Written by Todd DePastino
Bill Bonnamy’s website devoted to the 319th Glider Field Artillery, 82nd Airborne Division, contains a growing treasury of information, documents, photos, and stories from and about all things 82nd Airborne. Most of the material has come from family members of those who served in the division in World War II or who otherwise crossed paths with 319th members.
If you look at the map above (courtesy historyshots.com), you get a sense of how much ground the 82nd Airborne covered in World War II. In fact, I think the 82nd Airborne traveled more miles than any other Army unit in the European Theater of Operations. From Ireland, England, North Africa, and Sicily to France, Holland, and Germany, the 82nd was there.
Communication from descendants of WWII servicemen of the 319th FA 82nd Airborne Division, or any other unit, is welcome and encouraged.
Among the many records, photos, stories, and ephemera collected atis the remarkable story of Elden Smith from B Battery. Elden was a sergeant from West Virginia who saw a lot of heavy combat, from Sicily to Italy to Normandy. And he captured it all in letters home, which are excerpted extensively on the 319 Gliderman website(https://319gliderman.com). His firsthand accounts vividly describe the chaos and brutality of battle, including close encounters with enemy tanks and the loss of comrades.
