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Agnew, John (1922 - 2010); one of the original members of a US Army unit that operated behind enemy lines in World War II and is often credited with having loosely
inspired the movie “The Dirty Dozen." He belonged to the Filthy Thirteen, an unofficial unit of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.
On D-day, the Filthy Thirteen parachuted into France to take a bridge over the Douve River. It was “a mission that would cost most of the men their lives,’’ according
to an article in the winter 2008-09 edition of American Valour Quarterly, a publication of the nonprofit American Veterans Center. Before the Battle of the
Bulge, Mr. Agnew and other members of the unit were requested for pathfinder duty and parachuted into Bastogne, which was besieged by German forces. Mr. Agnew operated
a beacon to help guide in planes carrying badly needed supplies. $40.00