US AIRBORNE
Golden Talon
The history of the 17th Airborne Division
Less known than its two big sisters, the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, the 17th Airborne did not lose its reputation. Engaged in the Second World War from 1942 to 1945, it participated in three campaigns. During these 45 days of combat, it will total more than 6130 victims for a starting strength of more or less 10.000 men.
This book tells the story of this division through numerous testimonies of men who were part of it.
Ready To Fight!
The history of the 13th Airborne Division
At the beginning of World War II, in 1939, the nations of the world were illprepared for Hitler's "Blitzkrieg" onslaught: highly trained troops, moving rapidly, already masters of rapid breakthrough, envelopment, and encirclement,
were now introducing envelopment through a third dimension: by parachuting and glider. They proved their capabilities on the island of Crete and used them with
devastating effect when Nazi forces surged into the Dutch and Belgian plains.
Meanwhile, the United States had long considered the possibilities of airborne tactics and had, to some extent, experimented with these techniques. When the need
arose, the groundwork had already been laid for future growth. Airborne units were organized as skeletons that were quickly filled with smart volunteers with exceptional physical abilities. Training programs were developed, and visionary men overcame the lack of precedent to implement this new concept of military mobility. Their ideas were not always immediately accepted, but their constant efforts led to one of the most brilliant and successful achievements of the American military. As part of the overall program to expand airborne troops, the 13th Airborne Division, nicknamed the "Golden Unicorns," was activated on Friday, August 13, 1943.
John Deere Battalion:
608th Ordnance Base Armament Maintenance Battalion
Referring to John Deere nowadays inevitably brings to mind the company that gave its name to the imposing tractors and other agricultural machines that we encounter on our roads or in our fields. Indeed, the leaping deer, famous emblem of the Deere & Company, whose headquarters is located in Moline, Illinois in the United States, now adorns agricultural equipment (tractors, combine harvesters, etc...) but also forestry and public works equipment in more than 28 countries around the world. The John Deere Company is proud to be one of the oldest American companies, founded in 1868 by John Deere in the small state of Vermont. Afterwards, the brand spread and reached Europe from 1956. What is less known is that during World War II, one of the most precious goods exported across the Atlantic by the company was highly skilled manpower. Thus was born, in August 1942, the 608th Ordnance Base Armament Maintenance Battalion, more commonly known as the John Deere Battalion. Ordnance being the branch in the US Army that supplies, tests, maintains, and repairs all vehicles and armaments. This book pays tribute to the men who worked, sometimes at the risk of their lives, for our freedom.