Greetings, gang.
Another day, and yes, another step closer!
You’ll forgive me for being so single-minded, but as always, I’m fueled by reaching this goal –
reaching 21 December together. (-:
For today, let’s look back on a famous 11 and the history that goes along with it.
The 11th Airborne Division, AKA the “Arctic Angels” is a U.S. Army unit specializing in airborne and air assault. The division’s primary mission is to fight in cold weather environments and training is conducted in frigid conditions. Division Headquarters is located at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, 10 miles northeast of Anchorage.
The unit was formed in 1943 and saw combat in southern Japan during World War II. It was inactivated in 1958, but then was reactivated just two years ago, in case world circumstances should ever dictate the need for such a specialized force. As mentioned, the division’s primary mission is to operate in extreme cold weather and mountainous terrain, but a specialty unit like the 11th was – and still is today – ever at the ready.
For example, back on 18 November 1944, demonstrating its versatility and plain ‘ol grit, men of the 11th landed on Leyte in the Philippine Islands, eventually destroying two enemy divisions. Later, they successfully executed several small amphibious and airborne assaults in the surrounding area.
By January 1945, the 11th led a raid on a Japanese detention camp, rescuing more than 2,000 interned civilians.
The 11th continued operating after World War II, with an elite parachute regiment seeing combat during the Korean War. By early 1956, the entire division was redeployed to Germany, where it was inactivated two years later.
Some 64 years later, though, on D-Day, June 6th, 2022, the 11th Airborne Division was reactivated. The ceremonies celebrating the unit’s reformation were held at Fort Wainwright, Kansas, with Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska once again serving as Division Headquarters.
Please join me in thanking all the Artic Angels, both living and deceased, for their service.
Have a great night, everyone.
Will see you all tomorrow for Day 10.
JFish
@Copyright 2024 by John L. Fischer
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