![]() The company was puking their guts out on the climb up Currahee. No water was allowed to be drunk at times, with threat of revoked weekend passes as punishment (or more running in full gear).Įasy Company had it particularly tough, under Captain Herbert Sobel, who even had his company go march right after enjoying a nice spaghetti dinner. Good old Progressive Overload was used to build up their fitness. Gradually the runs would increase, and the recruits would be doing 10 miles, then eventually 25 miles.įor each run after that very first, the Toccoa boys had an extra 1-2 miles added to their running regimen. The recruits would be put through lots of running to build up aerobic capacity. In fact, soon- to-be sergeant, Darrell Powers, remembered some of the drill instructors telling him to not help a man who had fallen from exhaustion, while on march. _ Training at Camp Toccoa The Base Building of a ParatrooperĪs soon as the recruits arrived at Camp Toccoa, they were put to march up Currahee Hill. There are no six pack shortcuts or “overnight” successes.They were determined to be proactive and make their life in the army “one of positivity, learning, and maturity, and of challenging experiences.” They epitomized the mantra that doing the best that one could do was a better way of dealing with the army, and the war, than working alongside second-class army men. They were athletes, who had decided to join the paratroopers, emanating a mantra of their generation: These parachute infantry were volunteers. The organizers of the regiment did a heck of a job periodizing one of the most rigorous combat training regiments of the American military at the time. Like the past post, we’re going to look at an example of fitness as well as strength and conditioning in play. There’s a popular minis-series by HBO on it called Band of Brothers. Especially to the veterans.Continuing on with the popular format that was the Roman Army post, I thought I’d jump straight into another, more recent fighting unit: The 101 st Airborne Division of American paratroopers, particularly, the famous Easy Company of 2 nd Battalion, of the 506 th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Please forward this email to everyone you know. Let's give Shifty his own Memorial Service, online, in our own quiet way. Shifty died on June 17 after fighting cancer. And it's real sad because these days so few of the guys are left, and those that are, lots of them can't make the trip." My heart was in my throat and I didn't know what to say. I asked Shifty if he was on his way back from France, and he said "Yes. and then I realized that it was June, just after the anniversary of D-Day. " I was standing with a genuine war hero. At that point he said "I also made a second jump into Holland, into Arnhem. I told him yes, I know exactly where Normandy was, and I know what D-Day was. do you know where Normandy is?" At this point my heart stopped. " at which point my heart skipped.Īt that point, again, very humbly, he said "I made the 5 training jumps at Toccoa, and then jumped into Normandy. Quietly and humbly, he said "Well, I guess I signed up in 1941 or so, and was in until sometime in 1945. I thanked him for his service, then asked him when he served, and how many jumps he made. He said quietly that he had been in the 101st. Making conversation, I asked him if he'd been in the 101st Airborne or if his son was serving. I offered to help, assured him that he was at the right gate, and noticed the "Screaming Eagle", the symbol of the 101st Airborne, on his hat. I just saw an elderly gentleman having trouble reading his ticket. I met Shifty in the Philadelphia airport several years ago. ![]()
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