I am part of a group or presenting the parachute infantry regiment. For parachute regimental combat. It is a world war ii unit that fought in italy, Southern France. Forgotten unit. It was a small unit. It was comprised of three smaller units. And andairborne company the 460th. Does three units maybe Regimental Combat Team. Wouldgher army command attack units where they were needed as they were needed. We are representing them during their time in the autumn of 1944. That was in the south of france in the everywhere they were cast with protecting the right flank. The envision of summer invasion of Southern France. Was overshadowed by the famous normandie operation. This is the hammer and the end though. Due to lack of Landing Craft and aircraft, they were not able to have both operations at the same time. Normandie was an even more important operation. This was delayed until 1944. Began to come in off the beach. They were prepared for an enemy onslaught. Soldierngle german appeared. Not even in luftwaffe soaring overhead. Under Lieutenant GeneralAlexander Patch was the three corps. The six core included the famed third, 36 and 45th divisions. The french second core is commanded by general john to la petite e. A. The second core under the command of general betois. Still unmolested, men and supplies were landed. This was after the initial invasion when they were protecting the right flank. They were in combat for approximately 90 days until late november. Fighting on the line against the germans down in the south of france. They were protecting the right flank. To talk tooing hilltop, ravaging the germans out of that area. The germans were actually duggan for almost the entire occupation of france. They were fighting the well duggan germans. What we have here, we have what is called an outpost. That would be ahead of the mainline of the troops that were dug in. That would be an earlymorning system. We have more protection from the weather here. You would see more instances of logs and tree limbs and more heavyduty protection from mortar fire. The longer we are in an area, the deeper you would dig in to give yourself more protection. You would dig down maybe a couple of inches and get yourself some protection. In thethe time they were maritime else, they were in a set area. They had time to dig deeper and more elaborate hostels because the germans were firing on them. Of theere many instances meeting better functional protection. To our right, we have a larger foxhole that would sleep three or four men. Was behind it. The soldiers were living in at that time during their campaign. We like to do this here. This allows the kids to get an opportunity to see what it was like. You might be surprised how heavy it is. Put it on straight. Put it on straight. We done this way for Army Heritage day. It took several hours. We had the entrenching tools that the soldiers were issued. Sandbag for the dirt that we dug out. This is the area they were in the south of france. This gives the idea of the more well entrenched foxhole they would have in that particular campaign. When it is as simple as digging down into their and filling up around you, what that could you is protection from the german artillery mortar fire they were receiving where lands were. You get below the ground level and the more cover you have on top, that will protect you from any after mortar blasts. Shelter youi can only waterproof it so much. They kept this relatively dry from that rain. The time in autumn, the soldiers ran into snout in the end of september at their was they had three ages of snow and they found out because this was much colder down on the riviera where they had come from. There were days that they will go up and they felt like a piece of plywood. They have one over here. Make a better goal. That is one shelter half, one or two blankets. This was a suspension line like that. Soldiers could carry it with them. It would be kind of like a sleeping bag but you could easily carry what you needed. They were in an established area so to speak from us 90 days. They do not carry too much around. They would take their ammunition. That could be a ration or two. Other units throughout the war, especially toward the end of the work, this was pushing into germany. Soldiers which is carry what they needed on their back. They would carry what they would have in their pockets. They would carry a gp bag or a gas mask bag. Gp bag. G bag they would carry just the bare essentials. They were on their feet all the time. You want this to be as light as possible. What we have here is somewhat of a small supply point. We have ration boxes, ammunition crates and examples of what work these rations here. There were three meals, three boxed meals. We had dinners, lunch and supper. They have canned exit, canned chicken. Crackers. Four packs of cigarettes in each box. Cigarettes were in issued item. You have either instant coffee, orange to make a drink. Sugar, fruit bars, breakfast bar, maybe chocolate bar. It was designed by a nutritionist. Designed to get the needed calories in the meal from a soldier that is on the field. Away from regular mail. Some soldiers were eating these for weeks, months at a time that it was not designed for that long of intake where they were having adverse effects. They were not getting that regular meal. They were suffering from that. This is a squad level not all soldiers would have this. From our research and photographic evidence, theres instances of the 517th, they almost have a whole field kitchen with them. Where they were established. This would be carried by a squad. It runs on modern camp fuel. It is enough to heat up multiple canteens of coffee. They were fortunate enough to have a pot to make some proper meals. Talking to one of the companies that recently passed away, ray hess, he told us a story one time when they were in the maritime alps. They had a can of roast beef they were cooking, actually on a campfire, but they were cooking the can of roast beef. Next thing they knew, they heard german artillery and he had a canteen cup of coffee he just made. They dove into their foxholes just as mortar artillery shells came in. They zeroed in on their fire. He said he dove in, luckily he did not spill his coffee. He came out and they said if they did move, they would have been wiped out because they had zeroed in on the campfire with the roast beef. The roast beef was gone and we were looking forward to it. The field rations, they could eat them cold or heated up. If the soldiers had the luxury of a stove like this, they would heat up their coffee or even canned meat. They would actually rip apart the box. A wax layer, which was a waterproof box. Your outer cardboard layer, they would rip them up and burn them and make a small fire that could possibly heat up their rations. This is an item that you would not see with all soldiers during the war. That was an item that we saw. Standard rifle. A 30 ought six. This is be entrenchment tool. This bandage also had a pack of sulfur powder. That would be administered to the wound to help fight infection. We also have the canteen pouch. We are missing the canteen. Here, we have the m1 carbine, m1 garand, and the paratrooper airborne model of the standard. It was used by paratroopers. It would make holding easy. At the time period, even though they were an airborne unit, they would have initially the folding stock. But through our research, the longer they were on the line due to damaged or lost m1 car bines, they would be resupplied with whatever is available. Hte standard the standard not airborne m1 carbine coming into play for this particular unit. This is a browning automatic rifle. It fired the same route as the m1 garand. 21 round box magazine. It was not part of their table of organization and equipment. In the case of the 517th, we saw evidence of them using it in the maritime alps. They found it was a good weapon to help clear out the dugin germans in that area. For that type of warfare in that theater, it was a good way to put down suppressive fire. We are very fortunate that the 517th prct association has a great website that was started by the vets and are run by their family members because many of the vets have passed away or up in years. There is a ton of information. Photographs, history. Personal accounts the vets had submitted. They have a great website. That is one of our resources. We take personal accounts, personal photographs that we are able to build our display based solely on those photograph accounts. There is also a great book. A great history on the 517th. First Airborne Task force, another reference book that covers the first Airborne Task force which was the Airborne Division that took place that was part of operation dragoon. In the normandy operation, you know of the famous 101st division that went in the night before the main beach forces. Operation dragoon was the same way. Forces came in the night before to secure roads and crossroads before the infantry division. At that time, there was no large Airborne Division in the mediterranean because the 101st and 82nd were already in normandy. Multiple independent airborne units, which one of them was the 517th, that were pulled together to make the first Airborne Task force. Another adhoc unit. Other units involved was the 509th infantry battalion. 570th, 550th. An independent British Airborne regiment. If you heard of the 442mdnd Regimental Combat Team, the japaneseamerican unit of the war, there was a company of their antitank unit that was actually quick training. Heres some quick Glider Training and they were merely 517th for a month and a half. The airborne troops, you had paratroopers and glider troops that were trained for that. These were standard infantry, that was not part of their training. They were pulled and said you were going and glider, here are some quick training and you are getting attached to this airborne unit. Works this vanguard was sit us this vanguard was sit us roy the enemy defenses and ease the task of their comrades at sea. Swooping down to three top levels, attack planes, supply trains with telling effects. In the calm of a summer morning, these bombers rain destruction. While the allied warships were along the french coast within range of enemy batteries. When they went in the night of the invasion and they were jumping out of the aircraft, you hear stories of the norm normandy operation. Planes making evasive maneuvers and that caused many missed drops. The same pilots and planes that dropped in normandy did the operation dragoon drop. Due to the errors during the normandy drop, the pilots wanted to make up for the mistake they had made. They tried their best to stay on course. What happened is there was heavy fog so there were misdrops because the pilot could not see the pathfinder beacons to zero in on the proper drop zone. Many soldiers, many of the airborne that dropped that night, when they jumped out of the airplane and they saw the heavy fog, they thought they were jumping into the mediterranean ocean. They were starting to strip their equipping off to get the vest in because they were preparing for a water landing. Many soldiers as they were stripping the gear off and their life vests preparing for water landings, preparing to it water, they start going through the fog and the next thing they know they are on the ground. Actually, we unfortunately dont have any because of the campaign we are portraying, but the 517th along with the first Airborne Task force had a unique uniform item. Experimental camouflage for operation dragoon which they literally spraypainted their uniforms. If you see the m42 paratrooper jump uniform, what the first Airborne Task force did, they have their engineers have spray guns with green and black. They have the guys line up, put a Cardboard Box over their head, and the engineers would hit them with the camouflage paint and off they would go. It was from the commander colonel frederick that came down to camouflage their uniforms. We have an example of the helmet. This was over spraying of the green and black. They would put the helmet on and spray for a silhouette. Another example of the 517th helmet, they did not have the proper jump helmet you saw with other airborne units. They have a standard m1 helmet that the infantry had which was not good for jumping. They modified the chin straps which we have an example of here. Going back to the camouflage uniforms they had, veteran accounts, on the mediterranean in august of 1944, it was very hot and humid. A cotton uniform with paint that actually made it even thicker and heavier and smelled bad. The soldiers did not like that very much because it made them more uncomfortable. A more serious issue they had, at the time with the paint, fresh paint, the soldiers that got wounded, the paint would go into their led streams and they would have blood infections. Once they were on the ground, the paint made the uniform stink, the wound issues, there were accounts of soldiers moving between objectives and they came across a stream, they would try to wash the paint off and get back on the road to get rid of the paint. It was an improvised camouflage system that the ductwork the best. As i said, the 517th is an overshadowed, somewhat forgotten unit because they were a smaller unit in an overshadowed theater of the war, the mediterranean, the south of france. We do that to keep their story alive, to tell the public about their story and keep the memories of the men alive. This is a great way to do it because you can read all the history you can in a book but you do firsthand accounts like this, especially the young kids get the firsthand experiences. Try the helmet on, the equipment. See what the soldiers went through. It is another way to teach and another way for us to learn about teach and another way for us to learn about them because we are always researching. There is always something to learn about them and always something coming out of the woodwork to photograph or more personal accounts that we can learn and pass on their stories so they are not forgotten. The final line had been torched between the forces that landed in Southern France in august 15. Those which had landed in normandy on june 6. This juncture close to the last escape route for the germans in the south and west of france. The fighting qualities of the soldiers, sailors and airmen of the United Nations defeated the enemy in Southern France. Their valor, stamina and devotion to duty were beyond praise. You can learn more about the 517th parachute Regimental Combat Team at 517prct. Org. You will find a regimental history, photographs, and a collection of soldier stories. You can watch this and all other American History tv programs online at cspan. Org. Labor day weekend on this is American History tv on cspan3. Each weekend we feature 48 hours of programs exploring our nation s past. In 1979, a Small Network with an unusual name rolled out. Cspan opened the doors to washington policy for all to see. Bringing you unfiltered contact from congress and beyond. In 40 years. Nged on television and online. You can make up your own mind. This is broadly by your cable or satellite brought to you by dorks cable or satellite provider. Communicators, our professor talks about the black cat security conference in las vegas. Electric motors has a control system. Actuallyow it. Enerates the momentum it moves an electric wire across a magnetic field. Subjectsll of these have some kind of interruption or disruption. This movement is not expected to be there. Monday at 8 00 p. M. Eastern. N cspan two next, on American History tv, senior archivist Randy Thompson delivers an illustrated talk showcasing Resources Available to the public at the National Archives branch in riverside, california. Items include records and artifacts dating back to 1775. The friends of the North Hollywood library hosted this event. Were glad youre here with us today to learn about the national archive. A unique and little known institution also known as the records keeper. Theyve driven all the way out here from riverside to be with you and us in order to inform and inspire us to investigate and utilize our nations archives that among their holders are documents going back to 1775 and lastly weve been handing out raffle tts