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award of the Fourragere be extended to include the 1st battalion.
The following is the letter from the mayor of Ste.Mere Eglise:
To Monsieur, the commissioner of the de Gaulle Government in Bayeux. Subject:
Request for a French decoration for the two battalions of parachutists which landed at Ste.
Mere Eglise. Monsieur, the commissioner: Monday, the 5th of June around 11 o'clock or
midnight, French time, within a flight of heavy bombers flying in close formation the American
parachutists dropped on Ste. Mere Eglise. They were the first of the allies to put foot near
a beleaguered French town. Their strength was about two battalions. The second battalion,
505 Parachute Infantry, and the 3rd battalion 505 Parachute Infantry, members of the 82nd
Airborne Division, 7th Corps U.S.A. These battalions were commanded by Lt. Col. Benjamin H.
Vanderfoort and Lt. Col. Edward C. Krause.

On their landing in French soil they were engaged by machine gun pistol fire and by a detach-
ment of anti-aircraft located in a park in the very center of the town. At dawn, this AA unit,
under the command of Commandant Koller was thrown back on the village heights of Sauville.

Then for 48 hours the two battalions, their strength reduced already by losses during the
night always alert for combat separated from the sea by 8 kilometers of histile country,
having on their right flank in the village of Sauville towards Carentan strong detachments of
Infantry and the remainder of AA units on their left flank at Neuville au Plain two battalions
from the German division 1050 German Infantry, composed largely of guns and tanks and finally
on their west facing the sea two companies of fanatical Georgians who would fight to the last
man...these American soldiers resisted alone with their sub machine guns, two machine guns and
two small cannons taken from gliders.

These men I have observed in battle, they did not show falso bravado. They spoke little,
one might say they only maneuvered. They went along, cigarettes between their lips or
chewing their gum, hugging the walls yet going along in fright and quietly under the ceaseless
shelling from the batteries of Azeville and St. Martin.