The Havok Journal

The Voice of the Veteran Community

Sean Parnell

Battle of the Bridge: A Company, 1-505th at La Fiere Bridge

Battle of the Bridge: A Company, 1-505th at La Fiere Bridge by Major Mike Kelvington 75 years ago, units of the American Paratroopers had already landed behind German lines in France.  One such unit was the 505thParachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), a seasoned element of the 82ndAirborne Division.  Some of its elements had already completed their third combat jump in about a … [Read more...]

D-Day & Beyond: Land of the Free Because of the Brave

D-Day & Beyond: Land of the Free Because of the Brave by Major Mike Kelvington   D-Day is certainly a day to be celebrated; but it is also important to recognize, for those who survived the jumps and beach landings, that day was just the start of a long, hedgerow to hedgerow fight across France towards Germany.  This fighting included subsequent jumps behind … [Read more...]

Filthy Thirteen: Symbol of American Fighting Spirit

Filthy Thirteen: Symbol of American Fighting Spirit by Major Mike Kelvington Units in the Airborne Divisions portrayed characteristics and a culture symbolic and unique to paratroopers.  A demolition section attached to the 1stBattalion, 506thParachute Regiment, 101stAirborne Division, nicknamed the “Filthy Thirteen,” provides a great example.  They were not the “Dirty … [Read more...]

Building a Winning Culture: Easy Company, Unit Cohesion & Grit

A group of individuals who came together to become one of the tightest fighting forces in World War II was the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, specifically Easy Company.  These young men, glamorized in the Stephen E. Ambrose book and HBO Series, Band of Brothers, epitomized the culture of Airborne units.  Stephen Ambrose chose to write about these men because he “astutely … [Read more...]

Paratroopers of WWII: Double Volunteers

When soldiers are asked why they volunteered for the paratroopers, their responses come in many forms.  Many men signed up to be in the Airborne because they possessed a desire to fight for their country after the attacks on Pearl Harbor.[1]  Many believed it was their patriotic duty.[2]Family was another reason.  There were those who had relatives in WWI and figured that it … [Read more...]

Roots of Airborne Success: the Parachute Test Platoon

The American Airborne concept, first suggested in World War I, became a need heading in to World War II.  The war started years before direct American involvement.  The Airborne concept had to quickly yield results to support the allied cause, which at the time of its creation, was losing in both the Pacific and European theaters.  While there were no Airborne units in the … [Read more...]

American Airborne: Surprise & Deception

American Airborne: Surprise & Deception by Major Mike Kelvington On May 29, 1944, the commander in chief of the Allied Expeditionary Air Forces, Air Chief Marshall Trafford Leigh-Mallory, expressed his concerns to General Dwight D. Eisenhower about calling off the parachute operations associated with Operation Overlord.  Leigh-Mallory warned Eisenhower that he … [Read more...]

The Boys of Pointe du Hoc: Rangers Lead The Way

"These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war." -President Reagan, address at Pointe du Hoc, 4oth anniversary of D-Day, 1984 While Rangers of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the Global War on Terror have become the Army’s premier special … [Read more...]

Saudi Women and the War on Terror

Saudi Women and the War on Terror by Mike Kelvington In the masculine-driven nation of Saudi Arabia, women are subordinate men and the state, yet, in the eyes of both, they serve as an important role within their society.  Historically and contextually, the Saudi government sees women as weak and “depicted as needing to be protected, controlled, and guided within an … [Read more...]