The 5081h Parachute Infantry Regiment

By

MSG Kenith W. Cooper

SGM Alfredo Albizu

Leadership L06

3 March 2006

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MILITARY HISTORY BRIEF OUTLINE

The 5081h Parachute Infantry Regiment

I. Introduction.

l. Good morning SGM Albizu and fellow classmates ofL06, I am MSG Kenith W.

Cooper.

2. Today I will conduct an infonnation briefing on The 5081h PIR. (WWII Medal of

Honor Recipient). This briefing is unclassified.

3. The purpose of this briefing is to infonn you of the actions of the 5081h PIR during

WWII.

II. Body.

1. Activation of the 5081h PIR

2. Combat operations during WWII

3. Medal of Honor Recipients

4. The 5081h PIR Current status

III. Closing

l. Summary

2. Questions

3. Concluding statement

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The 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment

The 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) History is one to remember. Some

people may ask what the 508th PIR (Red Devil) is and why is it important? A brief look

back into time will answer these questions.

The 508th PIR was activated on February 1942 under the command of Lieutenant

Colonel (LTC) Roy E. Lindquist at Camp Blanding, Florida. LTC Lindquist commanded

the 508th PIR throughout its participation during World War II (WWII). He tumed over

command to LTC Holmes in December 1945.

The Red Devils conducted basic training at Camp Blanding until 5 February 1943. At

this time the Red Devils were relocated to Fort Benning, Georgia to conduct Basic

Airbome training. Once the Red Devils completed this phase of training they were

moved to Camp Mackall, North Carolina on 25 March 1943. The Red Devils continued

to conduct advance and specialized training until 19 December 1943 .

The Red Devils had s short stay at Camp Shanks, New York (20-29 December 1943).

This was the Red Devils last stop before heading off to Europe. On 29 December 1943

the Red Devils boarded the U.S. Anny ship James Parker bound for Northen1 Ireland.

The Red Devils arrived at Belfast, Ireland on 8 January 1944. The stay in lreland was

brief, for on 13 March 1944 the 508th PIR moved to Wollaton Park, England located on

the outskirts of Nottingham, England. This was the 508 th PIR home base and rear

detachment until the end of the war.

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In May 1944 the 508tl1 PIR became part of the 821ld Airborne (ABN) Division (DIV).

The 821ld was also known as the All Americans and America's Guard of Honor. The Red

Devils began training in preparation for its mission in the invasion of Europe. The field

training exercises, parachute jumps, and live fires exercises kept the Red Devils busy and

ready for combat.

The Red Devils wait for combat was soon over as the unit Commander informed their

troopers that the invasion was immanent. A short while later the Red Devi Is moved to a

departure airfield in Folkingham, England. At the airfield the troopers received necessary

equipment and detailed planning started to insure that everyone knew the Drop Zone

(DZ), objectives, and password.

The 508tl1 PIR reinforced with Bravo Company 307tl1 Airbon1e Engineer, mission was

to destroy the bridges over the Douve River and establish a secure bridgehead up to Le­

Hameau-Renouf. On 5 June 1944 the Red Devils began its phase of the D-Day invasion.

By 0215 hours on 6 June 1944 the initial elements of the 821ld ABN DIY landed on

French soil.

During the Airborne Assault on NOlmandy, clouds and heavy anti-aircraft fire broke

up the flight formations and many planes went off course. Consequently the Pathfinders

were unable to mark the drop zone. This caused many pilots to tum on the jump lights

after they had overshot the DZ. The Red Devil became spread out all over the Normandy

countryside. The heavily loaded paratroopers landed in swamps along the river. The Red

Devils scrambled to organize small fighting units.

Unable to assemble enough troopers to occupy the west bank of the Douve River, the

Red Devils secured the main railroad from Cherbourg to Caretan. The railroad sat on

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high ground, which was an easy recognizable terrain feature. The Red Devils organized

into small units began the difficult task of securing the bridge over the Douve River.

The 5081h PIR fought fiercely for 33 days after jumping into Normandy. The Red Devils

stopped the reinforcements of the Axis Forces who defended the French coast.

The Red Devils returned to England on 13 July 1944. During the Nornlandy invasion

the 5081h PIR suffered many casulties 1061 out of 2056, of these casualties 307 were

Killed-In-Action (KIA). The stay in England was brief, as the Red Devils began

preparations for Operation Market Garden.

The intent of Operation Market Garden was to secure a bridgehead across the Rhine

River in Holland. The 5081h PIR executed a combat jump into Holland as part of

Operation Market Garden. Initially there was little resistance, however heavy fighting

began and lasted for days.

Near Voxhill, Holland First Sergeant Leonard A. Funk Jr., Company C, led a three­

man assault against a German 20mm FLAK Battery. The 20mm FLAK guns took aim at

the American Gliders preventing them from landing. 1SG Funk secured the 20mm

FLAK guns killing approximately twenty members of the gun crew. Once the 20mm

guns were silenced the American Gliders were now able to land and provide

reinforcements to the paratroopers on ground. Because of 1SG Funks actions he received

the Distinguished Service Cross.

The Red Devils eventually took control of Groesbeck-Nijmegan. They secured

Highway K, which prevented the Germans from bringing in reinforcements. This also

cut off the enemies escape route. While occupying Groesbeck-Nijmegan the Red Devils

repelled a major enemy offensive. The Red Devils captured 483 enemy prisoners. The

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Red Devils losses were 139 KIA, 479 WIA and one Red Devil was captured. Relieffor

the Red Devils came on 10 November 1944, by a British Brigade.

By 16 December the 82nd ABN DIY was engaged in the Battle of the Bulge. On 19

December 1944 the Red Devils secured a position to counter the Gennans advance. The

Red Devils held this position until they were relieved on 24 January 1945. The needed

break was short, as the Red Devils were back in action on 26 January 1945.

First Sergeant Leonard A. Funk Jf., distinguished himself for his actions on 29

January 1945 near Holzheim, Belgium. ISG Funk was the only Medal of Honor

Recipient from the 50S th PIR during WWII. His Medal of Honor Citation reads as

follows: "Rank and Organization: First Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 50Sth

Parachute Infantry, S2d Airborne Division. Place and date: Holzheim, Belgium, 29

January 1945. Entered service at: Wilkinsburg, PA: ISG Funk distinguished himselfby

gallant, intrepid actions against the enemy. After advancing 15 miles in a driving

snowstorm, the American force prepared to attack through waist-deep drifts. The

company executive officer became a casualty, and 1 SG Funk immediately assumed his

duties, forming headquarters soldiers into a combat unit for an assault in the face of direct

artillery shelling and harassing fire from the right flank. Under his skillful and

courageous leadership, this miscellaneous group and the 3d Platoon attacked 15 houses,

cleared them, and took 30 prisoners without suffering a casualty. The fierce drive of

Company C quickly overran Holzheim, netting some SO prisoners, who were placed

under a 4-man guard, all that could be spared, while the rest of the under strength unit

went about mopping up isolated points of resistance. An enemy patrol, by means of a

ruse, succeeded in capturing the guards and freeing the prisoners, and had begun

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preparations to attack Company C from the rear when 1SG Funk walked around the

building and into their midst. He was ordered to surrender by a Gern1an officer who

pushed a machine pistol into his stomach. Although overwhelmingly outnumbered and

facing almost certain death, lSG Funk, pretending to comply with the order, began

slowly to unsling his sub machine gun from his shoulder and then, with lightning motion,

brought the muzzle into line and riddled the Gennan officer. He tun1ed upon the other

GenTIans, firing and shouting to the other Americans to seize the enemy's weapons. In

the ensuing fight 21 Gennans were killed, many wounded, and the remainder captured.

lSG Funk's bold action and heroic disregard for his own safety were directly responsible

for the recapture of a vastly superior enemy force, which, if allowed to remain free , could

have taken the widespread units of Company C by surprise and endangered the entire

attack plan".

The 508th PIR was removed from attachment to the 821ld ABN DIY on 5 April 1945.

The Red Devils were placed under the control of the First Allied Airborne Anny until

May 1945. At this time the 5081h PIR was moved to Frankfurt, Gennany and performed

occupation duty and served as guard to General Eisenhower's SHAEF Headquarters.

The 508th PIR stayed in Frankfurt until November 1946. They were than relocated to

Camp Kilmer, New Jersey and deactivated on 25 November 1946.

The 508th was reactivated on 16 April 1951 as the 508th Airborne (ABN) Infantry

(INF) at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. First Sergeant Leonard A. Funk Jr. (WWII Medal of

Honor Recipient) and Brigadier General Roy E. Lindquist participated in the reactivation

ceremony. The 508th ABN INF eventually moved to FT. Campbell, Kentucky and once

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again after six years was deactivated on 27 March 1957. In 1962 the 5081h was

reorganized under the Combat Arms Regimental system and renamed the 5081h Infantry.

In 1996 the 5081h was reactivated as the 1I5081h Airborne Battalion Combat Team

(ABCT) stationed in Vicenza, Italy. The 5081h ABCT is part of the 173rd Airborne

Brigade, which was reactivated in 2000. The 5081h ABCT conducted a combat jump into

Northenl Iraq in March 2003. The 5081h PIR has served in Iraq and Afghanistan since the

Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) began. As of January 2006 the 508th was reactivated

as the Fourth Brigade Combat Team 82nd ABN DIV.

The Red Devils throughout its history has proven itself countless times. From WWII

to the GWOT when the Red Devils were call the mission was executed above and beyond

the standards. I've served in this unit and am humbled by what it has accomplished. The

Red Devils lived by the Warrior Ethos during WWII and continue to do so today.