"In the footsteps of the 82nd Airborne Division"

Practical information

What is this event about ?

This event commemorates the battle fought by all American units but especially by the 504th PIR (Parachute Infantry Regiment) of the 82nd AIrborne Division. during the Battle of the Bulge.

History of the 82nd Airborne

The double "A" on the shoulder patch refers to the nickname "All American Division" adopted by the organization in France during World War I.

On 25 March 1942, the 82nd Infantry Division was reactivated at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana under the command of Major General Omar N. Bradley (left). On August 15, 1942, the Division took wings as The 82nd Airborne - becoming the U.S. Army's first airborne division - now commanded by Major General Matthew B.Ridgway (below right).

At the same time, 82nd personnel also were used in the formation of a second airborne unit - the "Screaming Eagles" of the 101st Airborne Division.

General Matthew B. Ridgway In October, the 82nd was dispatched to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to pursue its new airborne training. On October 14, the 82nd absorbed the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which had formed on May 1 at Fort Benning, Georgia. By the time that they went overseas, the 82nd would consist of the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment and the 504th and 505th Parachute Infantry Regiments.

In the spring of 1943, the 82nd All Americans became the first airborne division sent overseas. They left via troop ships from New England and landed in Casablanca, North Africa on May 10, 1943. From there, they moved by rail to Oujda and then by truck to Kairouan, Tunisia. That would be their departure point for the Division's first combat drop - the invasion of Sicily.

Sicily - Operation Husky
Colonel James Gavin's 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) and the 3rd Battalion of the 504th PIR parachuted to take the high ground near Ponte Olivo airfield northeast of Gela, Sicily on July 9,1943. Despite the wide scattering of the assault, the objectives were seized and the units linked up with the 1st Infantry Division the next day.

On July 11, 1943, the remaining Battalions of the 504th PIR were dropped in the vicinity of Gela with heavy losses from both the German and Allied (friendly fire) antiaircraft fire. Despite the heavy losses the division was moved up to the front by motor and reinforced by the 39th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division on July 12, 1943. The crossings of Fiume delle Canno were secured on July 18, 1943 and the division pushed along the coastal highway, seizing the Marsala-Trapani area of Sicily's western coast by July 23rd.

Salerno - The Oil Drum Drop
The Division's second combat operation was a night parachute drop onto the Salerno beachhead on September 13, 1943 in support of General Mark Clark's 5th Army which was in danger of being pushed back into the sea.

The 504th PIR was parachuted south of the Sele River near Salerno on September 13, 1943. In order to guide the C-47 pilots to the shrinking dropzone, oil drums filled with gasoline soaked sand were ignited every 50 yards when signaled. 1300 troopers landed that night infusing a new sense of confidence to the beleaguered soldiers of the 5th Army. The 505th PIR was dropped the following night near the same dropzone to reinforce the air assault. On September 15th the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment (GIR) was brought into the beachhead amphibiously to join the rest of the division.

Once the beachhead was secured, the 504th PIR & the 376th PFAB began an attack to recover Altavilla on September 16, 1943 and the division fought towards Naples which it reached on October 1, 1943 and moved in to the next day for security duty.

"Leg Infantry"
After Naples, the 504th PIR & the 376th PFAB were detached from the 82nd Airborne temporarily and fought as "leg infantry" through the hills of southern Italy as part of the 36th Infantry Division. On October 29th they capture Gallo. They then battled in the Winter Line commencing with attacks up Hill 687 on December 15th, 1943.

82nd Airborne General Staff circa Spring 1944 in England On 9 December 1943 Colonel Gavin was promoted to Brigadier General and assumed the duties of the Assistant Division Commander of the 82nd Airborne while Lt Col Herbert Batchellor assumed command of the 505th. During the early months of 1944, units of the Division were moved to England as the allies were preparing for the assault on Western Europe. The 505th PIR again changed commanders on 22 March 1944 when Lt Col William Ekman assumed command. He would lead the 505th through the remainder of the war.

Anzio - Operation Shingle
On January 22nd &23rd 1944, the 504th PIR, landed on the beach at Anzio and participated in heavy combat along the Mussolini Canal. It was their fierce fighting during this defensive engagement that earned the 504th PIR the nickname "Devils in Baggy Pants." The nickname was taken from an entry made in a German officer's diary.

D-Day - Operation Neptune
While the 504th was detached, the remainder of the 82nd was pulled out of Italy in December 1943 and moved to the United Kingdom to prepare for the liberation of Europe. With two combat jumps under its belt, the 82nd Airborne Division was now ready for the most ambitious airborne operation of the war, Operation Neptune -the airborne invasion of Normandy. The operation was part of Operation OVERLORD, the amphibious assault on the northern coast of Nazi-occupied France.

In preparation for the operation, the division was reorganized. Two new parachute infantry regiments, the 507th and the 508th, joined the division. However, due to its depleted state following the fighting in Italy, the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment did not take part in the invasion.

On June 5-6, 1944, the paratroopers of the 82nd's three parachute infantry regiments and reinforced glider infantry regiment boarded hundreds of transport planes and gliders and, began the largest airborne assault in history. They were among the first soldiers to fight in Normandy, France.

The division dropped behind Utah Beach, Normandy, France at the West of Ste Mere-Eglise on June 6th, 1944. They were reinforced by the 325th GIR the next day. The division remained under strong German pressure along the Merderet River. Eventually, the 325th GIR crossed the river to secure a bridgehead at La Fiere on June 9th. It was during this action that Pfc Charles N. DeGlopper single-handedly defended his platoon's position and subsequently was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism.

The next day the 505th PIR captured Montebourg Station and on June 12th the 508th PIR crossed the Douve at Beuzeville-la-Bastille and reached Baupt. They established a bridgehead at Pont l'Abbe on June 19th. The division then attacked down the west coast of the Cotentin Peninsula and captured Hill 131 on July 3rd. The following day the 82nd seized Hill 95 overlooking La Haye-du-Puits.

By the time the All-American Division was pulled back to England on July 13, 1944, General James M Gavin had seen 33 days of bloody combat and suffered 5,245 paratroopers killed, wounded or missing. The Division's post battle report read, "...33 days of action without relief, without replacements. Every mission accomplished. No ground gained was ever relinquished."

Following the Normandy invasion, the 82nd became part of the newly organized XVIII Airborne Corps which consisted of the U.S. 17th, 82nd, and 101st Airborne Divisions. General Ridgway was promoted and assumed command of the XVIII Airborne Corps. Meanwhile, Assistant Division Commander, General James Gavin was also promoted and assumed command of the 82nd Airborne.

Operation Market Garden
In September, the 82nd began planning for Operation Market Garden in Holland. The operation called for three-plus airborne divisions to seize and hold key bridges and roads deep behind German lines. The 504th now back at full strength rejoined the 82nd, while the 507th went to the 17th Airborne Division. (^^ Below right: a scene from the movie "A Bridge Too Far" ^^)

On September 17, the 82nd Airborne Division conducted its fourth combat jump of World War II into Holland. Fighting off ferocious German counterattacks, the 82nd captured the Maas Bridge at Grave, the Maas-Waal Canal Bridge at Heumen and the Nijmegen-Groesbeek Ridge. The next day attempts to take Nijmegen Highway Bridge failed.

On 20 September the 504th carried out an heroic assault crossing the Waal. With artillery support the first wave of the 504th assaulted, in twenty-six assault boats, under intense fire, taking 200 casualties in the process. Finally on D+4 the 504th finally secured their hold on the bridge, fighting off another German counterattack just before noon.

It was in this skirmish that Pvt. John Towle won the Medal of Honor. Its success, however, was short-lived because of the defeat of other Allied units at Arnhem. The gateway to Germany would not open in September 1944, and the 82nd was ordered back to France.

Battle of the Bulge - The Ardennes Offensive
German General Von Runstedt Suddenly, on December 16, 1944, the Germans launched a surprise offensive through the Ardennes Forest which caught the Allies completely by surprise. The 82nd moved into action on December 18th in reponse to the German's Ardennes Counteroffensive and blunted General Von Runstedt's (picture left) northern penetration in the American lines. On December 20th the 82nd started to move on defensive posiston along the Salm river from Trois Ponts to Vielsalm and from Salmchateau extending its lines so far as Baraque de fraiture. The 504 PIR had the task to retake the village of Cheneux heavily defended by a unit of the 1st SS kampfgupe Peiper fighting in La Gleize. This battle is recognised by some historians as the blodiest battle in the Bulge.

However, further German assaults along the Salm hit the 505th PIR in the Trois Ponts area on December 22nd and by December 24th the division lost Manhay. Manhay fell on German's hands in the back of the 82nd's front in the night of December 24h, 1944. The division withdrew from the Vielsalm salient on a new defense line running from Trois-Ponts to Mahay. On 3rd January 1945, the Division started the counter attack in the sector beteween trois-Ponts and Les Villettes to retake the ground they had left during the Chistmas eve withdrawal.

On January 7th the 508th PIR Red Devil's launched an attack with the 325 GIR in the vicinity of Thier-du-Mont and Thier-dol-Preux hills in the vincinity of Sart and Salchateau where they suffered heavy casualties. The 508th Division was then withdrawn from the line (relieved by the 75th Infantry Division in the sector of Vielsalm) and placed in reserve until January 21st when it was attacking again withe the 7th Armored Division in the area of Diedenberg, Born, Wallerode, St Vith, Herresback toward the German border.

On January 29, 1945 First Sergeant Leonard Funk, Jr. of Company C, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment won the Congressional Medal of Honor for action at Holzheim, Belgium. After leading his unit and capturing 80 Germans.

On February 7th, 1945 the division attacked Bergstein, a town on the Roer River. The 82nd crossed the Roer River on February 17th. During April, 1945 the division performed security duty in Cologne until they attacked in the Bleckede area and pushed toward the Elbe River. As the 504th PIR drove toward Forst Carrenzien, the German 21st Army surrendered to the division on May 2, 1945.

Occupation
Following the surrender of Germany, the 82nd was ordered to Berlin for occupation duty. In Berlin General George Patton was so impressed with the 82nd's honor guard he said, "In all my years in the Army and all the honor guards I have ever seen, the 82nd's honor guard is undoubtedly the best." Hence the "All-Americans" became known as "America's Guard of Honor."

The 82nd returned to the United States January 3, 1946. Instead of being demobilized, the 82nd made its permanent home at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and was designated a regular Army division on November 15, 1948.

The 82nd Airborne "All American" Jeep Group

This Belgian Group is associated with the 82nd Airborne War Memorial Museum located at Fort Bragg (North Carolina).

The 82nd Airborne "All American" Jeep Group has an official blog.

The 82nd Airborne "All American" Jeep Group (blogmaster) can be contacted here

The following text was given to all participants registering to the march:

In the Footsteps of the
82nd Airborne Division
27th Edition
14 February 2009

At 08H30 laying of wreathes ceremony at the Gen. Gavin CP plaque at the castel of Bra.
After the start of the march we also will lay flowers at the monument for the 80AA Battalion of the 82nd Airborne around 9H15 ot the exit of Bra on the itinerary of the march.

The march is scheduled to start at 09H00
Please don't start prior this timing.

Supply point at Trou-de-Bra: open from 9H45 to 10H45

LUNCH TIME AT LES-VILLETTES: Open from 11H15 to 13H00

Supply point at Floret: Open from 13H15 to 14H30

Hot wine and presentation of the souvenir certificate at the end of the march in Bra start around 15H00.

PS:The supply points, the lunch time during the march and hot wine at the end are opportunities to meet between participants, reenactors, collectors, people interested by history of the bulge veterans etc.... and make new friendships.
Don't miss them.

In the Footsteps of the 82nd Airborne Division 2009

Organized by the 82nd Airborne "All American" Jeep Group
Associated with
the 82nd Airborne War Memorial Museum, Fort Bragg N. C.

Coming to the starting point of this march, you probably have seen a bronze plaque on the entrance poarch of the Castle of Bra.
This Castle was the Command Post of General James Gavin commanding the 82nd Airborne Division. From 22 to 24 December 1944.

After it's arrival in the Ardennes in the evening and night of the 18 to 19 Dec. 1944 the Division was holding a 60 km front line North/South along the salm river and extended East West from Salmchateau to Baraque-de-Fraiture. But on the 24 Déc., the entire 82nd Airborne Div. was ordered to withdraw on new front line to straighten the lines with the other units at its left and right. This withdrawal on order by General Montgomery commanding the north Ardennes front was to be made during the Christmas Eve night. The new 82nd line was running from Trois-Ponts, Erria, Les Villettes, Bra to Manhay. The 504 had to hold that line from Pont-des-Villettes to the West of Bra. And the 80AA Battalion detachment supporting the 504 had a couple of Anti-tank guns posted in Bra. One of these was manned by Ray Fary's gun team.
The 82nd Airborne CP was moving North and replaced by the 504 PIR's 1st Bn CP who installed itself in the castle. Capt. Lou Hauptfleish S1of the 1st Bn remembered well this place when he participated at our marches (he participated 7 times).
In the following days, the village became heavily shelled by ennemy artillery as combats came closer and the civilians occupants were evacuated as the 1st Bn CP was moved 2 miles North in the hamlet of Trou-de Bra.
At a time, when the combat in the area were too close and furious, the men of the new CP in Trous-de Bra were ordered to dig two big holes in the woods on the heights above Bra (that woods we will cross with the march) covered with timbers as to instal new CP's and telephone communication center in case the hamlet would be too heavyly shelled too.
Every days Patrols were sent toward the outposts in Floret where the 504 was in close contact and pressure with the ennemy and they suffered many casulaties. On the 26, Company D had lost a good part of a platoon at Floret when one of their large outposts there had been overrun.
The village of Bra was fast becoming untenable under the shelling and the ramaining skeleton elements of the CP section which were still in Bra moved also in Trou-de-Bra in the houses next to the S1CP and a telephone switchboard post was installed in the dugouts in the woods.
Bra was heavily shelled every day but on the afternoon of the 29 Dec., the German started pasting Bra with white phosphorous shells something they were not supposed to have and several houses were in fire.
Casualties had reached a hight level considering the short time the 504 had been in the line: 4 officers and 28 Enlisted Men killed, 17 Officers and 211 EM wounded and 1Officer and 12 EM missing in action.
During the night of the 29-30 Dec. Bra was shelled again buring down 12 more houses and the castle was hit several times. Bra then was becoming a pile of ruins.
Leaving Bra on the itinerary of the march, you will see a memorial dedicated by our club to the 80 AA Bn of the 82nd Airborne Div. where two brave men of that unit were killed by German artillery falling heavily on Bra.
Then you will go down in a valley before to climb a steep hill throught the woods where the 1st Bn HQ men were digging those big holes to establish emergency CP's as written before.

Then, you will go down hill again to reach the hamlet of Trou-de-Bra. There 50 yards before to cross the main road, you will see at your left a building which was the village school and where General James Gavin was photographied presenting the Silver Star Medal to Capt. Thomas Helgeson of the 504PIR for his galland action during the bloody battle of Cheneux on 20-22 December.
Crossing the road, you will see at your left, the building just before the church (left side of the road) the orphanage which was occupied by the 1st Bn S1 CP of Capt. Lou Hauptfleisch. In front of that orphanage were the houses where the other sections of the 504CP's settled down after leaving Bra.

From the fields between the main road and the Lienne River were installed batteries of self propeler artillery tanks firing on the ennemy lines in preparation of the attack of January 3rd, 1945.
(The photos of those tanks are well known and were about always presented as being taken in Bastogne but in reality they were taken here in Trou-de-Bra)

After the crossing of the main road and the bridge on the Lienne River, you will climb again a big hill across the woods.
About at the top, before to turn right, at your left side is a little hamlet called "Derrière le Thier" with only a few houses. It's where Capt Lou Hauptfleish established his 1st Bn S1 Cp again on January 3rd as to follow the attack first phase by the 505 PIR and the 325 GIR.
The next day, the 504 advanced to the East to take part of the second phase of the attack and reached the area of Fosse which had been taken the precedent day by the 505PIR. The CP's were moved in in this village to support the 504 attack toward Grand-Halleux.

After the very top of the hill you will go down again toward the village of Les Villettes where is installed our club's field kitchen where you will be offered a hot soup. (hamburgers and other foods could be purchased there also). Les Villettes was in the 508 sector of the 82nd defensive line installed after the Christmas Eve withdrawal. For the 1st phase of the 3 January attack Les Villettes and Erria was the initial start of the 325 GIR's attack on the right of the 505 PIR.
After lunch time we will walk down the road toward the Lienne river valley and reach the Hamlet of Pont des Villettes along the 508 lines. Marching that part of the itinerary you willsee at the left the German lines in front of the 508 front. During the 3rd January American counter-attack, it was the line of departure of the 325GIR toward their objectives Hierlot and La Chapelle you could see at the distance. The crossraods of Pont-des-Villettes was the separation between the 508 lines and the 504 lines.
But there we will turn left along the main road following the Lienne River for about a half km and then quit this road to take a secondary road on the right climbing to the hamlet of Floret. There were large outposts of the 504 PIR there to hold the village.
Floret was the theater of a lot of skirmishes between patrols of the 504 and Germans which costed the troopers a lot of casualties every day. But the paratroopers never lost any ground and held the place till the 3 January's attack.

Then we go down again in a creek valley and parallel to the defensive line of the 504 and resume the march to reach Bra again.

At Bra you are invited to join the field kitchen of our club as have a friendship cup of hot wine. There you will also be presented the souvenir certificate of the march. It's also the occasion to meet between people participating, veterans, reenactors, collectors, organizators, military personnel etc... and talk together.

Hoping you enjoyed the march
See you next year for the 28th edition.

Location

Event address:
BRA (Lierneux)

From E25 highway from Liège:
Take exit 49 "Lierneux"
From "Bra" Just follow the "82nd" arrows.

Coming by car is mandatory due to the location of the event.

Key contact person to get additional information is:
Emile LACROIX (phone nr 081/83-41-71 / GSM nr: 0497/809-352)

Personal note

Departure is set at 9.00 AM, however due to registration fees and other reasons all groups are not starting preciselly at the same time.
The march start area is protected (there is a checkpoint) by the Belgian "Duty first, 1st Infantry Division" re-enactment group.
A member of this Group has also his own blog.
I walked about 12 Kms without finding anyone, I just saw a jeep in the forest, then I did the march with American soldiers of the SHAPE.

I came back to the base camp at 13.30 PM. Judging I did not get the photos I wanted I did the march in reverse in order to find the re-enactment groups. Hopefully I found the "101st Airborne Belgian Friendly" re-enactment group and the British "82nd Airborne Division" re-eanctment group.
We finally came back to the camp at 15.00 PM. There, thanks to a field kitchen we got tomato soup or hot wine.

I also observed a few vehicles (GMC and Dodge WC51) coming from the Belgian "ABC" (Amicale des Bastognards collectionneurs), a WW2 vehicles collectors association.

This was a great experience and an opportunity to meet new people.
I was very happy to talk to an American veteran (when I told him we thank him for what he did in the region during WW2 he just answered: "You know, I had no choice"), to Belgian and British re-enactors (many came from Nottingham), and to American soldiers of the current US Army (working in the SHAPE).

People of various generations were present (veterans, witnesses of WW2, re-enactors, American soldiers and civilians from various nationalities). We were very lucky with weather knowing that a few days before it was heavily raining.

The veteran I posed with on a photo is Ray Fary, 80th AAA Bn, 82nd Airborne Div. When I told Ray "Thanks for what you have done for us", he answered: "I had no choice..."
"Strange" answer but at least honest! Anyway we all still owe him and his brothers in arms much!