US AIRBORNE

The men of the 11th Airborne are nicknamed the "Angels" because the division's emblem features two white wings crowning a red circle with the division's number, 11. The entire design is set on a navy blue shield.

It was in 1943 that Major General Swing presented his idea for the division’s shoulder insignia to Colonel Francis W. Farrell during a meeting in Washington, D.C.

Joseph M. Swing

The 11th Airborne was activated at Camp Mackall in North Carolina on February 25, 1943, under the command of Major General Joseph M. Swing. The division was primarily made up of veterans from glider and parachute regiments. Immediately after its activation, the division began intensive training to qualify personnel either in jumping or gliding, often at the expense of ground training. Just one year later, all new members were ready to fight overseas. Initially based at Camp Mackall, the "Angels" were sent to Camp Polk for four weeks of jungle combat training in the flooded swamps of Louisiana.

In April 1944, the "Angels" were sent 50 kilometers east of San Francisco, California, to Camp Stoneman. There they spent six days in the camp before boarding ships bound for New Guinea. During those six days, the food was excellent, and there was plenty of entertainment for the soldiers, which felt somewhat ominous—like a turkey being fattened up before being sent to the slaughterhouse. They also learned techniques for responding to attacks on the ship and the importance of abandoning ship if necessary.

On April 30, they boarded troop transports, notably the USS Pike, for a 28-day voyage to New Guinea in the South Pacific. The travel conditions were tough; fresh milk and vegetables ran out within two days. The remaining menu consisted of sandwiches, dehydrated potatoes, powdered eggs, and hot dogs. In the mornings, they participated in rescue drills, and in the afternoons, they did calisthenics to stay flexible. Boxing matches were also organized.

On May 28, 1944, they arrived in New Guinea. The 11th was assigned as a reserve unit for Operation "Hollandia." Although on alert, it did not see combat. By July 1944, Japanese forces in New Guinea were fragmented and isolated. Instead, the 11th received training in jungle and mountain combat methods in New Guinea, including several jumps. From June to September 1944, the 11th became accustomed to jungle conditions and the daily routine of taking malaria medication. They established their camp at Buna-Dobodura, an abandoned airfield previously used by the Air Corps. Morale was high in the division, further boosted by the fact that the general used division funds to buy an ice cream machine and mix. The reason was that the average age of the men was 19, so he prioritized ice cream over beer.

The 11th Division would be the only unit with ice cream on the menu. Ironically, these young men would also face some of the toughest fighting. Knowing the extreme combat conditions they would encounter, the general formed a special unit, known as the "ghost unit," prepared to be deployed anywhere, at any time, in any situation as needed. This secret unit received special training and was composed of volunteers from the 511th, 187th, and 188th Regiments. Finally, on November 11, they embarked toward their objective.

On October 3, 1944, General MacArthur approved the plan for the liberation of the Philippines. On November 18, 1944, the 11th Airborne landed on the beaches of Leyte. After receiving all their equipment, they were sent inland to relieve the 7th Infantry Division with the mission to seek out and destroy the enemy in the sector and open a route from Burauen to Ormoc. The “sector” consisted of dense forest and mountainous terrain, stretching from Cariaga in the north to Cabalian and Sogod in the south. The 511th PIR was the first unit to engage in combat. But a few days later, the entire division found itself fighting in the southern part of Leyte against a tenacious enemy, in inhospitable terrain filled with swarms of insects, and with mud reaching up to their knees. General Swing set up his HQ near three airstrips, 16 km from the beaches at Bito. These airstrips (San Pablo, Buri, and Bayug) were used to launch Cub planes (L-4 and L-5) that directed artillery fire and evacuated the wounded. The combat conditions were terrible: clothes soaked by heavy rains, freezing nights, and a lack of regular food, medicine, and ammunition supplies.

On December 2, 1944, Company C of the 187th GIR under Lieutenant Charles "POP" Olsen received orders to return to the San Pablo airfield. There, Lieutenant George Pearson informed him that General Swing wanted them to parachute into Manarawat at the head of the regiment, with the rest arriving through the jungle. Accompanying them was Lieutenant Chester Kozlowski, who had been transferred from the 503rd RCT and had already jumped on Noemfoor. Since there were no transport aircraft, Kozlowski had to learn how to jump from a small Cub aircraft. With his experience, he taught all of Company C. That afternoon, six planes took off for a 15-minute flight to Manarawat. Twenty-four paratroopers jumped and landed without issue. It took six trips to bring the whole company together. This was the first combat jump from a small aircraft, a technique that would often be used by officers to reach high points without traversing the jungle. However, the lightly armed platoon soon needed artillery support! Unfortunately, the regiment’s howitzers were too far to intervene. The only solution was to parachute in the 457th PFAB. However, the Cubs were far too small to carry the 75mm howitzers, and their weight made them difficult to transport by hand or animal. On December 3, 1944, thanks to the resourcefulness of the 11th, they secured a C-47 and, within a day, had a C-47, parachutes, and containers. The plane made 12 trips to drop a battery, which remained in position for a month, becoming a major asset in the fight against the Japanese.

On December 6, 1944, Japanese forces under General Yamashita launched an attack aimed at capturing the airstrips. Before their jumps, planes strafed the runways, destroying Cubs and setting tents, ammunition, and fuel pumps on fire. With most of his forces in the hills of Leyte, General Swing gathered a force made up of the 674th GFAB, the 127th AEB, and various support troops. It took a week to eliminate all resistance in the area. In the mountains, the fighting was intense and violent, often hand-to-hand. The Japanese had camouflaged their shelters so well that a GI couldn’t see them even from a meter away. Some used suicide attacks, blowing themselves up with grenades. Because of this, the combat zone became known as “Purple Heart Hill” due to the very high number of casualties. After five weeks of fighting, the 188th completed the final assault.

At the end of December, the 11th linked up with the 75th Infantry Division on the western coast of Leyte. Until January 15, they returned to the beaches at Bito to rest, reorganize, and resupply. On January 22, 1945, General Swing received Order No. 17. His 11th Airborne was being sent to the island of Luzon.

This operation, Mike IV, aimed to invade Luzon and capture Manila. General Swing had to deploy a Regiment Combat Team (RCT) at a specified D-Day and H-Hour near Nasugbu to seize and hold a beachhead. Another RCT would be dropped on the Tagaytay Ridge and then advance toward the beachhead. Once the two RCTs joined up, they would move north and east under the direction of the 8th Army. The 187th and 188th GIR, along with part of the 511th PIR and other division elements, formed the 1st RCT, which was to land on the beaches. The rest of the 511th PIR, with the 457th PFAB and a platoon from the 221st Medical Battalion, formed the 2nd RCT.

On January 31, 1944, at 6:30 AM, the convoy reached the southern coast of Luzon. The calm sea and clear skies were quickly darkened by the naval bombardment preceding the landing. This was followed by an attack from 18 A-20s and 9 P-38s that strafed the area. At 8:30 AM, Lieutenant Colonel Ernie LaFlamme, commanding the 1st Battalion of the 188th GIR, was the first to land, followed closely by the rest of the 188th and the 187th GIR. They encountered very little resistance. They then fought along Route 17 connecting Nasugbu to Tagaytay on February 2. After four days of fighting, they were blocked at the Aga Pass. Delayed by Japanese defenses, the 511th RCT’s jump was postponed by one day. On February 3, 1945, at 3:00 AM, the troops headed toward their aircraft.

Due to a shortage of C-47 aircraft from Colonel John Lackey’s 317th Troop Carrier Group, the invasion was conducted in three successive waves. The first wave included the 2nd Battalion and half of the 3rd Battalion of the 511th PIR, along with the commander, Colonel Orin Haugen. The second wave brought in the rest of the 511th PIR, and the third, the 457th PFAB. At 7:00 a.m. on February 3, the squadron took off, accompanied by P-61 Black Widow and P-38 Lightning fighter planes. The ridge made an excellent drop zone, providing a clear area 3,700 meters long and 1,900 meters wide. Best of all, the local guerrillas had cleared the surrounding area. The first wave of 346 planes completed their drop without any problems. The following waves, however, were not as fortunate. A group of 570 paratroopers was dropped 7,300 meters east of the DZ. At 12:10 p.m., the final wave arrived; 425 paratroopers landed on the DZ, while 1,325 landed within 10 kilometers of it! Despite this, the 511th RCT managed to assemble within five hours.

At 1:00 p.m., the 188th GIR joined the 511th RCT, and the group began advancing toward southern Manila. There was apparently a race between Lieutenant General Eichelberger and Lieutenant General Krueger to be the first to reach Manila. Shortly before noon, 17 2.5-ton trucks arrived for the 511th PIR to transport them north. At the head of the convoy, Lieutenant George Skua, leading a reconnaissance platoon in jeeps, went ahead to assess enemy resistance.

At 11:00 p.m., he radioed in, reporting that he had traveled 25 km toward Manila without encountering any resistance. At 4:00 a.m. on February 4, he confirmed a clear route to Imus, where the Japanese had destroyed a bridge and set up a defensive line. Colonel Haugen ordered Lieutenant Colonel Frank Holcombe of the 2nd Battalion, 511th PIR, to move along Route 17 to Bacoor. Holcombe dispatched Captain Steve Cavanaugh’s Company D to Imus. At this point, the battle for Manila could begin.

Meanwhile, at 8:15 a.m. on February 4, the trucks returned to Imus to transport Lieutenant Colonel Ed Lahti’s 3rd Battalion via Route 17. At the same time, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Burgess’s 1st Battalion marched on Paranaque. By midnight on February 4, the 511th PIR had reached the bridge over the Paranaque River, at Manila’s southern border. To the north, the 187th and 188th GIR were engaged in fierce fighting. On February 11, 1945, during these battles, Colonel Orin D. Haugen, the regiment’s commanding officer, died from his injuries. He was replaced by Lieutenant Colonel Ed Lahti, commander of the 3rd Battalion, who remained in this post until August 1947. Before its liberation, Manila and its people suffered destruction and abuses inflicted by the Japanese. Before the city’s liberation, it had a population of 800,000. The Japanese had already destroyed much of the city, turning some houses and buildings into bunkers. During the American advance, Filipinos tried to save the city, but the Japanese retaliated against civilians, killing men, women, and children. The 11th Airborne faced 12,500 Japanese marines who had fortified Manila’s southern defenses, known as the Genko Line.

On February 6, 1945, the 511th PIR launched an assault in Manila’s southern suburbs.

On February 7, 1945, the 188th attacked in the Genko Line sector while the 511th fought house-to-house to dislodge the Japanese from buildings.

Despite their efforts, the situation remained unchanged along the line. On February 11, 1945, the 187th and 188th launched a joint attack. The fighting was intense, often hand-to-hand. By evening, the 187th and 188th had cleared most of the positions, and the next target was Fort McKinley. The attack began on February 17, involving the entire 188th, the 2nd Battalion of the 187th, and the 511th PIR. Their objective was to meet at Fort McKinley’s “Caribon” gate. Unfortunately, they didn’t know that the “gardens” surrounding the fort were littered with mines and underwater charges. The Japanese marines detonated these explosives as the paratroopers approached, causing significant casualties. Despite this, the 1st Battalion of the 188th penetrated the fort and joined the 511th PIR. The remaining enemy forces fled east. Despite these accomplishments, resistance in Manila didn’t cease until early March. By then, the 11th Airborne occupied the city, one of the two objectives assigned by MacArthur. The second objective was the liberation of a POW camp at Los Banos.

From the start of the Philippine campaign, it was a priority for General MacArthur to liberate civilians and soldiers held in a camp that housed more than 2,000 people of all nationalities and ages, captured during the Japanese invasion. This liberation required the 11th Airborne Division to move 65 km behind enemy lines. Additionally, the camp was a 90-minute journey from the drop zone and was guarded by 9,000 soldiers from Japan’s 8th Division, also known as the “Tiger Division.” To gain a plan and overview of the area, Sergeant John Fulton of the 511th Signal Company volunteered to join local Filipino guerrillas. For several weeks, he lived with them and relayed information to the 11th Division HQ. He also contacted young men who ventured out of the camp at night to scavenge for food.

A plan was devised to take the guards by surprise, relying on their routines. It was divided into four phases:

Phase 1:A reconnaissance platoon led by Lieutenant George Skua, along with 20 Filipino guerrillas, crossed Lake Laguna two nights before the operation began. Their mission was to mark the DZ and neutralize the guards around the camp perimeter.

Phase 2:Company B of the 1st Battalion, 511th PIR, led by Lieutenant John Ringler and supported by a machine-gun platoon under Lieutenant Walter Hettinger, would be dropped into a small area near the camp to neutralize the guards and gather the prisoners.

Phase 3:At 4:00 a.m., the 1st Battalion’s amphibious vehicles would cross Lake Laguna, arriving at the camp around 7:00 a.m. After picking up the survivors, they would head to the village of Mamatid.

Phase 4:This phase involved the 188th GIR (minus its 2nd Battalion), Company C of the 673rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, and elements of the 472nd and 675th PFABs. Their mission was to engage the Japanese 8th Division to create a diversion, enabling the rescue.

Under cover of darkness on February 21, 1945, Lieutenant Skua and his platoon crossed Lake Laguna in three boats. Once on the other side, they met other guerrillas and a few escapees from the camp. On the night of the 22nd, they moved toward the DZ by different routes to avoid enemy tracking.

At 4:00 a.m. on February 23, the 1st Battalion of the 511th PIR (minus Company B) boarded 54 Amtracs. They crossed Lake Laguna without alerting the enemy and then moved toward the camp. Meanwhile, Company B of the 511th PIR, with a light machine-gun platoon, spent the night at Camp Nichols, waiting for takeoff. They boarded nine C-47s from the 75th Troop Carrier Squadron under Major Don Anderson.

The flight was short and uneventful (no enemy aircraft or anti-air defenses), and they arrived at 7:00 a.m. The DZ was clearly marked by smoke from the reconnaissance platoon. Once on the ground, they joined the recon platoon, which was already engaged in combat. The timing was chosen because, at that hour, the guards were doing exercises far from their weapons.

After some brief exchanges of fire, the guards surrendered. The jubilant prisoners were quickly moved to the rendezvous point with the Amtracs. The wounded, women, and children were loaded onto the vehicles, while those able to walk followed on foot. They were first transported to the beaches and then to the San Antonio beachhead. Along the way, they heard gunfire from the Japanese counterattack. This sound came from the “Soule Task Force.” This diversion force, under Colonel Soule’s command, included the 188th GIR (minus its 2nd Battalion), Company C of the 673rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, and elements of the 472nd and 675th PFABs. They crossed the San Juan River, overcoming Japanese opposition near the hills of Lecheria, cleared an area, and marched toward Los Banos, cutting off the “Tigers” of the 8th Division from the refugees. From an elevated position, Colonel Soule saw the column of refugees moving toward Mamatid Beach. He ordered his troops to withdraw and establish a bridgehead on the San Juan River. Mission accomplished.

The operation was a huge success, not in terms of enemy casualties or territory gained, but by rescuing a large number of prisoners unharmed. The 11th Division suffered some losses, but far fewer than expected, given the mission’s risk.

The swift deployment of paratroopers was a decisive factor in the victory. General MacArthur sent this message to the 11th in gratitude: “Nothing could be more satisfying to a soldier’s heart than this rescue. I am deeply grateful. God was certainly with us this day.”

In 1945, Allied Forces were pushing back the Japanese invasion on all fronts. In Luzon, the relentless northern push forced General Yamashita to concentrate the 150,000 men of his 14th Japanese Army into three defensive positions in the north. By this point, he realized the war was lost, and all he could do was delay the Allied advance for as long as possible in hopes of a miracle. In response, General Krueger’s 6th Army deployed four infantry divisions, an armored group, guerrilla forces, and an independent RCT to the area. By mid-June 1945, General Krueger estimated that if the 37th Division could continue its northern push toward the Cagayan Valley and the Aparri extension, it could end the Luzon campaign.

On June 17, the 37th began advancing along Route 5 toward the Cagayan Valley. However, two days later, they were blocked by Japanese resistance, and fierce fighting ensued.

On June 21, 1945, General Krueger ordered General Swing to deploy an RCT near Aparri, north of the 37th Infantry Division, with the objective of linking up with the 37th and isolating the Cagayan Valley and northern Luzon—the last area infested with seasoned Japanese forces. The jump date was set for June 25, 1945, but was moved up to June 23 for speed. The mission was assigned to the 511th RCT, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Henry Burgess. The task force included the 1st Battalion and Companies G and I of the 511th PIR, Battery C of the 457th PFAB, a platoon of Company C of the 127th AEB, the 2nd platoon of the 221st Medical Company, a team from the 511th Signal Company, a detachment of translators, and the 11th Parachute Maintenance Company, totaling 1,030 men.

On June 21, Pathfinders and elements of the Philippine guerrilla forces under Colonel Volckmann crossed the Cagayan River on the night of June 22 to mark the DZ at Camalaniugan. Meanwhile, preparations were underway at the Lipa airfield. The transport aircraft were from the 317th Troop Carrier Group, comprising 54 C-47s, 13 C-46s, and, for the first time in the Pacific theater, gliders—six CG-4As and one larger CG-13. They began boarding at 4:30 a.m. on June 23 and took off at 6:00 a.m. The armada headed north from Lipa, toward the checkpoint at Santa Lucia on the western coast of Luzon, then toward the DZ at Camalaniugan. Before the main drop, additional aircraft released smoke bombs to create a smoke screen to the east and south.

On June 23 at precisely 9:00 a.m., the Pathfinders set off smoke signals to mark the DZ, and the first paratroopers jumped. Due to wind and rocky terrain, 70 men were injured upon landing, representing 7% of the assault force. Once the RCT was assembled, they moved toward the 37th along Route 5 and the Cagayan River. Militarily, there was very little resistance; Japanese forces were weak. Japanese bunkers were cleared with flamethrowers, but the heat and humidity made the paratroopers' long march challenging.

On June 26, the 511th RCT’s lead elements made contact with the 37th near the Paret River, 56 km south of the DZ. In the days following, the 511th RCT was redeployed to Lipa, where they remained stationed. The 11th Airborne absorbed additional independent units, preparing for the next operations, which would target Japan. Consequently, the 11th Airborne was restructured, with the 188th and 674th becoming parachute regiments and the glider regiments expanding to three battalions. They prepared for "Operation Olympic," the planned invasion of the Japanese islands. However, the decision to use the atomic bomb on Japan would change the course of history. It was estimated that, given the tenacity of Japanese soldiers, the United States would lose approximately one million men in an invasion of Japan. Ultimately, two atomic bombs forced Japan to its knees. The 11th would not see combat again.

The 11th Airborne Division was chosen by General MacArthur to lead Allied forces in occupying Japan. This honor was a result of the Division’s prolonged fighting in the Philippines. Additionally, the general felt much safer with the presence of the 11th around him. On August 10, 1945, the division departed for Okinawa. The first regiment to set foot on Japanese soil was the 188th with 1,096 men, followed by the 187th with 1,257 men, and the 511th with 1,165 men. There was no resistance; the population followed the example set by their revered Emperor.

On August 30, 1945, the division landed at Atsugi Airdrome near Tokyo and occupied an area around Yokohama. They remained there until mid-September 1945, when they were sent north to secure Akita, Yamagata, Miyagi, and Iwate. Later, they also occupied Aomori, Hokkaido, Fukushima, nearly half of Honshu island, and all of Hokkaido. To the astonishment of the 11th, the occupation of Japan proved to be entirely peaceful.

In January 1948, General Swing handed over command of the 11th Airborne to Major General William Miley, as Swing took command of the 8th Army.

The occupation of Japan lasted until 1949, at which point the 11th Airborne was relieved and sent home to Camp Campbell in Kentucky.

It took Japan seven years to transition into a democracy.