Photographs of the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion

Seven original GOYA's that served with the 551 in Panama. Taken September 2005

Jim Welsh, Operation Dragoon roundtable, 8/3/09.

Private Milo Huempner is awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in June of 1945 for his actions during the Battle of the Bulge. Click here for more information about this hero.

Unless otherwise noted, photos of troopers are shown here courtesy of D. Thomas Biello

Private Joseph Cicchinelli, HQ Company.

Cpl John Clark, HQ Company.

PFC Fred Davalos (right). Photo courtesy of the U.S. Latino & Latina WWII Oral History Project.

Staff Sgt. James Davis, C Company.

Staff Sgt Douglas Dillard, A company.

PFC William Dennis, B Company. KIA 8/21/44.

Lt Col Wood Joerg, USMA 1937. October 3, 1914 - January 7, 1945. Commanding Officer.

Captain Edward Hartman, S-2.

1st Lt Lester Kurtz, B Company. KIA 12/27/44.

PFC Milo Huempfner, Service Company. Awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

PFC Lorenzo J. Davis

Sgt William W. Lumsden

PVT Robert Foss. Photo courtesy of Christopher Kolditz.

Sgt. Lawrence Stankus, A Company, DNB 7/31/44.

Area of airborne operations (operation Dragoon).

Only known US Army picture of the 551st PIB, taken while moving up during the Battle of the Bulge.

551st Troopers descending over Southern France, August 15, 1944.

551st troopers patrol the Maritime Alps on skis. Unknown as to which Company they belonged to.

Collection of items belonging to PVT Felix J. Hughes, A Company. Personal Collection

Reproduction 551st jump wings Personal Collection

Helmet belonging to 551st trooper, found in a farmhouse near the church in Rochelinval, Belgium in 1980. Personal Collection

551st PIB beer bottle from a recent reunion. Autographed by Dick Mascuch, B Company. Personal Collection

Reproduction 551st Jump Wing oval Personal Collection

This is the site of the CP at Valbourges Estate. It was a wine cellar and when the 551st left, only 2 bottles of wine were missing. Not bad!

Valbourges Estate, front view of the manor.

Garage/stable area, Valbourges Estate. A wartime photo showing paratroopers in front of this area can be found in Michel De Trez's book on the 1st Airborne Task Force.

Makeshift Morgue area, Valbourges Estate. In this area where the logs are is where the bodies were placed before being collected by Graves Registration. Behind the wall is the Estate's chapel. I am not normally a praying man, but felt that this site deserved a silent prayer and a thank you to the men who lay here.

Field in front of the Valbourges Estate. Directly in front of the camera is where some paratrooper sdropped. In the distance, in the woods seen under the hill, is where the ammo dump was on fire the night of the drop.

View from entrance to Rhone Cemetery in Draguignan, France.

Cross for 1 LT Rushton Peabody, died 10/1/44, RIP. Rhone Cemetery.

Cross for Pvt. Ramon Sepulveda, died 8/21/44, RIP. Rhone Cemetery.

Cross for Pvt Louis Tenute, died 8/21/44, RIP. Rhone Cemetery.

tatue of Furlough at the base.