Jump Commander: In Combat with the 505th and 508th Parachute

Jump Commander: In Combat with the 505th and 508th Parachute Infantry Regiments, 82ndAirborne Division in World War II
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A selection of the Military Book Club

Col. Mark James Alexander was the only airborne officer to lead three different battalions into combat in World War II, successively commanding the 2d and 1st Battalions, 505 Parachute Infantry Regiment, and the 2nd Battalion, 508 PIR, of the 82nd Airborne Division. A legend in his own time, he fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and France, and even after being seriously wounded in Normandy, insisted on playing a role in the Battle of the Bulge.

Airborne Generals Gavin and Ridgway recognized Alexanderâ€™s superior battle skills and were more than happy to use him to plug holes in the ranks. His reputation excelled among the rank and file, right down to the lowest private. He led from the front, pressing the attack while simultaneously looking out for his men. In Sicily, Alexanderâ€™s battalion landed 25 miles from its drop zone, into a network of Italian pillboxes, upon which the Colonel personally directed fire, thence captured hundreds of prisoners. Dropped into the desperate inferno at Salerno, he refused to give ground against German counterattacks, forming his paratroopers against enemy efforts to push Allied forces back into the sea. At Normandy one seasoned lieutenant, John â€œRed Dogâ€ Dolan, 505 PIR, called him â€œthe finest battalion commander I ever served under,â€ after Alexander had led the 1/505 for ten days through the bloody battle for La FiÃ¨re Bridge and Causeway.

Alexanderâ€™s passion and truest talent was leading men in the field, and he insisted on sharing their risks. On one occasion in Normandy he and his runner (he went through several) were caught behind German lines and encountered a platoon of SS. Opening fire, the Colonel killed or wounded several and brought the rest in as prisoners. An 88mm shell finally got the best of him, shrapnel tearing through his lungs, and while the 82nd was engaged in the Bulge, Alexander was only allowed to run its base camps in Franceâ€• despite his protestsâ€•as General Gavin noted that he was still coughing up blood.

This memoir is based on the transcription of hundreds of hours of recorded interviews made by Alexanderâ€™s grandson, John Sparry, over a period of years late in his life. Providing valuable insight into the beloved commander who led three of the most storied battalions in the US Army, Jump Commander also contains a wealth of new detail on 82nd Airborne operations, and casts insight on some of the most crucial battles in the ETO. This highly readable and action-packed narrative may well be the last remaining memoir to be written in the voice of a major airborne officer of the Greatest Generation.

REVIEWS

â€œâ€¦contains new details on 82nd Airborne operations and provides insight into crucial battles. It is illustrated with a wealth of b&w historical photos.â€
BOOK NEWS, 07/2010

â€œâ€¦well worthwhile book covering the story of the US 82 Airborne Division and one of their finest unit commanders.â€
Military Modeling.com
Country USA
Brand Casemate
Manufacturer Casemate Pub
Binding Hardcover
ItemPartNumber 16-pg photo section, maps
Model 16-pg photo section, maps
ReleaseDate 2010-04-19
UnitCount 1
EANs 9781935149286

Country	USA
Brand	Casemate
Manufacturer	Casemate Pub
Binding	Hardcover
ItemPartNumber	16-pg photo section, maps
Model	16-pg photo section, maps
ReleaseDate	2010-04-19
UnitCount	1
EANs	9781935149286

Jump Commander: In Combat with the 505th and 508th Parachute Infantry Regiments, 82ndAirborne Division in World War II

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