This Military Service Page was created/owned by
SSG Arch Kennedy (Reb)
to remember
Kennedy, Michael, COL.
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Chain of Command Served as Executive Officer, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division in Germany (March 1945-January 1946) and Fort Bragg, North Carolina (January-March 1946)
Other Memories After leaving command of the Rifle Company he had been a part of for nearly three years, Michael Kennedy was promoted (temporarily) to Major and assumed his new duties as XO of the 1st Battalion, 505th PIR, 82nd Airborne. The unit was still advancing steadily across Germany and even crossed the Elbe River when the entire Anglo-Canadian 21st Army Group had halted because it believed German resistance was too great. The 82nd advanced 36 miles in a single day and captured over 100,000 prisoners! After V-E Day the outfit was tasked with occupation duty in Berlin, where it earned another nickname as "America's Honor Guard" after General George S. Patton personally stated "In all my years in the Army and all the honor guards I have ever seen, the 82nd's Honor Guard is undoubtedly the best." The unit was also slated to participate in the invasion of Japan, but luckily the war ended before that happened. In January 1946 the 82nd redeployed home to Fort Bragg, North Carolina and MAJ Kennedy remained with them until the end of March.