 July 1944 in the presence of Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson according to the private papers of Lt. Gen. John C. H. Lee , commanding general of the Communications Zone , ETO who received

4371-422: The causeway into Carentan on the morning of 10 June. The rest of 3/502 attempted to reach the fourth bridge during the day, but damage to the preceding bridges on the causeway, as well as artillery, dive bomber, machine gun and sniper fire, stalled the battalion until the next day and inflicted heavy casualties. Early on 11 June, 3/502 resumes its attack and attempts to seize a farmhouse just beyond Bridge No.4, but

4464-543: The coastal battery soon after assembling, and found that it had already been dismantled after an air raid. Most of the remainder of the 502nd (70 of 80 paratroopers) dropped in a disorganized pattern around the impromptu drop zone set up by the pathfinders near the beach. The battalion commanders of the 1st and 3rd Battalions, Lt. Col. Patrick J. Cassidy (1/502) and Lt. Col. Robert G. Cole (3/502), took charge of small groups and accomplished all of their D-Day missions. Cassidy's group took Saint Martin-de-Varreville by 06:30, sent

4557-433: The company developed an extremely strong bond, and McNerney volunteered to return to Vietnam with Company A. In late 1966, McNerney began his third tour of duty in Vietnam with Company A. While patrolling and marching across a narrow bridge, the battalion got into a fistfight with members of the 101st Airborne . McNerney was summoned by his company commander for an explanation during which he defended his men's actions. When

4650-508: The company. He adjusted artillery fire to within 20 meters of the position in a daring measure to repulse enemy assaults. When the smoke grenades used to mark the position were gone, he moved into a nearby clearing to designate the location to friendly aircraft. In spite of enemy fire he remained exposed until he was certain the position was spotted and then climbed into a tree and tied the identification panel to its highest branches. Then he moved among his men readjusting their position, encouraging

4743-403: The death of his assistant division commander (ADC), Brig. Gen. Don F. Pratt , his neck broken on impact. The 327th Glider Infantry had come across Utah Beach but only its third battalion (1st Battalion 401st GIR) had reported in. The 101st Airborne Division had accomplished its most important mission of securing the beach exits, but had a tenuous hold on positions near the Douve River, over which

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4836-409: The defenders and checking the wounded. As the hostile assaults slackened, he began clearing a helicopter landing site to evacuate the wounded. When explosives were needed to remove large trees, he crawled outside the relative safety of his perimeter to collect demolition material from abandoned rucksacks. Moving through a fusillade of fire he returned with the explosives that were vital to the clearing of

4929-562: The demolition of the division's primary objective, a bridge over the Wilhelmina Canal at Son , delayed the capture of the main road bridge over the Maas until 20 September. Faced with the loss of the bridge at Son, the 101st unsuccessfully attempted to capture a similar bridge a few kilometers away at Best but found the approach blocked. During the fighting near Best, Private First Class Joe E. Mann of 3rd Battalion, 502nd PIR posthumously earned

5022-420: The development of a defensive perimeter when he encountered several enemy at close range. He killed the enemy but was painfully injured when blown from his feet by a grenade. In spite of this injury, he assaulted and destroyed an enemy machinegun position that had pinned down 5 of his comrades beyond the defensive line. Upon learning his commander and artillery forward observer had been killed, he assumed command of

5115-463: The division did not participate as a unit in the various Sixth Corps Area Maneuvers and the Second Army maneuvers of 1937, 1940, and 1941, because of a lack of enlisted personnel and equipment to use. Instead, the officers and a few enlisted reservists were assigned to Regular Army and National Guard units to fill vacant slots, and some officers were assigned duties as umpires or support personnel. It

5208-481: The division was Camp Custer , Michigan , where much of the division's annual training activities occurred in the interwar years. The headquarters and staff usually trained with the staff of the 12th Infantry Brigade either at Camp Custer or Fort Sheridan, Illinois , while the infantry regiments trained primarily with the 2nd Infantry Regiment at Camp Custer. The special troops, artillery, engineers, aviation, medical, and quartermaster units trained at various posts in

5301-594: The division's second and last Medal of Honor during WWII for throwing his body unto a German grenade he was too badly wounded to throw back, saving several of his fellow soldiers. Other units continued moving to the south and eventually reached the northern end of Eindhoven. At 06:00 on 18 September, the Irish Guards of the British Guards Armoured Division resumed the advance while facing determined resistance from German infantry and tanks. Around noon

5394-572: The division's shift from airplanes to helicopters as the primary method of delivering troops into combat. At the height of the War on Terror , the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) had over 200 aircraft. This shrank to just over 100 aircraft with the inactivation of the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade in 2015. In 2019, media reports suggested the Army was working to restore the 101st's aviation capabilities so it can return to lifting an entire brigade in one air assault operation. The 101st's headquarters

5487-456: The exit route for the 4th Infantry Division from the beach later that morning. The other objectives included destroying a German coastal artillery battery at Saint-Martin-de-Varreville, capturing buildings nearby at Mézières believed used as barracks and a command post for the artillery battery, capturing the Douve river lock at La Barquette (opposite Carentan ), capturing two footbridges spanning

5580-513: 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

5673-494: The hamlet of Le Grand Chemin near the Houdienville causeway by mid-afternoon, but found that the 4th Division had already seized the exit hours before. The 3rd Battalion of the 501st PIR , led by Lt. Col. Julian J. Ewell (3/501), also assigned to jump onto DZ C, was more scattered, but took over the mission of securing the exits. An ad hoc company -sized team that included division commander Maj. Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor reached

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5766-413: The highway bridges over the Douve. Less than half a mile from his objective at les Droueries he was stopped by elements of battalion III/1058 Grenadier-Rgt. Another group of 50 men, assembled by the regimental S-3, Major Richard J. Allen, attacked the same area from the east at Basse-Addeville but was also pinned down. The commander of the 501st PIR, Col. Howard R. Johnson, collected 150 troops and captured

5859-432: The intense action many casualties were not evacuated until late in the afternoon. Company B, several kilometers from Company A, fought all day to reach the unit, reaching them late in the day. Despite his own injuries, McNerney refused to be evacuated and remained with A Company until a new commander arrived the next day. McNerney said later on that he had a calm feeling and knew that he wasn't going to die that day. During

5952-576: The landing zone. Disregarding the pain of his injury and refusing medical evacuation 1st Sgt. McNerney remained with his unit until the next day when the new commander arrived. First Sgt. McNerney's outstanding heroism and leadership were inspirational to his comrades. His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country. 101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles")

6045-663: The liberation of the Netherlands ; and its action during the Battle of the Bulge around the city of Bastogne , Belgium . During the Vietnam War , the 101st Airborne Division fought in several major campaigns and battles, including the Battle of Hamburger Hill in May 1969. In mid-1968, the division was reorganized and redesignated as an airmobile division and in 1974, the division was again redesigned as an air assault division. The titles reflect

6138-416: The machine gunner. While returning to his lines he was blown off his feet by a grenade. When he returned to his unit he learned the company commander and all of the officers except 1st Lt. Rick Sauer had been killed or wounded. Within a few minutes, Sauer was incapacitated by gunshot and shrapnel wounds. Although wounded himself, McNerney assumed command of the unit and began organizing their defense to prevent

6231-481: The main objective, la Barquette lock, by 04:00. After establishing defensive positions, Col. Johnson went back to the DZ and assembled another 100 men, including Allen's group, to reinforce the bridgehead. Despite naval gunfire support from the cruiser Quincy , Ballard's battalion was unable to take Saint Côme-du-Mont or join Col. Johnson. The S-3 officer of the 3rd Battalion 506th PIR, Capt. Charles G. Shettle, put together

6324-526: The major highways through eastern Belgium. Because all seven of the main roads in the Ardennes converged on the small town of Bastogne , control of its crossroads was vital to the success or failure of the German attack. Despite several notable signs in the weeks preceding the attack, the Ardennes Offensive achieved virtually complete surprise. By the end of the second day of battle, it became apparent that

6417-431: The movement, and at one point the combined column stretched from Bouillon , Belgium, back to Reims. The 101st Airborne was routed to Bastogne, located 107 miles (172 km) away on a 1,463 feet (446 m) high plateau , while the 82nd Airborne took up positions further north to block the critical advance of Kampfgruppe Peiper toward Werbomont, Belgium. The 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion , in reserve sixty miles to

6510-410: The next morning. On 10 June the division launched an assault to seize the town of Carentan, a major road and rail hub that served as a critical junction between Utah and Omaha beaches. As such Carentan was heavily defended by the 2nd Fallschirmjäger-Division, 91st Luftlande-Infanterie-Division and elements of the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division. Deliberate flooding of the Douve River floodplain north of

6603-458: The night. XXX Corps engineers, supported by German prisoners of war, constructed a class 40 Bailey bridge within 10 hours across the Wilhelmina Canal. The longest sector of the highway secured by the 101st Airborne Division later became known as "Hell's Highway". Due to Operation Market Garden significantly extending the 21st Army Groups line, the 101st was attached to 21st Army Group to prevent its lines from being undermanned. The 101st reinforced

6696-416: The north, was ordered to Bastogne to provide anti-tank support to the armorless 101st Airborne on the 18th and arrived late the next evening. The first elements of the 501st PIR entered the division assembly area four miles west of Bastogne shortly after midnight of 19 December, and by 09:00 the entire division had arrived. By 21 December, the German forces had surrounded Bastogne, which was defended by both

6789-427: The opposition, the 506th's 1st Battalion (the original division reserve) was dropped accurately on DZ C, landing two-thirds of its sticks and regimental commander Col. Robert F. Sink on or within a mile of the drop zone. Most of the 2nd Battalion had jumped too far west, near Sainte-Mère-Église. They eventually assembled near Foucarville at the northern edge of the 101st Airborne's objective area. It fought its way to

6882-711: The seizure by airborne forces of several bridges on the Highway 69 across the Maas ( Meuse River ) and two arms of the Rhine (the Waal and the Lower Rhine ), as well as several smaller canals and tributaries . Crossing these bridges would allow British armoured units to outflank the Siegfried Line , advance into northern Germany, and encircle the Ruhr , Germany's industrial heartland, thus ending

6975-515: The spearhead of General George S. Patton's U.S. Third Army relief force, the 4th Armored Division , broke through the German lines and opened a corridor to Bastogne, ending the siege. The division got the nickname "The Battered Bastards of the Bastion of Bastogne". With the encirclement broken, the men of the 101st expected to be relieved, but were given orders to resume the offensive. The 506th attacked north and recaptured Recogne on 9 January 1945,

7068-428: The town left the elevated causeway linking Saint-Côme-du-Mont and Carentan, later named Purple Heart Lane , as the most expedient route to Carentan. The 502nd PIR was assigned the task of assaulting down this highway while the 327th GIR crossed the Douve north of Carentan and attacked from the northeast. 3rd Battalion, 502nd PIR led the 502nds attack, with a reconnaissance patrol reaching the fourth and final bridge on

7161-523: The two panzer divisions of the XLVII Panzer Corps moved forward from Bastogne after 21 December, leaving only one panzergrenadier regiment of the Panzer-Lehr-Division to assist the 26th Volksgrenadier Division in attempting to capture the crossroads. The 26th VG received additional armor and panzergrenadier reinforcements on Christmas Eve to prepare for its final assault, to take place on Christmas Day. Because it lacked sufficient armor and troops and

7254-402: The unit's lines from being split and overrun. He called in air strikes within 65 feet (20 m) of his own position. The triple-canopy jungle was so heavy that helicopters flying directly overhead could not locate and resupply the troops for some time. To help helicopter pilots find the unit's location, McNerney climbed a tree in full view of the enemy, exposing himself to fire, so he could place

7347-464: The war. This meant the large-scale use of Allied airborne forces , including both the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, along with the British 1st Airborne Division . The operation was initially successful. Several bridges between Eindhoven and Nijmegen were captured by the 82nd and 101st. The 101st met little resistance and captured most of their initial objectives by the end of 17 September. However,

7440-441: The weather conditions being unfit for a parachute drop. The 82nd, longer in reserve and thus better re-equipped, moved out first. The 101st left Camp Mourmelon on the afternoon of 18 December, with the order of march the division artillery, division trains, 501st PIR, 506th PIR , 502nd PIR, and 327th Glider Infantry . Much of the convoy was conducted at night in drizzle and sleet, using headlights despite threat of air attack to speed

7533-402: Was activated on 16 August 1942, at Camp Claiborne , Louisiana , has no history, but it has a rendezvous with destiny. 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

7626-778: Was active in foreign internal defense and counterterrorism operations in Iraq , in Afghanistan in 2015–2016, and in Syria , as part of Operation Inherent Resolve in 2018–2021. Established in 1918, the 101st Division was first constituted as an airborne unit in 1942. During World War II , it gained renown for its role in Operation Overlord (the D-Day landings and airborne landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy , France ); Operation Market Garden ;

7719-622: Was at this time that the "Screaming Eagle" mascot became associated with the division, as a successor to the traditions of the Wisconsin volunteer regiments of the American Civil War . On 30 July 1942, the Army Ground Forces ordered the activation of two airborne divisions by 15 August 1942. The 82nd Division, an Organized Reserve division ordered into active military service in March 1942,

7812-436: Was badly dispersed by the clouds, then subjected to intense anti-aircraft fire for 10 miles (16 km). Three of the 81 C-47s were lost before or during the jump. One, piloted by 1st Lt. Marvin F. Muir of the 439th Troop Carrier Group , caught fire. Muir held the aircraft steady while the stick jumped, then died when the plane crashed immediately afterward, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross . Despite

7905-413: Was covered by pre-registered German machine gun and mortar fire that inflicted heavy casualties before many troops could get out of their chutes. Among the killed were two of the three battalion commanders and the executive officer of the 3/506th. The surviving battalion commander, Lt. Col. Robert A. Ballard, gathered 250 troopers and advanced toward Saint Côme-du-Mont to complete his mission of destroying

7998-464: Was deployed to that country a second time in 1964. In 1965, McNerney was sent to Ft. Lewis , Washington, to train soldiers. McNerney had a hard reputation and was seen as a tough, no-nonsense man. He was selected to lead Company A, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment , 4th Infantry Division . After they completed training and were sent to Vietnam, McNerney was not scheduled to go with them. However, during their year of training together, McNerney and

8091-616: Was just flowing in blood from continually taking out the wounded people. He did quite a job. " Rawlinson was recognized with the Distinguished Flying Cross and was adopted as a member of A Company by its troops. The battalion was one of the most highly decorated battalions of the Vietnam War. Four members were recognized with Medals of Honor within a 60-day period. McNerney returned to the United States in August 1967 and worked as

8184-535: Was located north-east of Carentan. In the process, units also disrupted German communications, established roadblocks to hamper the movement of German reinforcements, established a defensive line between the beachhead and Valognes , cleared the area of the drop zones to the unit boundary at Les Forges, and linked up with the 82nd Airborne Division. The paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division jumped between 00:48 and 01:40 British Double Summer Time of 6 June. The first wave, inbound to Drop Zone A (the northernmost),

8277-408: Was not surprised by the cloud bank and maintained formation, but navigating errors and a lack of Eureka signal caused the first error . Although the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment was dropped as a compact unit, it jumped on the wrong drop zone, while its commander, Lt. Col. Steve A. Chappuis, came down virtually alone on the correct drop zone. Chappuis and his paratrooper captured

8370-612: Was ordered to provide cadre to the 101st Division, the other division that was selected for the project, for all elements except parachute infantry. As part of the reorganization of the 101st Division as an airborne division, the unit was disbanded in the Organized Reserve on 15 August 1942 and reconstituted and reactivated in the Army of the United States . On 19 August 1942, its first commander, Major General William C. Lee , read out General Order Number 5: The 101st Airborne Division, which

8463-872: Was reconstituted in the Organized Reserve , allotted to the Sixth Corps Area , and assigned to the XVI Corps , and further allotted to the state of Wisconsin . The division headquarters was organized on 10 September 1921 in Room 412 of the Federal Building in Milwaukee , moving in July 1922 to the Pereles Building, where it remained until activated for World War II (1939-1945). The designated mobilization and training station for

8556-401: Was restricted to 10 rounds per gun per day). The weather cleared the next day, however, and supplies (primarily ammunition) were dropped over four of the next five days. Despite several determined German attacks, the perimeter held. The German commander, Generalleutnant Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz , requested Bastogne's surrender. When General Anthony McAuliffe , now acting commander of

8649-654: Was to split the British and American Allied line in half, capturing Antwerp , Belgium in the process, and then proceeding to encircle and destroy the entire British 21st Army Group and all 12th U.S. Army Group units north of the German advance, forcing the Western Allies to negotiate a peace treaty in the Axis Powers ' favor as a result. In order to reach Antwerp before the Allies could regroup and bring their superior air power to bear, German mechanized forces had to seize all

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