| Books |
FILTHY THIRTEEN: From the Dustbowl to Hitler's Eagle’s Nest:
the True Story of the 101st Airborne's Most Legendary Squad
of Combat Paratroopers
Richard Killblane & Jake McNiece
Since World War II, the American public has become fully aware of the
exploits of the 101st Airborne Division, the paratroopers who led the
Allied invasions into Nazi-held Europe. But within the ranks of the
101st, a sub-unit attained legendary status at the time, its reputation
persisting among veterans over the decades.
Primarily products of the Dustbowl and the Depression, the Filthy 13
grew notorious, even within the ranks of the elite 101st. Never ones to
salute an officer, or take a bath, this squad became singular within the
Screaming Eagles for its hard drinking, and savage fighting skill--and
that was only in training. Just prior to the invasion of Normandy, a
"Stars and Stripes" photographer caught U.S. paratroopers with heads
shaved into Mohawks, applying war paint to their faces. Unknown to
the American public at the time, these men were the Filthy 13. After
parachuting behind enemy lines in the dark hours before D-Day, the
Germans got a taste of the reckless courage of this unit - except now
the men were fighting with Tommy guns and explosives, not just bare
knuckles. In its spearhead role, the 13 suffered heavy casualties,
some men wounded and others blown to bits. By the end of the war 30
men had passed through the squad.
Throughout the war, however, the heart and soul of the Filthy 13
remained a survivor named Jake McNiece, a half-breed Indian from
Oklahoma - the toughest man in the squad and the one who formed its
character. McNiece made four combat jumps, was in the forefront of
every fight in northern Europe, yet somehow never made the rank of
PFC. The survivors of the Filthy 13 stayed intact as a unit until the
Allies finally conquered Nazi Germany.
The book does not draw a new portrait of earnest citizen soldiers.
Instead it describes a group of hardscrabble guys whom any
respectable person would be loath to meet in a bar or dark alley.
But they were an integral part of the U.S. war against Nazi Germany.
A brawling bunch of no-goodniks whose only saving grace was that
they inflicted more damage on the Germans than on MPs, the English
countryside and their own officers, the Filthy 13 remain a legend within
the ranks of the 101st Airborne.
Soft Cover, 243 pages, 12 pages b/w photos.
$19.95
the True Story of the 101st Airborne's Most Legendary Squad
of Combat Paratroopers
Richard Killblane & Jake McNiece
Since World War II, the American public has become fully aware of the
exploits of the 101st Airborne Division, the paratroopers who led the
Allied invasions into Nazi-held Europe. But within the ranks of the
101st, a sub-unit attained legendary status at the time, its reputation
persisting among veterans over the decades.
Primarily products of the Dustbowl and the Depression, the Filthy 13
grew notorious, even within the ranks of the elite 101st. Never ones to
salute an officer, or take a bath, this squad became singular within the
Screaming Eagles for its hard drinking, and savage fighting skill--and
that was only in training. Just prior to the invasion of Normandy, a
"Stars and Stripes" photographer caught U.S. paratroopers with heads
shaved into Mohawks, applying war paint to their faces. Unknown to
the American public at the time, these men were the Filthy 13. After
parachuting behind enemy lines in the dark hours before D-Day, the
Germans got a taste of the reckless courage of this unit - except now
the men were fighting with Tommy guns and explosives, not just bare
knuckles. In its spearhead role, the 13 suffered heavy casualties,
some men wounded and others blown to bits. By the end of the war 30
men had passed through the squad.
Throughout the war, however, the heart and soul of the Filthy 13
remained a survivor named Jake McNiece, a half-breed Indian from
Oklahoma - the toughest man in the squad and the one who formed its
character. McNiece made four combat jumps, was in the forefront of
every fight in northern Europe, yet somehow never made the rank of
PFC. The survivors of the Filthy 13 stayed intact as a unit until the
Allies finally conquered Nazi Germany.
The book does not draw a new portrait of earnest citizen soldiers.
Instead it describes a group of hardscrabble guys whom any
respectable person would be loath to meet in a bar or dark alley.
But they were an integral part of the U.S. war against Nazi Germany.
A brawling bunch of no-goodniks whose only saving grace was that
they inflicted more damage on the Germans than on MPs, the English
countryside and their own officers, the Filthy 13 remain a legend within
the ranks of the 101st Airborne.
Soft Cover, 243 pages, 12 pages b/w photos.
$19.95
The Author, Jake McNiece
Currahee Military Weekend - 2006
Currahee Military Weekend - 2006
| Videos |
 | |  | |  | |  |
