‘Grunts, Grit, and Brotherhood’: A Look at the Only Airborne Division in the Pacific War
James M. Fenelon’s second book is “Angels Against the Sun: A WWII Saga of Grunts, Grit, and Brotherhood.” It tells the story of the 11th Airborne Division. Nicknamed the “Angels,” it was the only airborne division the United States sent to the Pacific Theater, but ironically it fought largely as infantry as it battled its way through the Philippines and participated in the bloody battle for Manila. Fenelon is a former paratrooper himself, have served for 12 years in the military, and he is a graduate of the U.S. Army’s Airborne, Jumpmaster, and Pathfinder schools. His first book was “Four Hours of Fury,” an account of the U.S. 17th Airborne Division and its combat jump over the Rhine River in March 1945.
In this interview, Fenelon talks to World War II magazine editor Tom Huntington about “Angels Against the Sun.”