A Toast to Gordon K. Smith, Maurice Gidon & R.B. Lewellen
© Paratrooper Research Team - A Last Toast to our Veteran Friends
March 20th, 2017: William 'Bill' Merit True passed away. Bill True was an F/506 paratrooper who wrote 'The Cow Spoke French' in 2002.
Bill volunteered for the Paratroops in August 1942 and went all the way from Normandy to the Eagles Nest with the 101st A/B Division.
Click on his picture below to visit our tribute to William Merit True.
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February 1st, 2017: Edward Tipper of E/506, 101st A/B Division, passed away at age 95. Ed volunteered for the Paratroops after 'Pearl Harbor'.
He jumped into Normandy during D-Day and was serverely wounded six days later. He was rewarded with a Bronze Star for his WWII efforts.
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November 28th, 2015: Major Henry 'Duke' Boswell died, aged 91. He joined the National Guard in 1940 at 16 years old, and served until 1963.
Duke made four combat jumps with the 82nd A/B in Sicily, Italy, Normandy and The Netherlands, and fought in the Bulge and Germany.
After WWII he also saw action in the Korean conflict, where he was wounded by mortar fire. He returned to Normandy in the 2000's.
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March 8th, 2014: William 'Bill' Guarnere passed away. He will always be knows as 'Wild Bill'. An original Toccoa man within E/506th PIR.
Bill was a fearless leader wild a legendary wild side. A two-man team, post-war, with Babe Heffron, who passed away 3 months before Bill.
Click on his picture below to visit our tribute to 'Wild' Bill Guarnere.
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March 6th, 2014: Dr. Frank Jobe passed away, aged 88. He joined the Army at age 18 and served as a sergeant in the 326th Airborne Medical Company.
Jobe played baseball pre- and post war, but made a name for himself pioneering collateral ligament reconstruction surgery on baseball players.
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March 1st, 2014: Eugene 'Gene' Anderson Cook Jr. passed away, aged 88. Gene joined the US Army at the age of 17. He volunteered for the
Airborne, receiving his wings in November 1943. After WWII he would frequently revisit France, although he never jumped into Normandy.
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December 28th, 2013: Jack Womer passed away. Jack was born in 1917. He served with the 29th Infantry Division before joining the 506th PIR
Demolition Platoon, that became know as the 'Filty Thirteen' and/or 'Dirty Dozen'. He was a BAR specialist. He revisited the ETO in the 2010's.
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December 1st, 2013: Edward Heffron passed away. Better known by his nickname 'Babe', he joined E/506 before Market Garden. He made it all the
way up to the Eagles Nest. As a replacement, he bonded quickly with Bill Guarnere, both being from 'South Philly'. This bond lasted a lifetime.
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November 24th, 2013: Earl McClung passed away. 'One Lung' McClung was drafted into service in February 1943. He was an excellent shot, perfecting the skill
with his fathers WWI era rifle. He was part (3/8) Indian, and an excellent hunter. All these skills made him a fierce Warrior, and hunter tracker, in WWII.
To Sophia and me he will always be the man who helped me with my proposal to Sophia. Earl pinned on our 'wedding wings' and gave us his blessing.
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October 24th, 2013: Frank J. Perconte passed away. Frank enlisted August 17, 1942 with childhood friend Herman Hanson along with Wayne Sisk
and Carwood Lipton, they were the 1st four soldiers assigned to E/506. Frank was awarded a Bronze Star medal and became postman, post war.
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August 5th, 2013: Earl J. Geoffrion, 507th PIR Rigger, passed away, aged 95. Earl received the Silver Star and Bronze Star for valor during
the battle for the La Fiere Causeway. He was also awared the French Legion d'Honeur during one of his post-war visits to Normandy.
Click on his picture below to visit our tribute to Earl Geoffrion.
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June 3rd, 2013: US senator Frank Raleigh Lautenberg passed away, aged 89. He was the last remaining WWII veteran in the US Senate. Lautenberg
served overseas in the US Army Signal Corps during WWII from 1942 to 1946. After WWII he graduated Columbia Business School on the GI Bill.
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June 32nd, 2013: Donald W. Lichtenthaler passed away, aged 90. Donald was a member of I/502 and jumped into Normandy on D-Day. He was wounded
by mortar shrapnel in June 1944, effectively ending his war. After WWII, and after his recovery, he went into construction, as a carpenter.
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January 21st, 2013: James E. 'Jake' McNiece passed away. Jake was born on the 24th of May, 1919. He volunteered for Parachute Infantry
in September 1942. Famous for their Mohawks and warpaint, he was the leader of the 'Dirty Dozen'/'Filthy Thirteen'. A legend.
Click on his picture below to visit our tribute to Jake McNiece.
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May 23rd, 2012: Joe Lesniewski, of E/506, passed away. Joe was born August 29, 1920. He joined E Company in March 1944.
On D-Day Joe landed near Sainte-Mère-Église, with Ed Joint. Near Bastogne his foxhole was hit by a grenade, which was a dud.
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May 12th, 2012: Ed Joint, of E/506, passed away. Ed joined up with the 506th PIR in England. He was wounded in action during
the infamous attack on Foy, near Bastogne. But after recovering from the wound to his arm, he joined E/506 later in 1945.
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April 1st, 2012: Robert 'Bob' E. Sechrist, of E/501 PIR, passed away. Bob was from Sandusky, Ohio, and graduated jumpschool in October 1943.
On D-Day night he jumped over Normandy from plane #7, as a Pathfinder. Bob Sechrist would return to Normandy, even in the 2000's.
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March 19, 2012 : Clarence 'Clancy' Lyall, of E/506, 101st A/B passed away. He was born October 14th, 1925, in Orange, Texas. Clarence
joined the Army in 1942. After VE-Day he re-enlisted into B/508 - 82nd A/B, when the 101st was de-activated. He made Master Sergeant
On January 12, 1946, Clancy Lyall marched proudly down 5th Avenue in New York, in the 82nd Airborne Division WWII victory parade.
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March 3, 2012 : Clarence J. Regas, 1st Lieutenant, 60th Engineers, 35th Infantry Division, passed away.
Clarence was born July 7, 1923 in Wichita, Kansas and made it from Omaha Beach to the Rhine in WWII.
Click on his picture below to visit our tribute to Clarence Regas.
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February 26, 2012 : Lynn D. 'Buck' Compton, of E-Company 506st PIR, 101st A/B Division, passed away. Lynn was born December 31st 1921.
He was awarded the Silver Star for action at the Brécourt Manor Battery, on June 6th 1944. During his service he made 1st Lieutenant.
A pre-war UCLA athlete, he turned down an offer to play baseball in 1946, to study law. He retired as a Court of Appeals Judge.
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December 5, 2011 : Vincent D. Vicari of 101st HQ Div. Artillery, 101st Airborne Division, passed away.
He was an Italian-American, born in New York. A personal aide to General McAuliffe, he made Captain.
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December 2, 2011 : Marvin D. Cartwright of I-Company 502nd PIR, 101st A/B Division, passed away. Marvin enlisted on March 22, 1943.
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Oktober 4, 2011 : Henri 'Hank' Zimmerman of Easy Company 506th PIR, 101st A/B Division, passed away.
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September 24, 2011 : Bill Maynard of Easy Company 506th PIR, 101st A/B Division, passed away.
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August 24, 2011 : Amos 'Buck' Taylor of Easy Company 506th PIR, 101st A/B Division, passed away.
Buck passed away only 10 days after the death of his wife, Elaine.
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Juli 20, 2011 : Bob Perdue of Fox Company 506th PIR, 101st A/B Division, passed away. Bob was a true legend of 'Fighting Fox'
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April 4, 2011 : Lud Labutka of Easy Company 502nd PIR, 101st A/B Division, passed away at age 89. Lud was born in 1921.
He joined the Pataroops in 1942, transferring from the National Guard (which he joined aged 17). He made Tech Sergeant.
Click on his picture below to read the complete history of our friend, Ludwig Labutka.
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January 22, 2011 : Ed Mauser of Easy Company 506th PIR, 101st A/B Division, passed away at age 94.
Ed was born in 1916, and was considered an 'old man' in WWII.
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January 2, 2011 : Richard D. Winters of 2nd Battalion 506th PIR, 101st A/B Division, passed away at age 92.
Click on his picture below for more information on Richard D. Winters.
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June 6, 2010 : Walter Chris Heisler of the 507th PIR, 82nd A/B Division, passed away at D-Day. He was born October 21, 1916.
He was a Lieutenant when he jumped into Normandy, June 6th 1944.
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May 12, 2010 : Earl R. Kirker, T-5 of HQ-Company 507th PIR, 82nd Airborne Division, passed away at age 94. He was born in 1915.
Earl enlisted in the US Army in 1941 and volunteered for the Paratroops. He jumped from C-47 #43-15122 in chalk 26-36 on D-Day.
For his action in the former European Theater of Operations during World War Two, Earl was awarded a Bronze Star.
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April 2010 : Jack Agnew passed away. Jack was a legend in the 506th PIR, a member of the 'Filthy Thirteen'' / 'Dirty Dozen'.
Jack was a friend of many in the ETO, and made for a lot of unforgettable memories.
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March 2010 : Marty Tougher of G-Company 507th PIR passed away. A Paratrooper and Combat Medic veteran of the Bulge and Operation Varsity. RIP !.
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September 21, 2009 : LTC Gordon K. Smith, last surviving member of 507th Regimental Command (82nd A/B), passed away.
Gordon Smith was also the CO of the 501st PIB, and served in many another Airborne Unit post-WWII
Click on his picture below to visit our tribute to Gordon K. Smith
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August 9, 2009 : Forrest 'Goody' Guth passed away. A friend of many, this E/506 (101st A/B) trooper visited the ETO often. He is reunited with his wife, Harriet.
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June 17, 2009 : Darrell 'Shifty' Powers passed away. A legendary trooper by life, as a portrayed member of E/506 (101st A/B). He was a modest, softspoken man.
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June 5, 2009 : Jim Norene of G/502 (101st A/B) passed away, while visiting Normandy for the 65th Commemorations of D-Day. He suffered from stage 4 cancer.
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June 1, 2009 : R. B. Lewellen of I/508 (82nd A/B) passed away. He was with Lt. Col. Mendez on a C-47 with the trail number 43-15323 (chalk number 37) on D-Day.
Click on his picture below for more information on R.B. Lewellen and his amazing WWII History
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March 15, 2009 : Edward J. Pienta passed away. Ed Pienta was a corporal in E/502 (101st A/B) and was in my friends Lud Labutka's stick over Normandy on D-Day.
Edward was awarded with the Bronze Star medal, and two Purple Hearts. He was discharged with the rank of Sergeant
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In Memoriam: Robert M. Bowen
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In Memoriam: Joseph R. Beyrle (25 08 1923 - 12 12 2004)
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June 28, 2004 : Emily Labutka passed away. Emily served within the USMC during WWII.
Her husband, Ludwig (Lud), was a paratrooper with E/502, 101st A/B Division.
Click on his picture below to read the complete history of Emily & Lud Labutka.
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A Final Salute at 'The Beginning !' - The 507th PIR Monument at Amfreville, Normandy, France
Rum & Coke, just as Gordon would have chosen when served !