11th Airborne Division Help, please!

hey, I just recently looked into my family records and found out tht my great grandfather served in World War Two. I looked through all the documents, and found quite a few of his medals and possesions. we went to his house where he had lived at the time, and found a whole jewelry box full of medals, and we found a patch tht said 11th Airborne Division. Now, I know that they were discontinued after WWII, and that they served in the Phillipine Islands. Thats about it. He never really talked about it while he was alive, so I want to kno more about it, if anyone could help, i would greatly appreciate it.

His Patch:

 

ty m8! itll help alot in my research.

 

OH also a weird factoid about the 11th ABN DIV. Rod Serling pf THE TWILIGHT ZONE fame served in that unit... just a weird FYI

 

You want to ask the bacepow chapter
They are civilian exPOWs who keep track of the 11th PIR, the 37th Inf Div, 44th Tank BN, 1st Cav Div, 8th Cav Reg, etc.
BACEPOW Chapter
Angus Lorenzen
15 Diamonte Ln
Rancho Palos Verdes CA 90275
3310-519-86486

Lou Gopal will know people
connect through his web site

Sue

 

My grandfather, Stanley G. Waldron was in the 11th Airborne. He passed away March 15th, 2009. Being in the US Navy, I had the honor and privelage of helping with his funeral (military honors). He was in "G" Company in the 187th Glider Infantry Division, 11th Airborne in 1943-1946.

He served in New Guinnea, and in the Southern Phillipines. Did 2 jumps and on the second he was injured. He was then ordered to driver duty. He drove trucks with supplies to the front lines, as well as the Commanding Officer's jeep that went to the front lines as well. He recieved a Purple Heart and 2 Bronze Stars.

I have just recently been researching the 187th GID, 11th Airborne due to my grandfather's passing.

Please e-mail me if you have any connecion with this, or for any other reason.

buckmurray1@yahoo.com

Buck Murray

 

My uncle served with the same outfit. To my amazment I opened the first link Slipdidget listed. (11th Airbourne overview) and it has a picture of the 187th 2nd Platoon, 1st Battalion. My uncle is in the second row, going left to right he is second to the end.

He passed away too early, in his mid 50's. He was wounded in the Phillipines, suffered a head wound from shrapnel. This happened when he was taking cover in a bomb crater with 4 others and they took a direct hit from Jap artillery. He was the only survivor.

He didn't talk about the war much except for one special Liuetenant.
While pinned down from blistering machine gun fire, my uncle said "I would just love a cold drink of water". This SOB Liuetenant screamed at him for the longest time ! He couldn't believe a Sarge could be thinking about a cold drink of water at that time. To the day he died, he wanted to kick that Lt's ass.

Best Regards,

 

My father, Hudson Phillips, was the division chaplain during ww2. I was 9 years old when I visited him in training at Camp Mackall, and watched a division jump. I probably saw your great grandfather! I attended a reunion in 1971 at Hot Springs AK and met the commanding general, Joe Swing, who was Ike's roommate at West Point. My dad died in 1995 at 94. If there had been an invasion of Japan, the 11th AB was slated to lead it. They are most remembered for the brilliant Los Banos prison camp liberation, carried out by the 511th PIR and Filipino Scouts.

 

Tony, et al,

While at the NARA last month, I copied the six page narrative History
of the Los Banos Operation. I also copied the History of Operation
Mike VI, the assault on the Genko Line, 31 January - 5 February 1945.

I also found GO 69, issued by HQ, Eighth Army, which contains
Unit Citations for the 511th PIR and the 11th Airborne Division.

I just scanned these as pdfs today. They are all legal size documents, by the way.

If you want copies, let me know.


Dave

 

SOMEONE PLEASE HELP! my grandfather and i were close, he passed away in 1993 and unfortunatly i was too young to ask him about his military career. I have a picture of him in his uniform, i know he was part of the 11th airborne and i know he bacame sargent. i also know he was part of a group of men whom were lost for 6 months in the jungle and survived. i have a picture of him in uniform, he had his 11th airborne patch on his arm, but i am wondering why he is wearing a piot hat. it has a vertical propeller and wings. i am kind of confused because i know he was a paratrooper and i cannot find any information of paratroopers whom were pilots in the 11th airborne. any help at all about this would be appreciated. also if anyone here could identify badges, i could email this picture and would greatly appreciate it if you could tell me what they are. thanks in advance

 

Scan and post any pictures of him in the service, pictures of his medals and awards, and any army paperwork and we'll take a look. Any discharge papers would be a great help too.

 

My uncle was also a member of the 11th Airborne during the post war "occupation" force. I have several photo albums from him. It seems that he took pictures of nearly every part of the enlisted man's life at that location. Any idea where I might find if anyone would like copies of these pictures? He died while flying a P-51 in Germany in 1950, so I don't have any direct info from him. But the pictures tell quite a story.

 

My father, Clarence Russell, enlisted from Ohio in 1944 at the age of 14, and served during the occupation with the 11th airborne, 511 PIR, 711th ordnance maintenance (?). He hasn't shared much of his army experience with us except to say he was awfully young at the time and to relate some of the hospital mischief that he and some other patients got into while he was recovering from a broken ankle. After his duty in Japan he went on to be a ROTC instructor at WVU for a couple of years before marrying and beginning a career as a professional firefighter. He's spoken fondly of a friend, Joe Lee, who was stationed with him in Japan. He has a photo album from this period, however, very few of the photos are the snapshots of every day life. I would be interested in seeing your pictures and would be happy to send images of the ones we have scanned so far. We are celebrating his 80th birthday next month, and I am trying to put together a shadow box, with a little help from GI Joe.

 

Cocowyo, I have sent a friend request because I am interested in viewing some of your pictures. When you say "Occupation" force, I assume that the pictures taken could be the first taken after the first few planes landed in Japan. If so, is there a picture of the 11th Airborne raising the Stars and Stripes on top of the hanger?

There is a more famous picture of a different unit (not the 11th Airborne) raising our flag on top of the hanger (well after the 1st flag was raised). I would love the see and get a copy of the 1st flag raising.

I can supply more details if necessary.

 

The gentleman I have coffee with a few times a week was in the 11th AB. can i ask him something for you?

 

My father was in the 11th and the army records in St. Louis were burned, actually about 16 to 18 million records were lost in that fire, but you might what to try them to see if the ones you want are there. If not, "The Angels: History of the 11th Airborne.." by Major Flanagan is a fantastic investment. I have been trying to piece together my father's movements with countless websites, books and tons of e-mails to the government historians. You might want to look up the 11th's yearbook, if he was in the original division, you might find his picture. Good luck.

David, your answer might be that your relative was a glider pilot.

 

Standard answer, lost in the 1973 fire.....

I know they have tons of information and are helpful to a lot of people, but every single inquiry I have made has come back with that reply. But every once in a while you hit pay dirt, so you keep plugging along.

 

My father, Robert Barto, was a paratrooper with the 11th. He served in the occupation of Japan. He passed away on Nov 16th 2011. I miss him so much...He was a tough, proud and humble man and he was my Hero. I was doing some research on the occupation and came upon this site. To all those who served in the 11th my hat goes off to you.

 

My father was a 11th AB/(H Co)511PIR original (1943). He participated in the Leyte operation and
made the combat jump on Tagaytay Ridge (Luzon). He received a serious head wound during the
fight for Nicholls Field outside of Manila and was flown back to New Guinea where a metal plate was
inserted in the top of his skull. He was sent back to the states and discharged. By the time the treaty
with Japan was signed he was enrolled in college. Took him 2 and one-half years to complete a four
year degree. Eventually he earned both a Masters and a PhD.

Until my mother passed away in the Spring of '11 my folks attended all 11th AB Assn and 511th PIR Assn
reunions held in alternating years since the early '80s. In Sept of '11 I accompanied my dad to the 11th AB
meeting held in Tucson. My father has served as the 11th AB Assn board parliamentarian and the editor of
Winds Aloft, the quarterly magazine of the 511th PIR Assn for more than twenty years.