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 2

This second volume continues the saga of this battalion, marked by the gradual arrival of the second generation of paratroopers, drawn from later training cycles, qualified throughout 1944 and arriving as replacements.

These men did not fundamentally alter the battalion’s identity, but they represent a transition in its history. The often youthful faces of these replacements are striking. Some of the older veterans returned to the United States, and a reorganization of the battalion took place. The original company commanders were no longer the same. The XO — the executive officer — arrived directly from the United States shortly before D-Day. Some elements were integrated only shortly before the operation.

Detached from Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark’s Fifth Army, the unit was assigned to the 1st Airborne Task Force, a provisional airborne ‘division’ formed under the command of Maj. Gen. Robert T. Frederick. Although the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion is now often recognized for its camouflage uniforms, its history cannot be reduced to this sartorial detail. The unit was rigorously trained for the landings in Southern France, and then played a key role in the execution of Operation Dragoon and the liberation of the French Riviera.

Facing poorly motivated troops in this theater, the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion under Lt. Col. William P. Yarborough had already been fighting for two years, having confronted the Afrika Korps in North Africa and continued through to the bloody battle of Anzio after struggling in the desolate mountains of the Apennines.

With emotion, on the eve of Operation Dragoon, Lt. Col. Yarborough recalled his 509th before the operation began: “They wore camouflage uniforms that we had spray-painted with the help of the Corps of Engineers. Their weapons, faces, and clothing were entirely camouflaged, giving the men a fierce appearance. They paraded in front of us during a review at Lido di Roma, trotting with a brisk step, mortars and machine guns on their shoulders. They looked like parade soldiers, but they were seasoned men — fast and confident. My God, I was so proud of that group. They represented the epitome of the professional soldier, even though they were not. They were simply good Americans. Here was a unit that had fought from North Africa — through Sicily, Avellino, and then the length of the Italian peninsula — and now stood ready to jump into southern France. Not one of them complained, had nightmares, or asked to go home saying he had had enough of combat. They were part of a team. I really felt sorry for the Germans… I felt a little pity for the Krauts we were going to kill, that those poor bastards were really going to run into something!”

Upon entering Cannes, the unit report noted: “We advanced along streets crowded with people cheering like mad, some crying, others throwing flowers onto our vehicles. It was a welcome such as we had never received in two years of combat.” The battalion then pursued the enemy into the foothills of the Alpes-Maritimes, where it held a portion of the French-Italian border until late autumn 1944.

The 509th would triumph once again in the Ardennes salient, almost to the point of total annihilation, against highly motivated troops. As one veteran later said, “The Ardennes was our toughest battle. The second was Anzio.” Dissolved after the battle, the 509th ended its existence quietly — in a manner hardly worthy of its spirit and achievements. For those who served within it, it remains obvious that this unit deserved to be preserved — even if it meant bending a few rules. But its fate had been sealed even before the winter fighting began: in an effort to reinforce the airborne divisions, the highest military authorities decided to eliminate the small so-called “lost” units, whose experienced manpower and resources were redirected toward larger formations. The 509th, like others, ceased to exist in March 1945.

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.