๐บ๐ฒWWII uncovered: A Salute to the 511th PIR Angels: Colonel Edward Henry "Big Ed / Slugger" Lahti
๐บ๐ฒWWII uncovered: A Salute to the 511th PIR Angels: Colonel Edward Henry "Big Ed / Slugger" Lahti
After the death of his older brother in WWI, Edward Lahti joined the Oregon National Guard at age 15 where he became a member of the Color Guard of the 162nd Infantry Regiment, 41st Division. He enlisted in the regular Army at age 18 and was sent to the 19th Infantry Regiment, Hawaiian Division.
Ed earned an appointment to the West Point Military Academy where he played soccer and baseball, including in the 1936 Army vs. Yankees game where Ed faced off against Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig.
After graduating Jump School, in January of 1943 Major Lahti was assigned to the new 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment, "The Angels" where he was given command of 3rd Battalion at Camp Toccoa, GA.
Big Ed led his battalion with distinction through the regiment's operations on Leyte and Luzon in 1944-1945. During the Leyte Campaign, some battalion elements became pinned down by enemy fire, so the now-Lieutenant Colonel Lahti made his way forward to personally locate the Japanese positions. Despite the extreme danger, Lahti remained in the exposed position to direct fire which destroyed the machine gun nest.
For his courageous actions, Lahti earned his first of two Silver Stars. The next day, “Big Ed” would display similar courage to earn his first of three Bronze Stars.
At the age of 31, with only six years of commissioned service, Ed was promoted to Colonel due to his outstanding leadership in combat. Colonel Lahti spent four years leading the 511th PIR, the longest such command in history, including during the Angels' famous raid on the Los Banos Internment Camp and two years of Occupation Duty in Japan where he helped promote democracy to the Japanese people.
After the war Colonel Lahti returned to the States in 1947 to serve as commander of the 504th PIR, 82d Airborne. After ten years service, he was assigned to the Pentagon, where he worked with the Executive Office of the President. During 1953—54, Operation Castle was organized for the purpose of testing the atomic bomb on Eniwetok-Bikini Atolls, and Colonel Lahti was appointed Commander of the Army Task Force and the Atolls. In February 1959 he was assigned as Senior Advisor to the region commander at Pleiku, Viet Nam. His final assignment was Chief, War Games Division, U.S. Continental Army Command.
After retiring on 1 June 1962, Ed and his wife Lucille "Cindy" became residents of Herndon, Virginia, for more than 40 years. Colonel Lahti was buried with full military honors in September of 2001 in the Arlington National Cemetery. "Duty, Honor, Country" was his lifelong personal motto.
During his long career, Big Ed would earn 2x Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit, 2x Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, three Commendation Medals, and the Air Medal. He also earned a Combat Infantryman Badge and Master Parachutist Wings with a career total of 126 parachute jumps.
He was a member of the Disabled American Veterans, Retired Officers Association, American Legion, and was the honorary chairman of the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment Association.
To learn more about Colonel Lahti, please visit: 511pir.com
๐To learn more about the historic 511th PIR and 11th Airborne Division, please consider purchasing a copy of "When Angels Fall: From Toccoa to Tokyo: The 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment in World War II MacArthur’s Secret Weapon & Heroes of Los Baรฑos"
Original description and photo submitted by Jeremy Holm author of When Angels Fall: From Toccoa to Tokyo: The 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment in World War II MacArthur’s Secret Weapon & Heroes of Los Baรฑos
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