From the Feb.24, 2012, LA Times "Give 'Devil's Brigade' Gold medal, U.S. lawmakers urge" by Richard Simon.
There was even a movie about the joint U.S.-Canadian unit of the same name. Now, there is a movement in the U.S. Congress to give the unit a Gold Medal, the nation's highest civilian award to the First Special Service Force.
They participated in the Aleutian islands, Anzio and Southern France. They led the Allied liberation of Rome and fought in the French and Italian mountains where they specialized in high Alpine combat. They were also experts at covert amphibious landings and other unconventional operations.
During the war, they suffered 2,314 casualties and captured over 30,000 prisoners
Other World War II units who have already been awarded Gold Medals: Tuskegee Airmen, Navajo Code Talkers, Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), Japanese-American members of the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Military Intelligence Service.
Certainly an honor well-deserved.
Here's Hoping They get It. --GreGen
The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.
No comments:
Post a Comment