The theme this year was the dday 75th anniversary. Next on american artifacts we visit a living history camp to leadership about the parachute regimental keep bat team, who fought in the mar tile a im part of a troop representing fcompany, part of a unit of the 517th prct, which was short for parachute Regimental Combat Team. It is a largely forgotten overshadowed unit of the war. It was a smaller unit, about 2500 men. It was comprised of three smaller units. The three units together made the combat team, which the higher army company throughout the war would attach them to larger divisions, where they were needed, as needed throughout the war. We are representing them during the Maritime Alps campaign. That was near the italian border in which they were tasked with protecting the right flank of the main advance of the u. S. 7th army up the rhone river valley. That was overshadowed by the famous normandy operations. Originally both operations were designed to take place simultaneously. They were conamed hammer and anv anvil, but unfortunately due to lack of Landing Craft and aircraft, higher command was not able to have both operation, and normandy was deemed the more important operation. The Southern Operations war was delayed until august. Troops were prepared for an enemy onslaught. But not a single german soldier appeared. Not even a soared overhead. Mine detector squads cleared the roads to permit or tanks to continue on their way. German prisoners were herded onto the beaches for remove to ships. By midnight of august 16th, the french commandos had been contacted. Operations are progressed so smoothly that by noon the follow day, a beachdead 29 miles, nine miles deep, had been established. As i said we are representing them during their Maritime Alps campaign after the initial invasion when they were protecting the right flank of the main advance. They were in combat for approximately 90 days where they were on the lines fighting against the germans in the south of france. They were in the Maritime Alps and essential it was aggressive patrolling and siege warfare, routing the germans out of the area, because they were dug in for the entire option of france and they had to take hilltop to hilltop to fight the well dugin germans. What we have here is whats called an o. P. Or outpost. It would be like an Early Warning system, a twoman foxhose. Sandbags and shelter for more protection. You would see more instances of logs and tree limbs over to provide more heavyduty protection frmortar fire. When troops could stop for any period of time, be it a couple hours to a day oar two, you would dig down a couple inches. Where the 517th tert theyre in the Maritime Alps, they were in a set area sending patrols out. They had time to dig deeper and more elaborate foxholes. So there were many instances of the 517th needing better foxhole protection like we have here. To our right of we have a larger foxhole that would sleep three or four men. Thats what essential the soldiers were living in at that time during their campaign. We like to do this here, because it gives the kids an opportunity to see what it was like that some of these soldiers, how their life was during the war. You might be surprised how heavy it is. Put it on straight. We dug these. It took several hours among the several of us here. We have the entrenching tools that the soldiers were issued. We used the sandbags for the dirt we dug out, but with the unit were in, being that they were in the area they were in the south of france for that prolonged period of time, this gives the idea of the more wellentrenched foxhole that they would have. Its an simple as digging down into the earth and building up around you. What that gives you is protection, as i said before, the mortar fire that they were receiving on their end where their lines were. You get below the ground level. The more cover you have on top that protection you from any artillery blasts or mortar blasts. You can only waterproof so many. The rain we had last night kept us relatively dry from that rain, but in that time period, the soldiers ran into snow in the end of september. And they found out, because they were in the Maritime Alps, it was much colder than down on the riviera where they had come from. There were days they wouk up that the shelter halves feld like a plywood on them, it abu it was so cold. If i have one over here. They would make a bedroll, essential one shelter half with either one or two blank either, tied with a rope that was a suspension like that soldiers could carry. It was kind of like a sleeping bag, you but you could easily carry what could keep you warm as best as it could. Being that they were in an establishment area for almost 90 days, they didnt care too much around. If they went on a patrol, they would take their ammunition and rifle with them. They would, of course, be back to their main hines, their main foxholes. Toward the end soldiers would carry what they needed on their back. They would carry essential what they would have in their pockets. They may carry a gp bag or gas mask bag, like this. They would carry maybe some rations, a pair of socks, just the bare essentials. The more you carry, the harder it will be, so they wanted to be as light as possible. What we have here is somewhat of a small supply point. We have ration boxes, ammunition crates, examples of what were called krations, the 501 rations. That was the basket field ration. It was a box meal. There were three meals, three boxes made up a days worth of ration, breakfast, dinner and supper, various menu. Canned ham, canned eggs, candle chicken. Two types of crackers. A four pack of cigarettes. Cigarettes were an issued item. Either instant coffee, lemon or orange powder to make a drink, sugar, a fruit type of breakfast bar, but it was designed by a nutritionest designed to get the needed calories in a meal for a soldier in the field away from a regular meal. Unfortunate some soldiers were eating these for weeks, a month or two at a time, it was not designed for that long of intake where they were having adverse effects, they werent getting that regular meal and suffering from that. This is a squadlevel stove. Not all soldiers would have this. For our instance and research from photographic evidence, theres in fact they have almost a whole field kitchen, because they were kind of established. This was be carried, shared by a squad, running on modern coleman camp fuel, but it can meet up multiple cans of coffee, or if theyre fortunate enough to have a peet, to make some proper meals. Talking to one of the vets whoa recently passed away, ray hess, from bethlehem, they had a can of roast beef that they were cooking. It was on a camp fire, but cooking the can of roast beef, and next thing they knew, they heard artillery coming in. They dove into their foxholes like this just as the shell came in, they had zeroed in on their fire. They said he dove in, luckily didnt spill his coffee, but said if he hadnt been moved, we would have been all killed because they fired in on the this. Other instances, they would rip apart 9 box, two layers, a wax layer, and your out are cardboard layer, they could make a small fire to possibly heat up their rations with. This is an item you would not see with all soldiers during the war, but in the case of the 517th during their Maritime Alps campaign, this was an item they used. This is a standard riflemans cartridge belt which held this is the folden entrenching tool, the carlisle pouch that held the first aid kit, a bandage with also a pack of sulfur powder to help fight infection, and the can teen pouch. Were missing the can teen there. Right here we have an m1 car bien, and m 1 56781, which was the paratrooper with a folding stock. It was made folding for ease of jumping with. But even though they were an airborne under, through our research of the unit, we for you the longer they were on the lines, due to loss or damage, they would would be resupplied. So we see instances of the standard nonairborne carving come into play. This is a b. A. R. , a brunting automatic rifle. It feared a this is a weapon you did not always see with airborne unit. It was not part of their table of organization and equipment. We saw evidence of them using them. It was a good weapon to help them dig out the germans. They foul it was a good way to put down oppressive fire. Were very fortunate that the 517th prct association has a great website that was started by the vets, now run by their family members. Theres a ton of information. Thats one of or resources that were able to build or display based solely on those photographs accounts. Theres great books out there. Battling buzzard is a great reference book that covers what was called the First Airborne Task force, the Airborne Division that was part of operation dragoon. You know of the maimous 101st, and 82nd. Operation dragoon was the same way. They went in the night before before the infantry divisions hit the beachhead. At the time there was no large Airborne Division needed, because the 101st and 82nd were already in normen did i. There were independent units pulled together to make what was called the First Airborne Task force, which was another ad hoc unit. 509n, 550th, 551st, a British Airborne regiment. If you heard of the 442 nts, the fame japaneseamerican unit of the war, there was a company of their antitank unit actually given very quick training. They were pulled from the units, here some quick Glider Training and they were attached to the 517th for about a month, months and a half. The airborne troops, you had troops trained for that specifically. They were just standard infantry. They just were pulled and said youre going in gliders, heres some quick training and youre getting attached to this airborne unit. This aerial van guard was to ease the task of their com rats still at sea, by keeping the foe from rushing troops to the coast. Swooping down to treetop level, are straight nazi gun bat riggs. They bombers rain destruction, while the allied warships were steaming along the coast. So when they went in the night of the invasion, you hear stories of the normandy operations making evasive maneuvers, and that caused many misdrops. It was the same units and planes that dropped in normen did did the operation dragoon drop. The pilots tried to irtheir best to stay on course. But there was heavy fog. There were misdrops because the pilots could not see the pathfinder beacons to zero in. So many of the airborne that dropped that night when they dropped out of the airplanes and they saw the heavy fog, they actually thought they were jumping into the mediterranean ocean. They were starting to trip their equipment off to give their mae west life vest inflated, because they were prepared for a water landing. As theyre preparing for a water landing, they started going through the fog, next thing you know theyre on the ground, thats how thick the fog was. Unfortunately we dont have because of the campaign were portraying, but the a 17th this a unique uniform item. There was experimental camouflage that the 1st Airborne Task force tried out for this operation, which they literally spraybained their uniforms if, see the m42 jump uniform, which was a cakhaki they literally had their engineers spray guns with paint of green and black, and they had the guys line up, and the engineers would hit them with the camouflage paint and then off they would go. It was from the commander colonel fredricks that came down to camouflage their uniforms. Here we have an example of the helmet. Then they would put the net on and sprays for a silhouette. Another example was they did not have the proper jump helmet you saw with others they had the standard helmet which was not good for jumping. They rigor modified their chinstraps. It was a hot, humid area at that time. Its a uniform with paint that actually made it even thicker and heavier and smell bad. So the soldiers did not like that very much. It made them even more uncomfortable. The more serious issues they had at the time with the paint, from the pare independesoldiers that would get infections from the paint. The there were accounts of soldiers moving between objectives, and if they came across a stream they were going off the room trying to watch this paint off and getting back on the road soaking wet. It was an improvised camouflage system that didnt work the best. As i said before, the 517th is an overshadowed, somewhat forgotten unit. We do that to keep their story alive, to tell the public about their story, to keep the stories of the men alive. This is a great way to do it. To do firsthand accounts like this, and to have especially the young kids get that firsthand experience to try a helmet on, try the equipment on, see what the soldiers went through of those campaigns, its another way to teach and learn about them. Were always researching. Theres always something coming out of the woodwork, photographs or more personal accounts that we can learn and pass on their stories. So theyre not forgotten. The final line had been forged between our forces on august 15th and those which landed in normandy on the 6th of june. This junction closed the last escape route for the germans remaining in the south and west of france. Thus, the fighting qualities of the soldiers, sailors and airmen of the United Nations defeated the nation 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 their weapon side, where you can find an extensive collection of soldier stories. You can watch this and all other American History tv programs online at cspan. Org. Weeknights this month were featuring American History tv programs as a preview of whats available every weekend on cspan3. Tonight at 8 00 eastern, a look at korean war oral histories. Veteran carl house recounts his part of a victory for u. N. Forces which turned the tide early in the war. He also talks about the surprise chinese counterattack and intense combat at the battle of the reservoir where he was captur captured. Watch korean war oral histories tonight beginning at 8 00 eastern on krflt span po. Cspan3