Paraglide

PARAGLIDE was a newsletter style publication of the 82nd Airborne Division Association that was first established in the fall of 1946. Its primary purposes, as stated in Paraglide Volume 1, was to serve as the “unofficial Division history” and to perpetuate the bond between the men who served in the 82nd Airborne.

Paraglide was also created to honor the memory of the brave men who lost their lives winning World War II, as well as to “connect” all the living members of the 82nd Airborne Division. It also provided assistance and answers to questions concerning V.A. benefits and other military matters.

As of the publication of Volume 1, Issue #1 in 1946, there were over 11,000 paid members, 1,851 partially paid members, but also nearly 5,000 members whose post-war addresses were as yet unknown.

The first issue of Paraglide also included a post card so former members of the 82nd Airborne Division could provide their current addresses, addresses of those fellow members who left no forwarding address for themselves, as well as personal news for the publication’s “Mail Call” column.

The first volume was authored by Col. Robert H. Wienecke, then President of the Board of Directors of the Association.

As a prequel to Volume 1, Issue #1 of Paraglide, a newsletter was sent on July 4, 1946, with greetings from Lieutenant General Matthew Bunker Ridgeway, supreme allied commander in the European theater of the war, as well as then Major General James M. Gavin (known as the “Jumping General”) who was the third commanding General of the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II. Gavin was the only American general to make four combat parachute jumps during the war. He later became the U.S. Ambassador to France under President John F. Kennedy.

Paraglide Issue number #4 talked about the decisive Normandy invasion in dramatic terms: “...the 82nd Airborne Division fashioned from the blood and sweat of an all-out invasion a name which in years to come was to symbolize American might in conflict and strike fear in the hearts of oppressors the world over. Spearheaded by the gallant parachutists and gliders, these deeds will remain enshrined forever in the hearts of those ground under the heels of Nazi tyranny.”

For anyone who has visited the American Cemetery in Normandy, France, these words (from Paraglide Issue #4) will resound strongly: “Rows of crosses between the hedgerows in the now peaceful Normandy countryside bear mute testimony to the savage, bitter fighting which ensued there in the early summer of 1944.”

In recognition of the 82nd Airborne Division’s uniquely valuable role in liberating their homeland, the French government conferred upon the entire division the French Fourragere, the highest military award their country bestows. 

The tasseled red and green cord that Airborne members were honored to wear stands as a symbol of the admiration and gratitude France felt for the bravery and sacrifice of the men of the 82nd Airborne Division. The French Fourragere was the third highly prized decoration awarded to the 82nd Airborne by a European nation.

Paraglide Issue #5 told the story of why we Americans wear red poppies on our lapels on Memorial Day. It is a physical reminder to honor those courageous men who gave their all to save Europe, and save the world, during the second World War.

The poppy flowers grew over the graves of those who died in World War I.  And “World War II multiplied those graves many times over. When you hear talk of World War III, give a thought to those graves. Those flowers. Because war clips flowers. The brightest flowers of every nation that goes to war.” In this quote, Paraglide was referring to the young men whose lives were cut short, or severely altered, by war. 

Issue #5 also tells the story of one such young man, Johnny Messina, a star football player from Medford, Massachusetts who became a paratrooper in World War II. Sadly, Johnny Messina died in the battle for Sicily, his ancestral homeland, just a few miles from the city of Messina, Sicily. Johnny came “home” to the city of his ancestors, to liberate Italy during the war, and died in the effort. It is a sad, sad story about a young man in the flower of his youth, who never made it back to Medford, Massachusetts, the American home where he grew up.

Issue #14 of Paraglide tells the story of the ‘SAGA OF THE ALL-AMERICAN,” a maroon-colored hardbound book that is a comprehensive war record of the exploits of the 82nd Airborne Division (see inset) and the military units attached to it.

This coveted compendium of wartime memories comprises 370 pages of poignant stories dating back to World War I, accompanied by 1,500 photographs.

The SAGA OF THE ALL-AMERICAN describes 82nd Airborne Division activities such as the landings at Casablanca, Morocco, D-Day in Sicily, the fighting in Salerno and Anzio, and what life was like in Naples, Italy as well as Ireland, England, and France during wartime. 

The book details the military campaigns in Normandy, Holland, the Bulge, the Siegfried Line, crossing the Rhine River, the Wobbelin concentration camp at Ludwigslust, Germany, the German 21st army surrender, photos of allied training in the U.S., England, France and North Africa, the Berlin occupation, even the great victory parade in New York City.

Compiled and edited by William Dawson, this prized book was both factual and highly dramatic. Members of the association and 82nd veterans were entitled to a free copy of the book.

Subsequent issues of Paraglide contained valuable information about veterans’ benefits, 82nd Airborne Association chapter announcements, as well as questions from members (about Purple Heart awards, the G.I. Bill, pensions, and other pertinent subjects) with answers from the editors.

Paraglide Issue #15 entitled “Poop from the Group” included personal information about individual members and the latest news about their lives.

One such personal story (in Issue #11) tells about an Indiana Gold Star mother who visits the grave of her son who was killed in December of 1944 in Belgium during The Battle of the Bulge. Mrs. Claude Sedam found her son’s grave and also visited 125 other graves for fellow Gold Star mothers of World War II. Mrs. Sedam said, “It was very satisfying to see how well the graves were cared for...the Army is taking splendid care of them. I shall leave my son where he now lies” rather than bringing his remains home to the United States.

Paraglide began in 1946 and endures as an online newsletter-bulletin right up to this day. It continues to provide helpful information, important answers and valuable insights for the brave men who served in the 82nd Airborne Division and their families.

Below you will find the original Paraglide publications in order by date, presented in a slideshow fashion, and side controls to the next or previous image. Courtesy of the Raymond Stabenow family.