WYANDOTTE, OK – Originally posted by JuFlieger on AxisCommand.org

The German paratrooper carried out some of the most astonishing feats of arms of any army in any war. In May 1940, they stunned the world by taking the "impregnable fortress" of Eben Emael. They captured 800 Belgians defenders by landing only 78 paratroopers on the roof of the fort.

In May 1941, they rocked the world again in history's first all airborne invasion on the island of Crete. Outnumbered 5:1 and an enemy holding all the high ground, and detailed invasion plans in the hands of the British because of decoding, the Fallschirmjager suffered 50% casualties and still captured the island.

In Russia and Tunisia they won new laurels because of their stubborn defenses in the face of the enemy. In Tunisia, a brigade of Fallschirmjager pulled off one of the most dashing escapes of the war. Trapped far behind enemy lines, alone and on foot in the middle of the worst deserts in the world, rather than surrender they chose the improbable course of breaking out and walking across the desert to German lines. En route, they ambushed a British supply convoy, captured the vehicles and drove back to the Afrika Korps in trucks loaded with food, water, and fuel.

In 1943, they rescued Mussolini from atop Gran Sasso, an operation planned and almost entirely carried out by Fallschirmjager. Winston Churchill addressing the House of Lords stated, " this was the boldest and most daring stroke of the war."

The 5th and 6th Fallschirmjager fought tenaciously in Normandy and in the fall of 1944, the defense of Brest by the 2nd Fallsschirm Division tied up nearly ten times their number of allied troops for months and caused US Corps commander Troy Middleton to state, " during my whole combat service in two world wars, I never met better fighting troops than the Germans has in Brest, especially the men of the 2nd Parachute Division.

Regular GI's felt the same way about the fallschirmjager. Author and Historian Peter Schrijvers wrote," After the African campaign, the German paratroopers became the most admired german soldiers." An officer of the 29th Inf. Div. in action near St. Lo claimed the Fallschirmjager were among the most dangerous fighting men of the war. They were a young tough looking lot and fierce, stubborn, crafty, ingenious warriors. A US tank operator with the 4th Armored Div. looked upon the Fallschirmjagers as dedicated professionals rather than fanatics and grudgingly admitted a kind of respect. A Jewish soldier with the 4th also stated, " he felt ambivalent about beating the enemy for the first and only time during the war when fighting the 5th Falls Division south of Bastogne. The German paratroopers were simply too gallant for a man of any sensitivity to destroy without some twinge of bittersweetness."

Why you might ask. There are many accounts of US and British soldiers who witnessed restaint and professionalism and respect from Fallschirmjager troops when taking prisoners. They didn't shoot unarmed soldiers. And, there are many eye witness accounts of Fallschirmjager medics risking their own lives trying to help allied wounded on the battlefield.

Their repuatation also caused confusion in the ETO. It was rumored that a unit of Fallschirmjager were going to jump behind enemy lines in France and capture General Eisenhower in Dec 1944. Ike was a virtual prisoner in his HQ 200 miles behind the front and was protected by two whole divisions for more than a week.

Most significantly, throughout it all, from the first firefights in Poland to the street fighting in Berlin, German paratroopers fought with unparalled chivalry and honor. As many as 230,000 men served in the Fallschirm Divisions during the war: Not one man among them has ever been accused of a war crime for service in any parachute unit. It is an extraordinary record of battlefield accomplishment and honor unsurpassed in military history, and one which is deserving of remembrance.

I will be proud to take the field on D-Day with this kind of unit history and carry on in the traditions of the great German Fallschirmjager. Let us win this one together and represent the Fallschirmjager with dignity and respect.

A note about the author: He is a part of the Historical Re-enactment Society and a member of the 7./6 FJR re-enactment unit. Since he has been involved in re-enacting, he has done extensive research on the subject and has been very impressed by his findings. He wanted to share with everyone a few of the things that made him "proud, excited, and in awe of these paratroopers of WWII, and what an honor it will be to represent them on the field of battle in June."