Insignia, Rank, Colonel, GEMSCO

Book, Col. Ben Vandervoort, The Way we Were n°4, 82nd Airborne

Col. Ben Vandervoort is the fourth volume in noted historian Michel De Trez's WWII paratrooper portrait series titled The Way We Were . The 505th PIR of the 82nd Airborne Division is one of the finest parachute infantry regiments to emerge from the Second World War. Its second battalion did much toward earning this reputation, and the records show that its intrepid commander, Lt. Col. Benjamin H. Vandervoort deserves much of the credit due in securing these accolades. His two Distinguished Service Crosses are certainly evidence enough to support this claim. Among the more riveting stories of heroism in WWII is that of Lt. Col. Vandervoort, who led his battalion of paratroopers to victory on D-day, despite having broken his ankle when he dropped on Ste. Mere Eglise in the early morning hours of June 6th. His coolness under fire, outstanding courage and initiative, coupled with his dogged determination, contributed materially to the successful completion of the missions assigned to him. Colonel Vandervoort s role in the Normandy campaign was immortalized when actor John Wayne portrayed him in the Hollywood epic "the Longest Day", based on the best-selling novel by Cornelius Ryan.