When Angels Fall: From Toccoa to Tokyo: The 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment in World War II MacArthur’s Secret Weapon & Heroes of Los Baños (Down ... The 11th Airborne Division in World War II)

THE PACIFIC THEATER'S “BAND OF BROTHERS”

Why have so few Americans heard the remarkable story of the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment?

From the training grounds of Camp Toccoa and Camp Mackall to the jungles and mountains of New Guinea, Leyte and Luzon—and ultimately the occupation of Japan—the paratroopers of the 511th PIR fought their way across the Pacific as part of the legendary 11th Airborne Division.

In When Angels Fall , 11th Airborne Division historian Jeremy C. Holm tells the story of these extraordinary young men through extensive archival research and the firsthand experiences of the Angels themselves, including interviews with veterans of the regiment and Holm's grandfather, 1st Lieutenant Andrew Carrico of Company D.

Their remarkable story includes:

The formation and training of the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment Brutal combat through the mountains and jungles of Leyte The 11th Airborne Division's campaign to liberate southern Luzon The daring Los Baños Raid that liberated more than 2,000 civilian internees The fight toward Manila and the Division's costly battles across Luzon The 511th's arrival in Japan and service during the opening days of the Allied occupation The personal experiences, friendships, humor, hardships and losses of the paratroopers who lived it These were not simply names in after-action reports. They were sons, brothers, husbands and friends—young Americans whose average age was just 21.

General Douglas MacArthur regarded the 11th Airborne Division as one of his most valuable fighting forces. Sixth Army commander General Walter Krueger described the 511th as the “fightingest outfit” he had seen, while Eighth Army commander General Robert L. Eichelberger declared that no one could have asked for finer fighting men.

After enduring months of some of the Pacific War's most difficult combat, the Angels of the 511th emerged with an extraordinary record of service and sacrifice. Yet their story remains far less known than those of America's more famous airborne units.

When Angels Fall preserves the story of the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment—the men who came Down From Heaven and helped write one of the most remarkable chapters in American airborne history.