Jump Commander: In Combat with the 505th and 508th Parachute Infantry Regiments, 82nd Airborne Division in World War II

by Mark J. Alexander, John Sparry

Col. Mark James Alexander was the only airborne officer to lead three different battalions into combat in World War II, successively commanding the 2d and 1st Battalions, 505 Parachute Infantry Regiment, and the 2nd Battalion, 508 PIR, of the 82nd Airborne Division. A legend in his own time, he fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and France, and even after being seriously wounded in Normandy, insisted on playing a role in the Battle of the Bulge.

Airborne Generals Gavin and Ridgway recognized Alexander’s superior battle skills and were more than happy to use him to plug holes in the ranks. His reputation excelled among the rank and file, right down to the lowest private. He led from the front, pressing the attack while simultaneously looking out for his men. In Sicily, Alexander’s battalion landed 25 miles from its drop zone, into a network of Italian pillboxes, upon which the Colonel personally directed fire, thence captured hundreds of prisoners. Dropped into the desperate inferno at Salerno, he refused to give ground against German counterattacks, forming his paratroopers against enemy efforts to push Allied forces back into the sea. At Normandy one seasoned lieutenant, John “Red Dog” Dolan, 505 PIR, called him “the finest battalion commander I ever served under,” after Alexander had led the 1/505 for ten days through the bloody battle for La Fière Bridge and Causeway.

Alexander’s passion and truest talent was leading men in the field, and he insisted on sharing their risks. On one occasion in Normandy he and his runner (he went through several) were caught behind German lines and encountered a platoon of SS. Opening fire, the Colonel killed or wounded several and brought the rest in as prisoners. An 88mm shell finally got the best of him, shrapnel tearing through his lungs, and while the 82nd was engaged in the Bulge, Alexander was only allowed to run its base camps in France— despite his protests—as General Gavin noted that he was still coughing up blood.

This memoir is based on the transcription of hundreds of hours of recorded interviews made by Alexander’s grandson, John Sparry, over a period of years late in his life. Providing valuable insight into the beloved commander who led three of the most storied battalions in the US Army, Jump Commander also contains a wealth of new detail on 82nd Airborne operations, and casts insight on some of the most crucial battles in the ETO. This highly readable and action-packed narrative may well be the last remaining memoir to be written in the voice of a major airborne officer of the Greatest Generation.

Genres: World War II, History, Nonfiction, Biography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 19, 2010

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Alexander was a soldier that was always determined to do his best. When he was the leader of other men, he always led never pushed. He was with his guys on the front lines.
The author, Mark's grandson, did a superb job making his grandfather's story come alive. Many times I felt I was with Mark Alexander as he fought with honor, determination and even with humor at times.
Also a good book to understand the beginnings of paratroopers in a war.

[Monroe Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting history of the Airborne but really long. Almost stopped reading but want to see his outcome. Some good examples of “Rear Command” that seemed to have gotten a lot of our guys killed unnecessarily.

[Dipra Lahiri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unbelievable determination, willpower and courage. An edifying account of what it takes to survive, yet keep one's spirits up in the midst of carnage and misery.

[Harry Miktarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time is running out on getting biographical histories of our WWII veterans. This book is a recent addition and a damn good one. What marks a good book for me is when you don't want it to end...and I was sad to have read the last page of this one. One of the pitfalls that can plague a book derived from recorded personal histories is that it can come off disjointed, but thanks to the writer/editor this one does not suffer from that. Another problem that it avoids is being a book of dates, organizational lists, and military jargon, this is a fun and gripping and easy read. Colonel Alexander had a fascinating part in American WWII history and was equally interesting as a man (as seems often the case with war heroes). If you are interesting in WWII military history and U.S. Airborne in particular, you will enjoy this book.

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

No one can doubt Mark Alexander was a great soldier, and this book serves as a platform to give him his due. It's a pretty quick read, with a nice selection of photos interspersed throughout. The narrative seems to be a collection of ancecdotes which Alexander recited to his grandson, but Sparry has done a good job of fusing them together into a good story. The personal recollections of Generals Gavin and Ridgway were some of the more interesting parts of the book for me, as well as some of the "behind the scenes" stories about running a paratrooper battalion.

Unfortunately, the book doesn't have much combat, or at least much less than I was hoping for. Also, it definitely needed a better proofreading--quite a few spelling errors sprinkled throughout the text. Still, an enjoyable read which shines the light on a superb soldier.

[Mike Vendetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the good fortune to narrate this as an audiobook for Tantor Audio, now available on audible.com. Like so many of his contemporaries, Mark Alexander came of age in the depression, and one of the heroes who after participating in one of the most significant events of the last century, returned to civilian life, unassuming, and walked among us. So many of these brave men are now gone, and their stories are also gone with them. thankfully, John Sperry, Mark Alexander's grandson sat with Col. Alexander many hours coaxing his story from him. You can imagine how reluctant these brave men who witnessed the horrors of war are to relive it. If you are at all interested in World War II, this book is a must read.

[Marty Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a good mind candy read. It is like sitting with your granddad listening to his WWII war stories except that your granddad was a Commander of Paratroopers in the storied 82nd Airborne during Sicily and Normandy. It is a very fast read because you just get so wrapped up in this leader that leads from the front. Need more men like LTC Alexander.