Donald Burgett

Donald R. Burgett
Born	April 25, 1925 (1925-04-25) (age 86) Detroit, Michigan
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1943-1945
Unit	506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
Battles/wars	World War II: Operation Overlord Operation Market-Garden Battle of the Bulge

Donald R. Burgett (born April 5, 1925) is a writer and a former World War II paratrooper. He was among the Airborne troopers who landed in Normandy early on the morning of D-Day. He was a member of the 101st Airborne Division, ("The Screaming Eagles"), and the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Burgett served in 'A' Company, 1st Battalion, 506th PIR as both a rifleman and a machine-gunner.

Burgett parachuted into Holland, his second combat jump, as part of Operation Market-Garden^[1] with the 1st Allied Airborne Army, and fought for 72 days behind the German lines. After just a few weeks rest, he was again sent into combat, this time at the Battle of the Bulge, where the 101st, along with Combat Command B of the U.S. 10th Armored Division and the all African American 969th Field Artillery Battalion successfully held out against nine German armored divisions during the siege of Bastogne. Burgett went on to fight through Operation Nordwind, on into Germany to the Ruhr Valley, the Rhineland, and Bavaria, where he helped capture Hitler's mountain retreat in southern Germany. While in action with the 101st, Burgett was wounded three times and had his M1 rifle shot out of his hands at least twice. He was one of only eleven men out of the original 200 in his company to survive from D-Day in Normandy to the war's end.

Burgett now lives in Howell, Michigan. In addition to writing four books, he has also done a number of History Channel specials on World War II.

Bibliography

Burgett's books are first-hand accounts of his time spent in the United States Army during World War II. Some were based on unpublished accounts he wrote immediately after the war, while others were compiled in later years.

• Currahee!: A Screaming Eagle at Normandy, the story of Able Company of 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment
• The Road to Arnhem, a first hand account of Operation Market-Garden.
• Seven Roads to Hell (Bastogne and the Battle of the Bulge)
• Beyond the Rhine: A Screaming Eagle in Germany

See also

	Biography portal
	World War II portal
	United States portal

• Band of Brothers (TV miniseries)

References

1. ^ The Road to Arnhem: A Screaming Eagle in Holland, Donald Burgett, 1999, Presidio Press,isbn: 0-89141-682-X

External links

• "Donald R Burgett - A National Living Treasure"
• "Donald Burgett - 101st Airborne 506th PIR, Co A"

Persondata
Name	Burgett, Donald
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	April 25, 1925
Place of birth	Detroit, Michigan
Date of death
Place of death