Joseph Byerly was a US soldier in World War II who took part in numerous daring missions. After enlisting in 1942, Byerly trained as a paratrooper and completed two missions with the OSS, the precursor to the CIA, where he parachuted into Nazi-occupied France with a backpack of gold to support the French Resistance.
On D-Day, Byerly's plane was shot down, and he leaped out at 400 feet, surviving the jump. He landed on a church roof, dodged sniper fire, and began a one-man mission to disrupt Nazi operations. He eventually surrendered but escaped and was recaptured, then sent to a POW camp.
Byerly endured brutal conditions, including interrogation, beatings, and solitary confinement. He escaped again and joined a German resistance group, but was recaptured by the Gestapo. After another escape, he joined the Soviet Red Army and fought alongside them, eventually helping to liberate the same POW camp he had escaped from.
When Byerly returned to the US, he was met with skepticism, and it took several attempts to verify his identity. He was awarded the Purple Heart and later received additional presidential awards from US President Bill Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Byerly died in 2004 at the age of 81, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most decorated and daring soldiers of World War II.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The United States formally entered World War II on December 8th, 1941.
2. Joseph Byerly was a senior at his high school in Muskegon, Michigan, at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
3. Joseph Byerly had a scholarship to attend Notre Dame University, but he decided to enlist in the army instead.
4. Joseph Byerly was assigned to the parachute infantry unit, which was considered one of the most dangerous units in the army.
5. Joseph Byerly underwent a brutal accelerated training regimen, including exhausting physical training and jump school.
6. By 1943, Joseph Byerly was fully trained and stationed in England.
7. Joseph Byerly volunteered for a mission with the OSS (the predecessor to the CIA) to parachute into Nazi-occupied France with a backpack full of gold.
8. Joseph Byerly successfully completed the mission and met with the French Resistance to deliver the gold.
9. Joseph Byerly was part of the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France, known as D-Day, and was parachuted into France the night before.
10. Joseph Byerly and his unit were tasked with destroying bridges, cutting power lines, and softening up defenses before the main invasion.
11. Joseph Byerly's plane was struck by enemy fire, and he was forced to jump out at 400 feet.
12. Joseph Byerly landed on top of a church, where a Nazi sniper was taking shots at him.
13. Joseph Byerly managed to dodge the sniper's rounds and slipped off the roof, running out of sight.
14. Joseph Byerly continued his mission, taking out Nazi soldiers and destroying the town's power substation.
15. Joseph Byerly was eventually captured by Nazi forces and taken to a POW holding area.
16. Joseph Byerly was interrogated and beaten by the Nazis, but he didn't give them any information.
17. Joseph Byerly was moved to multiple POW camps, where he was starved, beaten, and forced to do backbreaking labor.
18. Joseph Byerly attempted to escape several times, but was recaptured each time.
19. Joseph Byerly was eventually sent to a Russian POW camp in Poland, where he began planning his escape.
20. Joseph Byerly and three other American POWs cut through the barbed wire and escaped from the camp.
21. Joseph Byerly and the other POWs were caught by the Gestapo and interrogated, but they didn't give them any information.
22. Joseph Byerly was sentenced to 30 days in solitary confinement, but was released after seven days.
23. Joseph Byerly continued to fight alongside the Soviets across the Eastern Front for a couple of months.
24. Joseph Byerly was eventually evacuated to a Russian field hospital after being injured in a tank explosion.
25. Joseph Byerly met with Georgi Zhukov, the most important Soviet military commander in World War II, who provided him with official paperwork to rejoin American forces.
26. Joseph Byerly was sent to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, where he was finally able to verify his identity and rejoin American forces.
27. Joseph Byerly returned home on April 11, 1945, and was surprised to find that his parents had held a funeral for him, believing he had been killed in action.
28. Joseph Byerly was awarded the Purple Heart and additional presidential awards from U.S. President Bill Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin.
29. Joseph Byerly died in 2004 at the age of 81.
30. Joseph Byerly's son went on to become the U.S. Ambassador to Russia under George W. Bush and Barack Obama.