Battling Buzzards

The author of the acclaimed A Blood-Dimmed Tide: The Battle of the Bulge by the Men Who Fought It returns to the European Theater of Operations of World War II to bring to life the remarkable experiences of one of the U.S. Army's first elite combat units, with much of the narrative in the words of the participants themselves.
The 517th Regimental Parachute Combat Team - nicknamed "Battling Buzzards" after its emblem depicting an irate vulture against a parachute backdrop - began its existence in March of 1943 as an element of the 17th Airborne Division. Before its dissolution thirty-three months later, the outfit of 2,500 men endured some of the heaviest fighting of the European campaigns - from Italy through the invasion of Southern France, then the bitter winter in the Ardennes and the final thrust into Germany. During its relatively brief lifetime, the 517th suffered nearly 1,400 casualties. For valor, the troopers collected one Congressional Medal of Honor, six Distinguished Service Crosses, three Legion of Merits, 126 Silver Stars and some 400 Bronze Stars.
"Battling Buzzards" introduces readers to a rare breed of man - willing to hurl himself from an altitude of thousands of feet, then drift toward the ground providing an easy target for enemy fire before being able to unlimber his weapon upon landing. The author focuses on the people that made the 517th so special: the medics, who often worked much closer to the action than the celebrated MASH units of Korea and Vietnam; the combat engineers, who cleared minefields, blasted obstacles and fought as foot soldiers; and members of the 517th's light artillery battalion, which provided a constant stream of invaluable support for riflemen assigned to other commands.
A unique account in the annals of World War II history, "Battling Buzzards" includes tales of great courage, sacrifice and grace under fire, conveying a first-hand combat experience readers will not soon forget.