Description

Charles Doyle and Terrell Stewart wrote in the introduction to their book: “In the pantheon of Airborne units, the 509th has long remained in the shadow of the divisions and regiments. This work aims to put an end to this oversight and to give the 509th the recognition it deserves.”
It is with this same objective that this book is published.

For years—during the heyday of forums and long evenings spent reading—I tirelessly devoured accounts of airborne units. Around 2008–2009, when I discovered the involvement of American paratroopers in the landing in Southern France, a particular battalion began to emerge in France’s collective memory. At that time, information was scarce, and forums were almost the only place to exchange knowledge. Some enthusiasts already had access to specialized books—now prohibitively expensive—and showed incredible generosity by sharing what they knew. It is in that spirit that I still believe today that it is essential to make information accessible to as many people as possible.

Little by little, I wanted to learn more myself. To understand every step, every detail, from the battalion’s creation to its dissolution. That desire led me, years ago, to delve into this unit whose name evokes much, yet remains little known—even among military history enthusiasts:
the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion.

Back then, everything remained to be discovered, and this obsession drove me to deepen my research on this unusual battalion. Today, thanks to the democratization of the internet and the collective work of many passionate researchers, the name “509th PIB” finally resonates with a wider audience.

Originally, I expected to write a roughly 300-page book, illustrated with a few well-known photographs. But in December 2022, the many responses from families and access to the battalion’s records preserved at the National Archives changed everything. The project that emerges today spans nearly 900 pages, divided into two volumes, rich with hundreds of previously unseen photographs, a detailed chronological narrative, extensive captions, biographies, and thematic analyses.

However, this project was only made possible thanks to the relatively small size of the battalion, which allowed me to undertake a comprehensive and in-depth study. Yet it also proved difficult because of the very limited number of available testimonies. Few veterans left written or oral accounts, which is surprising for such a unique operational history. Personally, I was able to correspond with only four veterans: John Devanie, Mike Reuter, Ted Houghton, and Morton Katz. For a long time, I became obsessed with understanding them better—not only their personal journeys, but also those of their comrades—and above all with preserving their memories. No book in French existed about this unit. No truly in-depth work on its combat history, even though it spent four months in France. Biographies of these men are rare; their names and faces even more so. Oral testimonies are equally scarce. This pioneering unit seems to have been entirely pushed aside. This feeling is reinforced by the fact that the Army never produced official unit histories. By default, it fell upon the units themselves—or their surviving members—to tell their story. And that is precisely what happened in 1988 with the publication of the unparalleled “Stand in the Door!”, the monumental work of veterans Charles Doyle and Terrell Stewart. I do not claim in any way to rival their book. My work is meant to complement it. Their volume remains an absolute reference.

This project reflects a long journey across three continents—North America, Africa, and Europe—and nine countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Italy, France, and Belgium. This book is the culmination of that long odyssey.
I wish you an excellent reading experience—and above all: Stand in the Door!

VOLUME 1

This first volume traces the battalion’s history at a time when it still bore the identity forged by its first generation, drawn from the earliest American parachute formations. As the first paratroopers of the U.S. Army to enter combat during Operation Torch, they were the trailblazers, the first in the nation to test this unusual method of warfare—and the first to pay its price. Even though newcomers continued to join the unit until March 1944, the battalion remained shaped by the influence of its veterans, who preserved its continuity and spirit.

After their remarkable performance in North Africa, Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark developed a particular fondness for the 509 and entrusted them with several of the 5th Army’s most demanding missions: relieving the Salerno beachhead, seizing the strategic mountain position of Venafro, and leading the amphibious landing at Anzio.
It took courage to carry out these missions against some of the best units the German Army could field during those early years. But the 509 prevailed—facing the extremes of desert heat, the merciless mountains of the Apennines, and the damp plains and relentless rains of the Pontine Marshes: in the air, on land, and at sea.

Over the years, great confusion has surrounded what the 509th was and how this unusual number suddenly appeared in North Africa. Its original identity, at the time of its formation, was the 504th Parachute Battalion—unrelated to the 504th PIR.

Between October 1940, when the 501st Parachute Battalion was activated, and the attack on Pearl Harbor, the War Department believed that a small number of independent battalions would suffice. After all, there were not enough transport aircraft to deploy more. Thus, it became the fourth and last independent, non-regimental parachute battalion. But December 7th, 1941—and the impact of the German paratroopers’ conquest of Crete—rendered this concept obsolete.

Planners in Washington then decided to greatly expand the airborne forces. In 1942, the four battalions were reorganized into three parachute infantry regiments. The 504th became the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, which arrived in England in May 1942. As we will see, the battalion changed its designation overseas and operated in North Africa as the 2nd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment. It would never attain the title or status of a full regiment. Hopes for such recognition would persist until December 1943. It was then simply redesignated as the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion. The Five-O-Niners knew then that they were destined to remain an orphaned battalion.

To distinguish themselves, they created an insignia: the “Little man at the door,” depicting the silhouette of a paratrooper holding his reserve chute, in exit position with his hands outside. It quickly became known as the “Gingerbread man” due to its resemblance to the gingerbread cookie.

The publication of this book would not have been possible without the generous donors and “bakers” who pre-ordered during the Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. They deserve warm thanks here. If you would like to read more about the book project, please visit this link.