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

Join 11th Airborne Division historian Jeremy C. Holm for this special presentation originally given during the dinner banquet for Toccoa, Georgia's famous 2023 World War II Weekend. Jeremy was invited to speak on the impact that Camp Toccoa had on both the airborne and the outcome of the war. 

Attending the dinner were several Children of Currahee, descendants of original Toccoa Men who trained at the camp, including children of the 506th PIR's famous "Band of Brothers". Additionally, the audience included numerous veterans and airborne enthusiasts. 

Jeremy said, "It was an honor to get to speak at the dinner banquet. What a privilege it was to tell the story of the Toccoa Men who went on to fight in Europe, Africa, and the South Pacific. They truly were 'the best there ever was.'"

This episode is a re-recording of Jeremy's original speech since we were all so excited to hear his presentation that we forgot to press the Record button!

For more information, visit www.511pir.com or www.11thairborne.com today, or you can email jeremy at Jeremy@jeremycholm.com.

You can follow Jeremy on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/11thairbornediv

To purchase copies of Jeremy's books on the 11th Airborne Division, please visit:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00G3TNO0A/allbooks?ingress=0&visitId=c7baae52-e150-4caf-86b1-990b2ef40772

Or to visit our full 11th Airborne Division online store, please visit:

https://jeremycholmstore.square.site/11th-airborne-division-store

Down From Heaven Comes Eleven! Airborne All the Way!

Transcript

Distinguished guests, honored veterans, it’s a pleasure to be here. 

Thank you to the committees of the Toccoa Military Museum, Camp Toccoa at Currahee and the Stephens County Historical Society for making this event happen.

We are all 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, that we concluded to ‘join the band’ and hence we are now in full fellowship with the association…”

As invited guests, Lyndsey and I more than resolved to “join the band”. We love Toccoa so much that Lyndsey started looking for land here after our first visit years ago. 

Of course, then she discovered your Joro spiders. 

Now we just visit. 

But 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.”

Having published three books on the airborne, plus maintaining a podcast, a YouTube channel, and two websites on World War II, I perhaps made myself “look important” and ended up in Brenda Carlan’s crosshairs. 

I’ll do my best to avoid hitting any of you with the friendly fire of bad jokes or a long speech.

But if you still need copies of our books on the airborne, please see Lyndsey after dinner and we can get those for you.

80 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 Currahee, he laughed and asked, “Who forced you do that?” 

Jim died shortly after Lyndsey and I helped celebrate his 100th birthday. 

He was proud to be a Toccoa Man and 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 22, 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, man for man, the finest troops in the world...”

One headline called Toccoa Men the “Supermen of the air.”

And they needed to be. 

As another reporter wrote, “It’s a man’s job these boys are tackling.”

Boys is right. 

MAJ 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 and “(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 Malepunyo.

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.

As most here know, Currahee 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. 

Some 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 Currahee, 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.

Lieutenant 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 Louis 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 and the simplicity of youth.

Private Clifford Vallieres of the 506th PIR left Toccoa for Jump School in November of 1942.

He 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.

Lieutenant Ralph Ermatinger 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 a 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 at 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 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. 

I 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 ninety-four when he said it.

The 511th PIR’s Lieutenant 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...” 

So true.

The Boys of Currahee 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. 

Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan came to conquer.

The Boys of Currahee came to liberate.

The men who trained here jumped “down from heaven” to combat the tyranny and darkness that engulfed much of the world. 

That, more than anything, is the true legacy of Toccoa.

As a Child of Currahee, 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 Currahee, or as what one called “that 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” of the 501st, 506th, 507th, 511th and 517th Parachute Infantry Regiments as well as the 457th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, and the 295th and 296th Ordnance Heavy Maintenance Companies.

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 511th PIR, the Band of Brothers of the Pacific. 

He said: 

“They were really cocky, and 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 among 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. 

Private 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 18, 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 88-millimeter gun and an ammunition dump. 

Ignoring the danger, Joe remained in his exposed position, and, with his M-1 rifle, dispatched the enemy one by one until he was wounded four times. 

Taken 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 to 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 his bandages, Joe yelled "grenade" and threw his body over the explosive. 

Joe Mann was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

As 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 PVT Elmer Fryar called in mortar bombardments and directed machine gun fire to break the first Banzai charge. 

When Elmer noticed an enemy platoon of 50 soldiers trying to flank their position, he rushed to the top of a ridge to stop them… alone. 

There, as Newspapers across the nation exclaimed, “He fired fast and accurately, but was drawing all the enemy fire on himself. He was hit in the left arm and shoulder, but that didn’t stop Fryar.”

Elmer did stop the enemy platoon and a wounded Neal Retherford remembered:

“(Fryar) 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 1LT Norvin Davis who was assisting Marvin Douglas. 

Private Douglas testified, “(A) Japanese soldier jumped up from behind some bushes and aimed his rifle at the lieutenant. Retherford and I hit the ground, but Private Fryar threw himself in front of the lieutenant.”

Davis, another Toccoa Man, said, “There were seven bullet holes in (Elmer’s) chest and stomach, but he drew a hand grenade as he fell to the ground and pulled the pin. He threw it and the Japanese soldier was blasted all over the trail.”

It was the twenty-seventh enemy Elmer Fryar 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 his folks and tell them he’d got a mess of (the enemy) before they got him.”

At thirty-two years of age, Elmer Fryar 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, who trained at Toccoa in the 511th PIR, was a replacement in the 517th PIR during the Battle of the Bulge. 

Late on December 23, 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 Melvin read in Stars and Stripes that he would be awarded the Medal of Honor. 

What a way to find out!

On October 30, 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 wife Leona and their two daughters. He died in 2010.

On February 13, 1945, the 11th Airborne began their assault on Manila’s Fort McKinley.

As Company A of the 511th PIR pressed forward, twenty-two-year-old lead scout PFC Manuel Pérez, a Toccoa Man, noticed a heavily fortified pillbox that threatened 3rd Platoon’s advance.

Thinking of his comrades’ safety, Manuel rushed into action. 

A citation noted that he: 

“(K)illed 5 Japanese in the open and blasted others in pillboxes with grenades. Realizing the urgent need for taking the last emplacement, which contained 2 twin-mount .50-caliber machine guns, Manuel 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. 

“Pérez 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, the Toccoa Man continued firing, killing 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. Single-handedly, he killed 18 of the enemy in neutralizing the position that had held up the advance of his entire company....”

SGT Max Polick disagreed with the official record. 

Polick, who watched Pérez’s actions that day, said, “Among his grenades, rifles and bayonet the count of dead Japanese was more like 75.”

1st Battalion’s MAJ 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 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.” 

Sadly, Manuel Pérez died one month later outside Santo Thomas “protecting the withdrawal of a patrol which had encountered heavy enemy fire.” 

Manuel’s comrades said, “it’s hard to believe that one bullet could kill such a tough little man.”

Later that same day, March 14, 1945, the 11th Airborne received official notice that Manuel Pérez had been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

I could stand here for days telling you stories like these of Toccoa Men whose courage and devotion remind me of the Admiral Nimitz’ quote that “Uncommon valor was a common virtue.”  

As one veteran wrote, “These airborne troopers were typically awarded Silver Stars for acts of heroism which usually earned Medals of Honor for the Marines...” 

Captain Lee Walker, a chaplain with the 511th PIR here at Toccoa who buried over one-hundred Toccoa Men in the Pacific, declared:

“I wish I had the financial resources to erect a giant tablet in 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.

One Toccoa Man told me, “I’m afraid we are being forgotten. Thank you for telling our story.”

That is my goal, through my books, podcast, 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.

It’s not.

For the men who trained here, silver was the prize of choice. 

The Silver Badge of Courage, those iconic Jump Wings which they wore with 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 it interesting.

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.

How precious is this soil to the tens of millions of men, women and children who were liberated by the Boys of Currahee in France, the Netherlands, the Philippines and beyond.

One of those rescued souls, “Scotty” Wightman, was liberated by my grandfather’s 511th PIR from the Los Baños 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.”

Scotty’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 Currahee 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, especially those who gave their last full measure of devotion?

First, we must support the Currahee Military Museum and Camp Toccoa at Currahee, 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 is plenty to do.

Second, we can spread the word about these historic landmarks and this beautiful town. 

Invite your friends and family to visit; share your photos and 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 story, or record and share your own chapter of airborne history. 

Fourth, keep coming back. Toccoa is home to all the Children of Currahee. 

You are always welcome.

Colonel Orin D. “Hardrock” Haugen, the 511th PIR’s first commander often stood here at Toccoa and told his troopers, “You men are at a crossroads.” 

We, the Children of Currahee, 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 this 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. 

It is the least we can do for those who have gone before. 

Colonel Orin Haugen was one of them.

When Colonel Haugen’s 511th Parachute Infantry was here, he met his men at the base of Currahee every morning in jump boots, shorts, and a t-shirt. 

Hard Rock would give his boys a pep talk before saying their run would toughen them up... if it didn’t kill them first. 

SGT David McGuire added: “That little wiry SOB would be on his way back down the mountain before most of them were halfway up...”

Much like Robert Sink, Orin Haugen 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 Hard Rock in action the Pacific, said “He was one of the bravest and best soldiers I have ever seen.”

On February 23, 1945, Orin Haugen 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.

French philosopher Michel de Montaigne once asked, “When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep?”

Fellow Children of Currahee, our gratitude for the Men of Toccoa must never sleep.

Let us work together to keep the legacy of this camp alive.

Kenneth Murphy of HQS-11 wrote, “With the passing of time, it is so easy to forget those who sacrificed so much so future generations may be free to enjoy this great country...”

In 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 sing 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.