I get many requests asking for detailed information on specific AAA battalions. The unit of interest is most commonly that of a father, grandfather, or great uncle. Many relatives hope to confirm that their family member was involved in one of the significant actions of World War II. "Did my grandpa land on Omaha Beach?" "I heard that my great uncle's battalion was in Bastogne." There is an understandable desire to pass along a courageous epic from a great conflict as part of our family heritage. We all want to claim a hero in our personal history.
The simple fact is that only a small percentage of antiaircraft battalions can generate stories of such proportions. The statistics show that an antiaircraft artilleryman had one of the best jobs in the Army if his primary goal was to survive World War II and come out uninjured. I often cringe when I reply, "Yes, your grandpa landed on Omaha Beach - on 29 July." That response just doesn't ring with historic overtones if you were assuming he waded ashore on D-Day.
What can be said about the countless AAA organizations that saw limited action? How do we view the battalions that accrued just one or two Category II claims for the entire war? Were they unimportant? Heaven forbid we take that view! It may not be glamorous enough for a TV mini-series or a major motion picture, but the battalion that released its vehicles to a provisional trucking company played a critical role in keeping supplies moving forward. A fire unit from a semimobile battalion in position near a bridge or in a critical railyard may have been bored (or frozen) stiff waiting to fire, yet their presence may have warded off a potential attack that could have had disastrous results for the boys closer to the line. Success in antiaircraft work was not measured only by number of aircraft destroyed. The AA mission was admirably accomplished if the potential target the unit was assigned to protect remained unscathed.
War is not an individual effort. Each unit played its own important role. All served. While we rightly honor and celebrate the frontline action of those who helped write our history books, let us not forget the countless others who made those heroics possible. I care not if your great uncle was in Bastogne with the Screaming Eagles for Christmas 1944 or whether he enjoyed a warm breeze there on a spring day in early 1945. He has earned a crisp salute and a nation's gratitude. Be proud.
The simple fact is that only a small percentage of antiaircraft battalions can generate stories of such proportions. The statistics show that an antiaircraft artilleryman had one of the best jobs in the Army if his primary goal was to survive World War II and come out uninjured. I often cringe when I reply, "Yes, your grandpa landed on Omaha Beach - on 29 July." That response just doesn't ring with historic overtones if you were assuming he waded ashore on D-Day.
What can be said about the countless AAA organizations that saw limited action? How do we view the battalions that accrued just one or two Category II claims for the entire war? Were they unimportant? Heaven forbid we take that view! It may not be glamorous enough for a TV mini-series or a major motion picture, but the battalion that released its vehicles to a provisional trucking company played a critical role in keeping supplies moving forward. A fire unit from a semimobile battalion in position near a bridge or in a critical railyard may have been bored (or frozen) stiff waiting to fire, yet their presence may have warded off a potential attack that could have had disastrous results for the boys closer to the line. Success in antiaircraft work was not measured only by number of aircraft destroyed. The AA mission was admirably accomplished if the potential target the unit was assigned to protect remained unscathed.
War is not an individual effort. Each unit played its own important role. All served. While we rightly honor and celebrate the frontline action of those who helped write our history books, let us not forget the countless others who made those heroics possible. I care not if your great uncle was in Bastogne with the Screaming Eagles for Christmas 1944 or whether he enjoyed a warm breeze there on a spring day in early 1945. He has earned a crisp salute and a nation's gratitude. Be proud.
I join you in your salute and gratitude to all the AAA units of WWII. As you have pointed out, most of these Battalions received little notice and certainly not the accolades awarded to other units, but their contributions were no less significant.
ReplyDeleteMy father is a WWII veteran who served with the 562ndd AAA AW Battalion in the ETO. He recently has begun sharing his stories and I've come to a greater appreciation for the sacrifices made by all of our armed forces, past and present.
Whether in the front lines, or in a supporting role, each element is vital to the success of the endeavor. My father was part of that endeavor and I am very proud of him.
Thanks for making this site available and for the tribute you pay to the AAA Battalions of WWII.