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2nd ABN Battle GP 505th Patch


Wake1941
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Just picked this up at a show this weekend, from what I understand the 505th was shortly connected to the 11th ABN. Can anyone tell me what Le Clerc Team means? Also im assuming this is german made, is that correct? Thanks

post-151850-0-63468900-1571881696.jpg

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At this time the 11th Abn Div indeed still in Germany, it wont be for long, it's inactivated 1 July 1958, Le Clerc, maybe something t do with training in France?? France was still in NATO.

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The LeClerc Trophy was the annual NATO infantry rifle team competition in those years (very similar to NATO tank competion in later years). In 1958, the 36th Inf (Butzbach)/3 AD represented all US inf teams in USAREUR and won the overall competition. Somewhere, I've got some pix - must dig them out. Stand bye.......

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Some of you may remember COL Bill Dillingham, who was very active in ASMIC, for decades. In those years (1956ish), he served in the 11th Abn Div. One night over "a few beers" we got into a discussion over his soldiering in the 11th in Germany - he remarked it was THE best Abn unit he ever served in - said family life was non-existent - 110% hard corps soldering. They would come home from Graf - his wife was lucky if she could get his fatigues washed; then it was out to the field again for NATO field exercises. Ahhhh..... sweet memories of the old "brown shoe Army" I grew up in.

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Thanks QED4 and CaptCav, Do we take it the LeClerc Trophy was named in memory of General LeClerc, the Nom de guerre of Philippe François Marie de Hauteclocque who died in an air crash in the line of duty in Africa in 1947?

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Yes. I'm scrambling to find documents, re: Le Clerc trophy. It was a NATO competition, and I vaguely remember my dad was an evaluator in '58. US, Brits, Norway, France, and the brand new German Heer participated. After the 2/36 Inf won the competition, you would have thought they had won WWII again.

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post-1580-0-72678100-1571937380_thumb.jpeg

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My Bad.... it was 1957. The 1LT (to the right of the trophy) was the team CDR and was our next door neighbor. Can't remember his name.... 1957 was a long, LONG time ago. :P

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