"We Were The Best There Ever Was." 
511th PIR & 11th Airborne Books
About the Book:
Formed at Camp Toccoa, GA, the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment, “the Angels”, fought with distinction during 204 days of combat in the Pacific. The first full unit to land on Japan, the regiment was led by Colonel Orin D. "Hard Rock" Haugen and saved the United States Airborne, destroyed 5,760 of the enemy on Leyte, liberated Manila, rescued 2,147 civilians at Los Baños, formed General Douglas MacArthur's Honor Guard and protected the surrender ceremony on the USS Missouri.
And their average age was 21.
This book, WHEN ANGELS FALL: THE 511TH PARACHUTE INFANTRY IN WORLD WAR II, covers one of the only parachute units to fight in the Pacific Theater. Their loyalty to each other, their ability to endure war's harsh realities and the emotional struggles they faced forged bonds of brotherhood that led them to be called, “The Band of Brothers of the Pacific.”
Utilizing firsthand experiences and interviews, including his grandfather 1st Lieutenant Andrew Carrico of Company D, When Angels Fall is a masterful narrative by a former journalist and historian, Jeremy C. Holm, who tells the full story of a group of America’s heroes, the elite Angels, in World War II.
- PAGES: 349
- AGES: 12+
- LANGUAGE: English
- FIRST PUBLISHED: March 27, 2020
- Download Book Sample
About the Book Series:
11th Airborne Division historian Jeremy C. Holm's highly-acclaimed DOWN FROM HEAVEN book series has been read all over the world and has received praise from historians, 11th Airborne Division veterans, World War II and airborne enthusiasts and general readers. It has become THE bookshelf reference guide for all things 11th Airborne in World War II and beyond.
Utilizing interviews with 11th Airborne Division veterans and tens of thousands of hours of research in archives, Jeremy has produced this multi-volume series to help the world, and the decendents of Angels, learn more about the might 11th Airborne in World War II, Korea, Fort Campbell, Germany and more. He plans to continue this series through the Vietnam War and up to our modern Arctic Angels based in Alaska at this time.
This DOWN FROM HEAVEN: THE 11TH AIRBORNE DIVISION series has left the children and grandchildren of veteran Angels in tears as they read about what their father or grandfather did in the service of their country. These are the perfect gifts for anyone who loves history, especially American and military history.
Plus, your purchase of our DOWN FROM HEAVEN series helps support our continuing efforts to research, preserve and record the history of the 11th Airborne Division for future generations to access and enjoy. We deeply appreciate your continuing support.
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VOLUME I: TOCCOA TO LEYTE CAMPAIGN
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VOLUME 2: LUZON CAMPAIGN THROUGH OCCUPATION OF JAPAN
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MEET JEREMY C. HOLM
About Jeremy
Author, military historian & American bobsled athlete & coach Jeremy C. Holm has thrilled audiences across the United States as a motivational speaker and lecturer. His grandfather 1st Lieutenant Andrew Carrico served and fought with the 511th PIR between 1943-1945 and prior to Andy's death, Jeremy dropped all other projects to begin his efforts to tell the regiment's history through his books, lecture series, podcasts, videos, and social media.
Jeremy has been privileged to befriend and interview many of the last living World War II-era 11th Airborne Division Angels and has become the conservator and curator of thousands of pages of original documents, journals, letters, photographs, reports, maps and briefs.
He considers it an honor to share the story of the mighty Angels in World War II, Korea and beyond.
The Historian
Growing up with 11th Airborne Division veteran 1LT Andrew Carrico as his grandfather, Jeremy heard stories of the Angels in World War II around their dinner table and later on Andy's beloved lanai by his pool. As the years went on, Jeremy and Andrew were able to have deeper conversations about the war and the Paratroopers that Andy served with. These became treasured memories for Jeremy after Andy passed in 2016.
Jeremy also got to know several World War II-era Angels and was privileged to interview them over the years to learn more about the 11th Airborne Division's early days and then campaigns in World War II. These were treasured friendships for Jeremy and he has mentioned that it was like losing another grandfather when these Angels, most in their mid- to late-90s, passed on.
Many of these Angels told Jeremy stories about the war that they confessed they had never even told their wives or children. They were old warriors who helped tell the stories of their buddies, especially those who never made it home in 1944-1945. They shared photos, documents, journals and maps to help Jeremy write his three books (and counting) on the 11th Airborne Division in World War II, Korea and beyond.
The Speaker and Lecturer
Jeremy has been motivating and entertaining audiences for nearly 30 years now (he started in high school) and has been criss-crossing the United States lecturing on the history of the mighty 11th Airborne Division in World War II, Korea and beyond. These lectures have been given at military museums and posts, public libraries and historical events. If you'd like Jeremy to visit your hometown, please contact us through this website's contact form.
In addition to World War II and 11th Airborne Division history, due to his background in the Olympic sport of bobsled, Jeremy often speaks in keynote addresses for corporate and community events, at motivational and self-improvement seminars, and other appropriate functions. He has served on and with multiple boards, committees and groups, and donates much of his time to making a difference in communities as a spokesman for non-profits and other organizations.
The Bobsled Pilot and Coach
While he was in high school, Jeremy had the opportunity of a lifetime to become involved in the exciting, fast-paced world of Olympic bobsledding where he would spend the next 16+ years as a sled pilot of two- and four-man bobsled as well as heach coach of the United States Adaptive Bobsled Team.
Jeremy loved his time as an athlete in what he considers the greatest winter sport around. To him, there is nothing like roaring down the ice-covered track at speeds in excess of 80 miles per hour while feeling up to (and occassionaly over) five times the force of gravity. While Jeremy did spend some time as a brakeman and sidepusher, he much prefers sitting in the driver's seat and guiding the sled down the track as fast as possible.
Jeremy greatly enjoys the opportunities to speak and lecture in the corporate arena, but he also loves his frequent visits to public schools and other community events, including parades, to inspire others through the things he learned "while driving a metal and fiberglass missle down the track in the quest for gold!"
In Review
About Jeremy C. Holm
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The Author, Lecturer, Speaker, and Historian
He has been called "Mr. 11th Airborne" for his knowledge of Angel history and efforts to tell the Division's story. -
The Bobsled Athlete and Coach...and Drag Racer!
Oh, and we forgot to mention that in addition to his bobsled career, Jeremy ALSO drove dragsters as a teen. Speed is his thing!
