US AIRBORNE

Robert Michael “Mike” Regan was born in Seattle, Washington in 1924, the only child of Walter and Helen Reid Regan. After his parents divorced, he went to livewith his mother and grandmother in Portland, Oregon. He attended Central Catholic High School before leaving before his junior year to enlist in the Army in July, 1943. Mike took his basic training at Fort Lewis where he volunteered for the parachute infantry. He was sent to Fort Benning for paratroop training. On Dec. 10, 1943, the “Rampart”, the student newspaper of Central Catholic, published a letter from Mike to the school principal, Father Francis Schaefers.

“Dear Father,
Well, I became a qualified jumper the 20th of November. I made my fifth and qualifying jump that Saturday afternoon. I received my wings that evening. On my second jump I sprained my ankle and had to lay over a week, or I would have gone through with my own group.

Boy, it was really a thrill jumping from an airplane, and was I scared! I never prayed so hard in my life. But it really is a wonderful feeling to be floating down. The world looks really small from way up there.

Mike Regan”

Mike completed his fifth and qualifying jump, earning the right to wear the wings and distinctive boots of the paratroops. Mike was sent to Tennessee for advanced training and was assigned to Company D of the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 17th Airborne Division. After arriving overseas Aug. 25, 1944, Sgt. Regan survived to the battle areas in France, Luxembourg and Belgium. He was killed in action on Mar. 24, 1945 when his outfit joined in bolstering the Allied plunge across the north Rhine. Sgt. Regan is one of nine Central Catholic alumni to make the ultimate sacrifice during the war. He rests in the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, Plot D, Rank 1, Grave 29.