Courage and Desperation: The 11th Airborne in WWII

When people think of the paratroopers of World War II, they tend to think of the European theater — the 101st Airborne Division and the Band of Brothers.

But paratroopers were also deployed in the Pacific, and here to unpack their lesser-known but equally epic and heroic story is James Fenelon, a former paratrooper himself and the author of Angels Against the Sun: A WWII Saga of Grunts, Grit, and Brotherhood. Today on the show, James tells us about the formation, leadership, and training of the 11th Airborne Division, the role they played in the campaigns of the Pacific — which included being dropped one by one out of a tiny plane described as a “lawnmower with wings” —how they built a reputation as one of the war’s most lethal units, and the division’s surprising connection to the creation of the Twilight Zone. At the end of our conversation, James shares what lessons we all can take away from the exploits and spirit of the 11th Airborne.

Resources Related to the Podcast

• AoM Podcast #1: We Who Are Alive and Remain
• AoM Article: Motivational Posters — Band of Brothers Edition
• Lieutenant General Joseph Swing
• Colonel Orin “Hard Rock” Haugen
• Medal of Honor citation for Private First Class Manuel Perez Jr.
• “Combat in Twilight: Rod Serling’s World War II”

Connect With James Fenelon

• James’ Website