The Rakkasans: The Combat History of the 187th Airborne Infantry

The Rakkasans: The Combat History of the 187th Airborne Infantry is the complete account of one of the most remarkable regiments in the history of the U.S. Army. The Rakkasans (meaning "umbrella men," as they were nicknamed by the Japanese), have fought in every major American military conflict from World War II to the Persian Gulf. Beginning as a glider regiment of the 11th Airborne Division in 1943, the 187th had its baptism of fire when it landed in the Philippines on Leyte island. A surprise Japanese attack, soon greeted the 187th, which engaged in fierce combat against seasoned Japanese soldiers--and performed superbly. The 187th went on to fight in two other major campaigns in the Pacific, and were chosen by General MacArthur as part of the first wave of troops sent to occupy Japan. During the Korean War, the 187th was the only airborne unit sent there, and operated as an airborne regimental combat team (RCT), complete with its own direct support artillery battalions. In Vietnam, the Rakkasans were represented in the 101st Airborne Division by only one battalion, the "airmobile" 3d of the 187th. But that single battalion made history by fighting in twenty-one campaigns and defeating the well-trained and well-supplied NVA troops at the ferocious battle for Dong Ap Bia Mountain, better known as Hamburger Hill. In Desert Storm, the Rakkasans made the longest and largest helicopter assault in military history when it air assaulted from Saudi Arabia more than 150 miles to hostile territory along the Euphrates River. General Flanagan brings to this extraordinary account not only several years of meticulous research, but a genuine understanding of the subject based on his own experiences as a veteran of the World War II 11th Airborne Division and subsequent operations as part of the 187th Regimental Combat Team in the Korean War. -- Inside jacket flaps.