Camp Toccoa: One Camp's Big Impact on World War II

Introduction to Down From Heaven

0:00You're listening to Down From Heaven, a podcast that covers the history of the 11th Airborne Division from World War II through today. I'm your host, Jeremy Holm. Thank you for joining me today. Let's jump right in.

0:30Hello, everyone. Thank you for joining me today. My name is Jeremy Holm. Yep, that's me. And I am an 11th Airborne Division historian. I'm also the author of three books on the Angels, and I curate two online museums dedicated to the 11th, 511PIR.com and 11thAirborne.com.

Keynote Address at Toccoa

1:06Now, a few months ago, I was privileged to give the keynote address during the banquet dinner at Toccoa, Georgia's famous World War II weekend. And it is an honor I'll never forget. And we were all so excited that we all forgot to press the record button. So after multiple requests, I thought I'd record that speech for you. I'll also overlay the photos and videos that I shared during the banquet. So please sit back, relax, and enjoy Camp Toccoa, One Little Camp's Big Impact in World War II.

1:35Distinguished guests, honored veterans, it's a pleasure to be here. Thank you to the committees of the Toccoa Military Museum, Camp Toccoa at Couragie, and the Stevens County Historical Society for making this event happen. We are all so grateful. In 1875, one year after Toccoa was chartered, a reporter from the Atlanta Constitution toured the area and declared, As an invited guest, we took advantage of the occasion. We were so well pleased with the spirit manifested,

2:06that we concluded to join the band, and hence we are now in full fellowship with the association. As invited guests, my wife Lindsay and I more than resolved to join the band at Toccoa. We loved this town so much that Lindsay started looking for land here after our first visit several years ago. And like this writer, we treasure our full fellowship with your association. I am standing here tonight because I violated the Infantry Journal's advice. Try to look unimportant, they may be low on ammo.

2:39Having published three books on the Airborne, plus maintaining a podcast, a YouTube channel, and two websites on World War II, perhaps I made myself look important and ended up in Brenda Carlin's crosshairs. I'll do my best to avoid hitting any of you with the friendly fire of bad jokes or long speech, but if you still need copies of our books on the Airborne, please see Lindsay after dinner, and we can get those for you.

Private James Wilson's Story

3:03Eighty years ago, a young soldier from Texas passed through the gates of Camp Toccoa. Private James Wilson was a friend of mine, who served in my grandfather's 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which formed here in early 1943. Jim remembered Toccoa well. When I told him I ran Curahee, he laughed and asked, who forced you to do that? Jim died shortly after Lindsay and I helped celebrate his 100th birthday. He was proud to be a Toccoa man,

3:34and told me, we were the best there ever was. If ever there was a motto for the paratroopers of Toccoa, that has to be it. And they were the best, those 17,000 boys who trained here. On January 22nd, 1943, Congressman J. Thomas came to inspect Camp Toccoa, and was impressed by the troops of the 511th and 501st PIRs. His son Silas, who was serving in the 501st, told his dad, Uncle Sam's parachute troops are,

4:06man for man, the finest troops in the world. One headline called Toccoa men the supermen of the air, and they needed to be. As one reporter wrote, it's a man's job these boys are tackling. And boys is right. Major Henry Burgess observed, our division formed in 1943. When the 1944 election was held, only 40% of the 11th Airborne was old enough to vote. But they were old enough to fight a war,

4:38and Camp Toccoa was a crucible that turned boys just off the farms and streets into highly trained combat soldiers with a will to fight and win. Those troopers fought and won in Normandy, the jungles of Leyte, the forests of Belgium, the hills of Italy, and the mountains of Malepugno. They jumped into Holland and Luzon. They stood firm in the Battle of the Bulge and endured the Battle for Manila. Victorious, they secured Hitler's Eagle's Nest and Tokyo's Imperial Palace.

5:10As most here know, Kurihi is a possible derivation of a Cherokee word which means to stand alone. How appropriate, since Toccoa stands alone in the airborne history of World War II. Toccoa men helped restore freedom to over half a billion people in Europe and the Pacific as Hitler's Third Reich and Imperial Japan's conquests crumbled. Quite an impact for a little camp outside a little town far off the beaten path. We all have our reasons for being here tonight.

5:41Some came to honor the history of Toccoa and its impact on the airborne. Some are veterans who served in units originally formed here. And some of us are children of Kurihi, descendants of the men whose courage and sacrifices give Camp Toccoa the prestige and heritage that bring visitors from around the world. We are here because we are proud of Toccoa. Indeed, pride is what makes Toccoa, Toccoa. This camp instilled supreme confidence in the boys who trained here.

6:13Lieutenant William Miley told a group of fresh recruits, when you become paratroopers, you'll own the world and you'll never let things stand in your way. Colonel Lewis Walsh, commander of the 517th PIR, explained that such pride keeps a man going. He can keep going on the battlefield if he has that spirit of drive in him. It was such airborne spirit that propelled these young men to jump out of perfectly good airplanes in flight and to stand together while facing hell. Well, spirit

6:44and the simplicity of youth. Private Clifford Vallierez of the 506th PIR left Toccoa for jump school in November of 1942. Cliff said, We had no feeling of fear on our first jump because you're too dumb to know what it's all about. One year later, Cliff broke both legs during a practice jump in England, reminding us that even their training came with risks. He suffered nine fractures and injuries to his back, but never regretted joining the Airborne.

7:14Lieutenant Ralph Ermitinger said, I take great pride in having served with the best fighting men of World War II. We are here today because we are proud of them and wish to honor their legacy. My grandfather, 1st Lieutenant Andrew Carrico, served in the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which formed here in early 1943, but like many Americans, I grew up oblivious to what Toccoa men did in World War II. I did not appreciate why Grandpa carried scars on his body, why he was missing

7:45a finger on his hand, and just how close he came to dying in 1945. I saw his old photographs and the airborne patches on his hats, I heard stories of war buddies, but I failed to appreciate what it all meant. While I have always respected our military, I was focused on a different path. In high school, I entered the fast-paced world of Olympic bobsled, so while I have never jumped out of a perfectly good airplane, I have jumped into hundreds of bobsleds to race down icy tracks

8:15at over 80 miles an hour. I think it's fun, but when I asked Grandpa which was scarier, parachuting into combat or bobsledding down a hill, he just laughed and said, you're crazy. It was a thrill to stand on the medals podium with my teammates representing our country while the national anthem was played and our flag raised. But as Grandpa and I talked more about the war, I came to realize just how incredible his team, the Airborne, was. My medals pale in comparison to his.

8:46I got to do something I loved for this country. Grandpa was willing to give his life because what he loved was this country. It was a common sentiment among Toccoa men. One told me, if they needed me, I'd go back. He was 94 when he said it. The 511th PIR's Lt. Foster Arnett, a Toccoa man, said, I'm a big fan of this country. We've got a lot of flaws, but generally speaking, we are the greatest nation in the history of the world.

9:17The boys of Couragie have a distinguished history of serving this greatest nation to defend the freedoms and rights that many Americans take for granted. As Thomas Jefferson said, how little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of and which no other people on earth enjoy. We enjoy those precious blessings today in part because of Camp Toccoa. When Toccoa men fought in France or Italy or Holland or on Leyte or Luzon, it was unquestionably to protect and preserve freedom.

9:49Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan came to conquer. The boys of Couragie came to liberate. The men who trained here jumped down from heaven to combat the tyranny and darkness that engulfed much of the world in the early 40s.

Legacy of Camp Toccoa

10:05That, more than anything, is the true legacy of Camp Toccoa. And as a child of Couragie, I am proud of that legacy and as an American, I am grateful for it and for the opportunity to experience these sacred grounds. As an 11th Airborne historian, it has been my privilege to interview many Toccoa men about their military experiences to better understand the airborne story. These brave men recognized that as they toiled at Toccoa and sweat blood on Couragie, or as what one called

10:36That Damn Hill, they were earning their place as the best of the best. They were becoming, to borrow Stephen Ambrose's famous title, bands of brothers. My grandfather explained these brotherhoods, saying, There is a feeling of closeness and love for your fellow men in combat that is different from any other feeling that you can have. Albert Dunn, a high school student from Louisiana in 1943, remembered Grandpa's 5'11th PIR, the Band of Brothers of the Pacific. He said, They were really cocky

11:07and they looked good. Each one of them believed they could whip five or six other people. They were like the three musketeers, one for all and all for one. They might fight amongst themselves, but the minute something happened, they all joined together. Because of their example, Albert later joined the Airborne. More than a decade of interviews and research has taught me that Camp Toccoa's legacy is bursting with tales of loyalty, duty, and sacrifice. Allow me to share four.

11:37Private First Class Joe Mann served in the 506th PIR here at Toccoa, but transferred to the 502nd before D-Day. After the 502nd jumped into the Netherlands during Operation Market Garden, on September 18th, 1944, Private Mann's platoon became isolated by a substantially larger enemy force. Acting as lead scout, Joe made his way to an enemy position and despite heavy fire, destroyed an 88mm gun and an ammunition dump.

12:08Ignoring the danger, Joe remained in his exposed position and, with his M1 rifle, dispatched the enemy one by one until he was wounded four times.

12:19Taken to a secure position by his comrades, this Toccoa man insisted on returning to the line to stand guard during the night. His arms were bound due to his wounds, but he could still keep watch. The following morning, German forces advanced within yards of their position. Suddenly, a hand grenade landed within a few feet of Joe, and since he was unable to move his arms because of the bandages, Joe yelled, Grenade! and threw his body over the explosive.

12:48Joe Mann was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

12:52As dawn broke on December 8, 1944, the 511th Parachute Infantry was startled on Leyte when Japanese forces opened up with machine guns on their flank. E-Company was told to cover 2nd Battalion's withdrawal, and when the enemy pressed in, Toccoa man Private Elmer Fryer called in mortar bombardments and directed machine gun fire to break the first bonsai charge. When Elmer noticed an enemy platoon of between 40 and 50 soldiers trying to flank their position, he rushed to the top of a ridge to stop them,

13:23alone. There, as newspapers across the nation exclaimed, he fired fast and accurately, but was drawing all the fire on himself. He was hit in the left arm and shoulder, but that didn't stop Fryer. Elmer did stop the enemy platoon, and a wounded Neil Rutherford remembered, Fryer came back and found me. He put a tourniquet on my arm and leg while the lead was flying all around us. He helped me down the trail and we met the lieutenant leading a wounded man. That was First Lieutenant Norvin Davis,

13:53who was assisting Marvin Douglas. Private Douglas testified, A Japanese soldier jumped up from behind some bushes and aimed his rifle at the lieutenant. Rutherford and I hit the ground, but Private Fryer threw himself in front of the lieutenant. Lieutenant Davis, another Toccoa man, said, There were seven bullet holes in Elmer's chest and stomach, but he drew a grenade as he fell to the ground and pulled the pin. He threw it and the Japanese soldier was blasted all over the trail.

14:24It was the 27th enemy that Elmer Fryer killed that day, although E Company suspected he wounded several others. Lieutenant Davis added, As Elmer lay there dying with a smile on his face, he asked us to write to his folks and tell them he'd got a mess of the enemy before they got him. Elmer Fryer was the oldest American paratrooper to receive the Medal of Honor in World War II. It was awarded posthumously. In December of 1944, Private Melvin Biddle,

14:54who trained at Toccoa in the 511th PIR, was a replacement in the 517th PIR during the Battle of the Bulge. Late on December 23rd, Private Biddle went out to scout German lines. This Toccoa man eliminated three German snipers and eradicated four enemy machine gun emplacements and their crews. Private Biddle was later wounded by shrapnel and after recovering in England, headed back to his unit in early 1945. During the trip back to Europe, Melvin read

15:24in Stars and Stripes that he would be awarded the Medal of Honor. What a way to find out. On October 30th, 1945, President Truman presented the medal to Private Biddle. The President whispered to Melvin, I'd rather have one of these than be President. Melvin lived a rich life with his life Leona and their two daughters. He died in 2010. On February 13th, 1945, the 11th Airborne began their assault on Manila's Fort McKinley.

15:54As Company A of the 511th PIR pressed forward, 22-year-old lead scout, Private First Class Manuel Perez, a Toccoa man, noticed a heavily fortified pillbox that threatened 3rd Platoon's advance. Thinking of his comrade's safety, Manuel rushed into action. A citation noted that he killed 5 Japanese in the open and blasted others in pillboxes with grenades. Realizing the urgent need for taking the last emplacement, which contained two twin-mount .50 caliber machine guns,

16:26Manuel moved to within 20 yards of the position, killing 4 of the enemy in his advance. He threw a grenade into the pillbox, and as the crew started withdrawing through a tunnel just to the rear, Manuel shot and killed 4 before exhausting his clip. Perez had reloaded and killed 4 more when an escaping Japanese threw his rifle with fixed bayonet like a javelin. In warding off this thrust, Manuel's own rifle was knocked to the ground. Seizing the Japanese rifle, this Toccoa man continued firing,

16:57killing 2 more. He rushed the remaining Japanese, killing 3 of them with the butt of the rifle, and entered the pillbox to bayonet the surviving hostile.

17:07Single-handedly, he killed 18 of the enemy in neutralizing the position that had held up the advance of his entire company.

17:15Sergeant Max Pollack disagreed with the official record. Pollack, who watched Perez's actions that day, said, Among his grenades, rifles, and bayonet, the count of dead Japanese was more like 75.

17:291st Battalion's Major Henry Burgess gave orders for a Silver Star commendation to be written, but it came back rejected two days later because the quota of Silver Stars had been filled. Burgess was furious and said, I went over to the site of the fight and personally wrote the citation and prepared maps, obtained several corroborating accounts, and recommended Manuel be granted the Medal of Honor.

17:53Sadly, Manuel Perez died one month later outside Santo Tomas, protecting the withdrawal of a patrol which had encountered heavy enemy fire. Manuel's comrades all said, It's hard to believe that one bullet could kill such a tough little man. Later that same day, March 14th, 1945, the 11th Airborne received official notice that Manuel Perez had been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Now, I could stand here for days

Honoring Toccoa Men

18:23telling you stories like these of Toccoa men whose courage and devotion remind me of the famous Admiral Nimitz quote that said, Uncommon valor was a common virtue. As one veteran wrote, these airborne troopers were typically awarded silver stars for acts of heroism which usually earn medals of honor for the Marines. Captain Lee Walker, a chaplain with the 511th PIR here at Toccoa, who buried over 100 Toccoa men in the Pacific, declared, I wish I had the financial resources

18:53to erect a giant tablet and stone where everyone could read the names of our officers and men who gave their lives that others might live in freedom. Perhaps that is a Toccoa monument for another day.

19:07One Toccoa man told me, I'm afraid we are being forgotten, so thank you for telling our story. That is my goal, through my books, podcasts, websites, and lectures, to tell the story of the Airborne, especially the 11th Airborne. But what is the story of Camp Toccoa worth? For years, I dedicated my life to the pursuit of gold medals as if gold were indeed the most valuable substance on earth. For the men who trained here, silver was the prize of choice. The silver badge of courage,

19:39those iconic jump wings which they wore with such pride. But for some, I am holding the most valuable substance on earth. It isn't much to look at. A soil scientist might find uninteresting. But this dirt was taken from the very grounds of Camp Toccoa where great heroes ran, trained, ate, slept, and prepared for war. Hundreds of them never came home again. How precious is this soil to the tens of millions of men,

20:09women, and children who were liberated by the boys of Couragie in France, the Netherlands, the Philippines, and beyond. One of those rescued souls, Scotty Whiteman, was liberated by my grandfather's 511th PIR from the Los Banos internment camp on February 25, 1945. Scotty tearfully told his saviors, Thank God there were men like you who did what you did for so many of us.

20:37Scotty's words hold true for every trooper who trained at Toccoa. Thank God there were men like them who did what they did for so many of us. Because the boys of Couragie were willing to face trouble in their day, hundreds of millions of people have lived and continue to live in peace. Most do so without ever giving a thought to the heroes of Toccoa who trained here. They did not serve for fame or recognition, but they absolutely deserve it. So what can we do to honor the men who trained here,

21:07especially those who gave their last full measure of devotion?

21:12First, we can support the Couragie Military Museum and Camp Toccoa at Couragie, the living monuments. That support can be crucial financial donations which keep the lights on and the legacy alive. We can also volunteer our time, energy, and talents to preserve history and overhaul displays or construct buildings or monuments. There's plenty to do here. Second, we can spread the word about these historic landmarks and this beautiful town. Invite your friends and family to visit. Share your photos

21:42and experiences on social media. Become advocates for those who sacrificed so much yet can no longer advocate for themselves. Third, share your own airborne heritage. Talk about your honored Toccoa man and his history or record and share your own chapter of airborne history. Fourth, keep coming back. Toccoa is home to all the children of Couragie. You are always welcome here. Colonel Oran D. Hardrock Hogan, the 511th PIR's

22:13first commander, often stood here at Toccoa and told his troopers, You men are at a crossroads. We, the children of Couragie, are at a crossroads. Most of the men who trained here have made the final jump, as we all felt with the passing of our dear Vincent Speranza last August. Instead of letting this camp fade away like an old soldier, we are in a position to keep the airborne spirit alive and to pass our passion for history on to future generations.

22:43It's the least we can do for those who have gone before. Colonel Hogan was one of them. When Oran Hogan's 511th Parachute Infantry was here, he met his men at the base of Couragie every morning in jump boots, shorts, and a t-shirt. Hardrock would give his boys a pep talk before saying their run would toughen them up. If it didn't kill them first. Sergeant David McGuire added, that little wiry SOB would be on his way back down the mountain before most of them were halfway up.

23:13Much like Robert Sink, Oran Hogan was a pioneer in America's airborne and led his men with the highest level of bravery and merit. Yank Magazine's William Lindau, who saw Hardrock in action in the Pacific, said, he was one of the bravest and best soldiers I have ever seen. But on February 23, 1945, Oran Hogan died from wounds received in action. I hope Toccoa can find a way to honor this great man as they have his good friend, Robert Sink.

23:45French philosopher Michael de Montaigne once asked, When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep? Fellow children of Couragie, our gratitude for the men of Toccoa must never sleep. Let us work together to keep the legacy of this camp alive. The 11th Airborne Division's Kenneth Murphy once wrote, With the passing of time, it is so easy to forget those who sacrifice so much so future generations may be free to enjoy this great country.

24:15In the words of President Lincoln, It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have, thus far, so nobly carried on. While the Marines seeing that the streets of heaven are guarded by their fallen, we all know that the perimeter is defended by the Airborne. Thank you very much. Airborne all the way.