Agnew, member of WWII Filthy 13 unit, dies in Pa.

[Kadie]

Agnew, member of WWII Filthy 13 unit, dies in Pa.

By RON TODT, Associated Press Writer Ron Todt, Associated Press Writer – 17 mins ago

PHILADELPHIA – John "Jack" Agnew, one of the original members of a U.S. Army unit that operated behind enemy lines in World War II and is often credited with having loosely inspired the movie "The Dirty Dozen," has died at age 88.

Agnew belonged to the Filthy Thirteen, an unofficial unit within the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. He was pronounced dead Thursday at Abington Memorial Hospital after becoming ill at his home in the Maple Village retirement community in Hatboro, where he and his wife moved about a year ago, his daughter Barbara Agnew Maloney said.

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, Agnew and other members of the unit were requested for pathfinder duty and parachuted into Bastogne, which was besieged by German forces. Agnew operated a beacon to help guide in planes carrying badly needed supplies.

Tales of the unit's exploits and a Stars and Stripes military newspaper photograph are said to have inspired "The Dirty Dozen," not because any of the unit's members were convicts like the movie's characters — they weren't — but because of their reputation for brawling, drinking and spending time in the stockade.

snip...
"We weren't murderers or anything, we just didn't do everything we were supposed to do in some ways and did a whole lot more than they wanted us to do in other ways," he told the quarterly. "We were always in trouble."

more...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100412/ap_on_re_us/us_obit_filthy13_member_3


This February 2010 photo provided by Barbara Agnew Maloney shows John 'Jack' Agnew, right, and Joe McNiece are seen during the Military History Show of Shows Convention in Louisville, Ky. Agnew, an original member of a U.S. Army unit that operated behind enemy lines in World War II and is credited with inspiring the movie 'The Dirty Dozen', died Thursday, April 9, 2010 in suburban Philadelphia. He was 88.
(AP Photo/Barbara Agnew Maloney)


This undated photo provided courtesy of Barbara Agnew Maloney shows John 'Jack' Agnew. Agnew, an original member of a U.S. Army unit that operated behind enemy lines in World War II and is credited with inspiring the movie 'The Dirty Dozen', died Thursday, April 9, 2010 in suburban Philadelphia. He was 88.
(AP Photo/Courtesy of Barbara Agnew Maloney)

[BrklynLiberal]

1. wow. Such memories...

[virgogal]

2. My God,they were just kids. He looks about 16. RIP sir,RIP.

[demosincebirth]

5. Audy Murphy was only 18

[proteus_lives]

3. RIP and Godspeed Mr. Agnew.

:patriot:

You were an American original.

[aquart]

4. He looks too sweet and innocent for all that drunken brawling.

I hope it's been a good life since then.