They were the Screaming Eagles’
most notorious unit. A small bunch of raw, tough, ruthless young
men, mostly from the Dustbowl, with scant regard for authority.
These men had withstood the worst that the Depression could throw
at them. Hard drinking and savage fighting - and that was only
in training – they were never ones to salute an officer,
clean their uniforms, or have a regular bath. Officially they
were the First Demolition Squadron, HQ Company, 506th PIR, 101st
Airborne. Unofficially they were the ‘Filthy Thirteen’.
And if the reputation of this unique bunch of renegades within
the ranks of the 101st was formidable, for the Germans it became
one of sheer terror. Because, for the ‘Filthy Thirteen’,
anything not directly concerned with killing the enemy was irrelevant.
Theirs was a story so amazing that it reputedly became the inspiration
for the Hollywood war movie ‘The Dirty Dozen’.
"D-Day Drop" captures the moment on the night of 5
June 1944 when the 101st Airborne’s legendary squad of elite
paratroopers jump into battle in the vital hours before the D-Day
sea-borne landings commence. The pilots of the 440th Troop Carrier
Group struggle to keep their Dakotas level as deadly flak pummels
the formation. These prints are signed by some of the Airborne
Division’s most respected veterans, including Jake McNiece,
unofficial leader of ‘The Filthy Thirteen’, and James
Megallas, the most highly decorated officer in the 82nd Airborne. |
The signatories
Jake ‘McNasty’ McNiece
The unofficial leader
of the ‘Filthy Thirteen’, Jake McNiece was the inspiration
for the ‘Mohawk’ haircuts and war paint that the men
wore on
D-Day. He survived four combat jumps during WW II, the average
was 1½. After Normandy, he jumped during Operation Market
Garden,
and again in the Battle of the Bulge. His final combat jump came
in February 1945 against the Siegfried Line. |
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Jack ‘Hawkeye’ Wormer
Tagged ‘Hawkeye’,
Jack was the best shot in the unit. As a Ranger he had trained
with the British Commandos before joining the ‘Filthy Thirteen’
before D-Day. Separated from the others on landing he initially
fought alongside the 501st PIR before being reunited his squad,
with whom he
fought for the rest of the war. |
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James Megallas
Commander of H Company,
3rd Battallion, 504th PIR, ‘Maggie’ Megallas was the
most decorated officer in the 82nd Airborne Division. After serving
in Italy, where he was twice wounded, Megallas fought in Normandy
before taking part in Operation Market Garden where he led his
company across crossing the River Waal near Nijmegan. For bravery
he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest
gallantry award possible.
He fought with great distinction in the Battle of the Bulge,
and on 28 January, whilst advancing into the town of Herresbach,
his company succeeded in killing and capturing a large number
of Germans. He single handedly destroyed a German tank with grenades
before they seized the town, without losing a man. He was nominated
for the Medal of Honor, but the account was never included in
the official report. |
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Bob Bearden - Leader of H Company mortar squad, 507th
PIR, attached to the 82nd Airborne. |
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Milton Schlesener
- Milton Schlesener served with
D Company, 505th PIR, 82nd Airborne. |
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Bill Maynard - Easy Company, 101st Airborne |
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Ed Shames - Easy Company, 101st Airborne |
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Ed Tipper - Easy Company, 101st Airborne |
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Herb Suerth - Easy Company, 101st Airborne |
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Bill True - Fox Company, 101st Airborne |