US AIRBORNE

This photo was taken on 24 December, 1945 in their hometown of Motive(Mobile), Alabama. 

From left to right, my uncle John, my uncle Herbert, my uncle Lee (the parachutist) and on far right, my father.

Many thanks to Sidney Crowley to have told me everything he knew about his uncle.

Walter Lee Crowley jr, was born in Mobile, Alabama in 1915. He was thethirdof a family of 6 children. He had 4 brothers and a sister.

Whether it is a family tradition or not, his grandfather fought with the Confederates with General Lee. He fought in Antietam, Gettysburg. He was hurt during the battle of Chancellorsville.

Walter Crowley joined the army inMay 1943. He joined the B Company of the 1st Battalion of the 506th PIR. As he was 29 years old in 1944, the other members of the company used to called him " Grandpa ". The average age of a parachutist was hardly older than 20 years.

He took part in all the campaigns with the 506thPIR, he jumped on June 6th, 1944. He then jumped over Holland for the operation Market Garden, he got by the way injured while jumping.

He fought during the hard winter in Bastogne. And eventually during the storming of Hitler's eagleneast in Bertchesgaden. In a letter found later, he wrote to his mother that he rented a group of soldiers with their tanks which allowed to stop a German attack in Noville thanks to a roadblock. It stopped the German advance on December 19th, 1944.

His favourite weapon was the Thompson one.

He left the army at the end of the war with the rank of Sergeant. He received the Purple heart for his wounds in Holland and one Bronze Star for his services as decorations.

After the war, he and one of his brothers (Sidney Crowley’s father) settled down in Houston, Texas. Walter got married and had a girl.

Walter Lee Crowley Jr died from a cancer in 1982, he was 68-year-old.