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