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The Real Story of the "Dirty Dozen" - The "Filthy Thirteen"

Discussion in 'WWII General' started by LRusso216, Apr 11, 2010.

  1. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

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    I posted the obituary of Jack Agnew of the 101st Airborne, who was part of the "Filthy Thirteen" that was loosely the basis of the movie "The Dirty Dozen". Here is the story behind their exploits:

    Among the men of HQ Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division during World War II was a group of hard-living and hard-fighting brawlers nicknamed the Filthy Thirteen. Selected and trained to destroy targets behind enemy lines, they were known for both their courage in battle and their general disregard for rules of any kind.

    The Filthy Thirteen: The U.S. Army’s Real “Dirty Dozen” : American Veterans Center
     
    LRusso216, Apr 11, 2010
    #1
  2. Spaniard

    Spaniard New Member

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    I've known about this for many moons, I've even argued with a Supposedly WWII US Historian that the Dirty Dozen where really a bakers dozen:D a real US WWII covert Guerrilla Clandestine warfare unit.

    [​IMG]
    Cpl. Joseph Oleskiewicz of the "Filthy 13" prior to boarding chalk # 21 of the 440th TCG, Exeter, England, June 5, 1944


    Google Image Result for http://www.able506.com/440th/filthy132.bmp



    [​IMG]
    This photo of paratroopers Clarence C. Ware and Charles R. Plaudo painting each other's faces on
    he afternoon of June 5, 1944, was printed in Stars and Stripes, and helped form the legend of
    "The Filthy Thirteen."

    http://www.stripes.com/photos/58734_119162740.jpg


    The Legend of the Filthy 13

    Google Image Result for http://www.able506.com/440th/filthy13.jpg


    [​IMG]
    Filthy thirteen2522 image by dorsai_2009 on Photobucket

    You got to love their Mohawk hair Cuts and their choice of Camouflage War face Paint.

    Great Thread GeryBeard ;)
     
    Spaniard, Apr 11, 2010
    #2
  3. poleskiewicz

    poleskiewicz recruit

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    Cpl Joseph Oleskiewicz was my great uncle. I have his Purple heart the US flag that was on his coffin a book that was dedicated to him by the queen of england and what I believe is a unit flag. I will have pictures soon to share.
     
    poleskiewicz, Nov 24, 2010
    #3
  4. Greg Canellis

    Greg Canellis Member

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    I had the pleasure of chatting with McNeice and Agnew at the Reading, PA WWII/Airshow in summer 2009. In my opinion, the real historical significance of their book was the the telling of the pathfinder jump at Bastogne. There is much written about the horrible flying weather at Bastogne during The Battle of the Bulge that grounded Allied air support. Then the weather cleared, and Allied planes took to the air, and dropped much needed supplies on the beleagured 101st Airborne. What is rarely, if ever mentioned, however, is that a stick of pathfinders, their C-47 lost in bad weather miraculously, found and jumped outside Bastogne to lay homing beacons for the supply planes to follow. McNeice and Agnew were transfered to the Pathfinders after "The Filthy Thirteen" were disbanned after Holland. Agnew erected a homing beacon atop a brick pile that was instrumental to the subsequent waves of supply planes. I looked forward to chatting with them both the following summer but sadly Agnew had passed away. Of all the trouble making the Filthy Thirteen did during the war, the pathfinder jump at Bastogne was truely a mission well done, but receives little attention by historians.

    Greg C.
     
    Greg Canellis, Nov 25, 2010
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