In Honor of Paratrooper

TSGT Floyd Pratt

Black River Falls, WI

513th Parachute Infantry Regiment

17th Airborne Division, WWII

Paratrooper Floyd Pratt before jumping into Germany with the 17th Airborne, Operation Varsity.

The 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment was activated on 26 December 1942 at Fort Ben-ning, and attached to the 13th Airborne 13 August 1943. On 10 March 1944 the Regiment was formal-ly assigned to the 17th Airborne. After completing basic training, specialist training, and a variety of training maneuvers, the unit left with the Division for England on 20 August, 1944. When the 513th arrived in England, the Regiment was sent to Camp Chisledon, the 17th Airborne Di-vision staging area, on 28 August, 1944. Flight and tactical training continued and night maneuvers were added to the training schedule. They re-

mained in England until leaving for France in late December. As part of the Division, the 513th engaged in the Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe Campaigns. During the Battle of the Bulge, the 1st Battalion reached Cochleval but was pinned down by heavy machine gun and mortar fusillades. When two German tanks broke out of the dense fog and threatened to overrun the 513th's positions, Staff Sergeant Isadore S "Izzy" Jachman recovered a bazooka from a fallen comrade and single-handedly engaged the two Panzers. He knocked one out and caused the other to fall back, at the cost of his own life. For his actions on that day S/SSgt Jachman was awarded the Medal of Honor. In the heavy fighting after landing during Operation Varsity, PFC Stuart S. Stryker saw his unit's exposed position and ran to a forward position. He found his platoon leader and platoon ser-geant dead. He rallied his fellow paratroopers in a wild rush toward the enemy positions. Just short of the enemy positions he was caught in a line of machine gun fire and killed. The re-mainder of his platoon overtook the enemy position, capturing two hundred Germans and freeing three captured American bomber pilots. For this heroic action PFC Stryker was post-humously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Military government duties began 12 April, and active contact with the enemy ceased 18 April

1945. The division came under the XXII Corps on 24 April. It continued its occupation duties

until 15 June, 1945 when it returned to France for redeployment. Many troopers were then

transferred to the 82nd and 101st Airborne and for occupation duty in Berlin and Austria.

Others joined the 13th Airborne Division, which returned to the US to be readied for the Pa-

cific. The remainder of the division was deactivated on 15 September, 1945 at Camp Miles

Standish, Massachusetts.

Paratrooper Floyd Pratt, Black River Falls,

fought in the Battle of The Bulge and jumped

into Germany in Operation Varsity, the last

Airborne Assault of WWII.

Floyd’s John Deere honored the 513th Para-

chute Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Divi-

sion in parades throughout Jackson and

Clark Counties.

Here is Floyd above with SSG Howard

Rennhack, 325 PIR, 82nd Airborne, Humbird.

At right, you can read Floyd’s Company/unit

on his John Deere.

Floyd with Judy Peter, at the 2015 Walter Pakulski All

Airborne memorial in Stevens point. Judy’s Dad, PVT

Glenn Ward, 508th PIR, 82nd Airborne was KIA in the

Bulge when Judy was 3-years-old.

Paratrooper Floyd Pratt, there for us in WWII; here for us now!

TECH 5 Floyd Pratt, 513th PIR, A Paratrooper’s Paratrooper!

Mark Pakulski and Floyd at 2015, 3rd Annual Walt Pakulski All Airborne Memorial in Stevens Point.

Memorial Day in Humbird. Floyd and his tractor were a popular unit in County parades. Floyd honors

the Airborne and Vets everywhere he goes!

Varsity to Jackson County—Floyd was there for us.

17th Airborne Division took

horrific casualties in Opera-

tion Varsity jumping into

Germany. They fought on

heroically Floyd’s family

(right) and all of ours; Be-

low, Floyd back on the

farm; COL John Scocos, Sec,

Wisconsin Vets Affairs and

18th Airborne Corp Para-

trooper greets Floyd; How-

ard Rennhack and Floyd at

101st’s Don Olson’s funeral;

Floyd with Combat Jump

certificate.

Floyd honors all vets and has friends everywhere!

Counterclockwise from Top left, Floyd

gets Combat Jump Star Wings many

years after Jumping in Varsity, from

Howard Rennhack, 325 PIR, 82nd Air-

borne; Floyd with buddy Don Olson,

101st and friends; with Tom Laney,

501st PIR, 82nd; VFW 10262 Honor

Guard honors Floyd; Floyd with Marge

Morris and Barb Laney.

Nuthin’ taller than a short Paratrooper! Very true in Floyd’s case!!

SFC BretVanblaircom, Chairman, Badger Chapter, 82nd Airborne As-

sociation meets Floyd, longtime Badger member.

Paratroopers are a breed apart.

Tanks, Heavy Artillery, Personnel Carriers, Trucks, Planes, Chefs…...Paratroopers have none of that.

Men like Floyd Pratt drop into combat trained to fight while surrounded, in the smallest groups, with 3 days

food and ammo, with the lightest of arms, against the heaviest of odds, and to WIN. And as Paratrooper

Floyd Pratt can tell you, “You know— We did that!”

Ctrl/click to go to the 17th Airborne Website.

This pamphlet is part of a series on Wisconsin

Airborne Paratroopers, Glider Riders and Air

Assault which we hope to place in High

Schools. If you have Wisconsin Airborne sto-

ries please contact me.

Tom Laney, Editor

tlaney1776@gmail.com

715-704-0409

Web: wissotaairbornereporter.weebly.com